opheilō · ought, owe

What it means

opheilō (ὀφείλω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “ought, owe”.

Owe; ought, be obliged.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To be in debt to someone.
2. To be under obligation to do something.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• ought ×19
• owed ×4
• Owe ×2
• bound ×2
• do you owe ×2
• he had ×1
• he must ×1
• it must ×1
• owes you anything ×1
• who is indebted ×1
• others ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×6
• Luke×5
• John×2
• Acts×1
• Romans×3
• 1 Corinthians×5
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Ephesians×1
• 2 Thessalonians×2
• Philemon×1
• Hebrews×3
• 1 John×3
• 3 John×1

• Matthew 18:28

  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him, he was choking him, saying, ‘Pay back whatever you owe!’

• Matthew 18:30

  But he was not willing, but went and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.

• Matthew 18:34

  And his master, angered, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed.

• Matthew 23:16

  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound.’

• Matthew 23:18

  And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound.’

• Luke 7:41

  “A certain moneylender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

• Luke 11:4

  and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and do not bring us into temptation.”

• Luke 16:5

  And summoning each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

• Luke 16:7

  Then he said to another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He says to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

• Luke 17:10

  So you also, when you have done all the things commanded you, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; what we ought to do we have done.’”

• John 13:14

  So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

• John 19:7

  The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

• Acts 17:29

  Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine is like gold or silver or stone, a sculpture of human art and imagination.

• Romans 13:8

  Owe no one anything except to love one another; for the one who loves the other has fulfilled the law.

• Romans 15:1

  Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.

• Romans 15:27

  For they were pleased to do it, and they are their debtors; for if the nations have shared in their spiritual things, they ought also to render service to them in material things.

• 1 Corinthians 5:10

  not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would have to go out of the world.

• 1 Corinthians 7:36

  But if anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past her prime, and it must be so, let him do what he wishes; he does not sin; let them marry.

• 1 Corinthians 9:10

  Or is he speaking entirely for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the one who plows ought to plow in hope, and the one who threshes ought to thresh in hope of sharing in the harvest.

• 1 Corinthians 11:7

  For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

• 1 Corinthians 11:10

  For this reason the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels.

• 2 Corinthians 12:11

  I have become a fool; you forced me to it. For I ought to have been commended by you; for I fell short in nothing of those super-apostles, even though I am nothing.

• 2 Corinthians 12:14

  Look, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden; for I do not seek what is yours but you. For children ought not to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

• Ephesians 5:28

  So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.

• 2 Thessalonians 1:3

  We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of each one of all of you for one another is increasing,

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13

  But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth,

• Philemon 1:18

  And if he has wronged you in anything or owes you anything, charge this to me.

• Hebrews 2:17

  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every way, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things relating to God, to make expiation for the sins of the people.

• Hebrews 5:3

  and because of it he must, as for the people, so also for himself, offer sacrifices for sins.

• Hebrews 5:12

  For indeed, though you ought to be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have become people needing milk, not solid food.

• 1 John 2:6

  Whoever says he remains in him ought himself to walk just as he walked.

• 1 John 3:16

  By this we have come to know love: that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

• 1 John 4:11

  Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

• 3 John 1:8

  So we ought to support such people, so that we may become fellow workers with the truth.

And 1 more times.