"a debt; a due, Rom. 4:4, in NT a delinquency, offence, fault, sin, Mt. 6:12, cf. v. 14*"
Definition and meaning
a debt; a due, Rom. 4:4, in NT a delinquency, offence, fault, sin, Mt. 6:12, cf. v. 14*
In the original Greek the word is written: ὀφείλημα
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of opheilema (G3783) across the King James Bible.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
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Common questions
Strong's G3783 (opheilema) is a Greek word that means: a debt; a due, Rom. 4:4, in NT a delinquency, offence, fault, sin, Mt. 6:12, cf. v. 14* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word opheilema (G3783) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3783 is opheilema, a Greek word defined as: a debt; a due, Rom. 4:4, in NT a delinquency, offence, fault, sin, Mt. 6:12, cf. v. 14*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
opheilema is a Greek word found in the New Testament.