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Strong's Concordance
Greek Word Study

Strong's G3784 ὀφείλω (opheilo)

Opheilo means “ought” — full meaning, definition, and every linked Bible usage across the indexed canon.

Same number, other testament: Strong's H3784 — kashaph (“sorcerer”) in the Hebrew Bible.

Strong's Number G3784
Language Greek
Linked Usages 50
Books 23

Strong's G3784 Quick Answer

Strong's G3784 ὀφείλω (opheilo) is a Greek Strong's word-study entry. opheilo (of-ei'-lo) (or (in certain tenses), its prolonged form opheileo of-ei-leh'-o) v. 1. to owe (finacially) 2. (figuratively) to be under obligation, indebted (ought, must, should) It has 50 linked Bible usages across 23 books. Visible English usage signals include ought, certain, indebted, owe, and must. Indexed coverage on this page includes New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

Meaning
opheilo (of-ei'-lo) (or (in certain tenses), its prolonged form opheileo of-ei-leh'-o) v. 1. to owe (finacially) 2. (figuratively) to be under obligation, indebted (ought, must, should)
Usage
50 linked usages
Books
23 indexed books
Corpus
New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Usage Words
ought, certain, indebted, owe, and must

Meaning and Definition

opheilo (of-ei'-lo) (or (in certain tenses), its prolonged form opheileo of-ei-leh'-o) v. 1. to owe (finacially) 2. (figuratively) to be under obligation, indebted (ought, must, should) 3. (morally) to fail in duty [probably from the base of G3786 (through the idea of accruing)] KJV: behove, be bound, (be) debt(-or), (be) due(-ty), be guilty (indebted), (must) need(-s), ought, owe, should Root(s): G3786 See also: G3785

Original Word
ὀφείλω
Transliteration
opheilo
Derivation
Root: ὄφελος R1: 3786
Morphology
verb

Across Lexicons

How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's G3784. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.

Extended Strong's Greek Lexicon (Abbott-Smith based)

to owe

Usage: ὀφείλω [in LXX: Deu.15:2, Isa.24:2 (נָשָׁה), Eze.18:7 (חוֹב), Wis.12:15, 20, al. ;] to owe, be a debtor: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.18:28, Luk.7:41 16:7, Phm 18; id. with dative of person(s), Mat.18:28, Luk.16:5. Pass., to be owed, to be due: τ. ὀφειλόμενον, Mat.18:30, 34. Metaphorical: absol. (= Rabbinic חַיָּב; see McNeile, in l), Mat.23:16, 18; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Rom.13:8; with inf., to be bound or obliged to do (of. Westc., Epp.

Jo., 50), Luk.17:10, Jhn.13:14 19:7, Act.17:29, Rom.15:1, 27, 1Co.5:10 7:36 9:10 11:7 11:10, 2Co.12:14, Eph.5:28, 2Th.1:3 2:13, Heb.2:17 5:3, 12, 1Jn.2:6 Jn 3:16 Jn 4:11, 3Jn.8; ὤειλον συνίστασθαι, I ought to have been commended, 2Co.12:11. In peculiar Aram. sense of having wronged one (see: όφείλημα; but of. also Inscr. ἁμαρτίαν ὀφείίλω, Deiss., BS, 225), with dative of person(s), Luk.11:4 (cf. προσ-οφίελω).† (AS)

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How Strong's G3784 Is Translated

The English word each shown verse actually uses to render opheilo, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.

ought John 13:14 16× Owe Romans 13:8 certain Luke 7:41 indebted Luke 11:4 must 1 Corinthians 5:10

How Strong's G3784 Usage Compares

Indexed coverage includes New Testament, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, and Septuagint / Greek Old Testament. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.

  • The largest indexed corpus on this page is New Testament with 35 linked usages.
  • This page lets readers compare New Testament usage with Septuagint / Greek Old Testament usage, which is a key THF advantage over narrower Strong's pages.
  • Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha rows are counted separately so readers can decide how those texts relate to the main word study.

In the Septuagint (LXX)

Strong's G3784 (ὀφείλω) appears 16 times in the Greek Septuagint — the Old Testament the New Testament authors quoted.

Sample Septuagint occurrences:

Read the full Greek Septuagint interlinear with Strong's →

Strong's G3784 by Corpus

Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.

Strong's G3784 in the New Testament

35 indexed usages in New Testament.

Matthew 18:28 KJV

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

Matthew 18:30 KJV

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Matthew 18:34 KJV

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

Strong's G3784 in the Septuagint / Greek Old Testament

5 indexed usages in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 15:2 Septuagint / Brenton

And this is the ordinance of the release: thou shalt remit every private debt which thy neighbor owes thee, and thou shalt not ask payment of it from thy brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord thy God.

Job 6:20 Septuagint / Brenton

They too that trust in cities and riches Shall come to shame.

Proverbs 14:9 Septuagint / Brenton

The houses of transgressors will need purification; But the houses of the just are acceptable.

Strong's G3784 in the deuterocanonical books / Apocrypha

10 indexed usages in Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

Tobit 6:13 Septuagint / Brenton

Then the young man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azariah, that this maid hath been given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber.

1 Maccabees 10:43 Septuagint / Brenton

And whosoever they be that flee unto the temple at Jerusalem, or be within the liberties thereof, being indebted unto the king, or for any other matter, let them be at liberty, and all that they have in my realm.

1 Maccabees 13:15 Septuagint / Brenton

Whereas we have Jonathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing unto the king’s treasure, concerning the business that was committed unto him.

Usage Excerpts

First 50 linked usage excerpts for Strong's G3784.

Deuteronomy 15:2 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And this is the ordinance of the release: thou shalt remit every private debt which thy neighbor owes thee, and thou shalt not ask payment of it from thy brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord thy God.
Job 6:20 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
They too that trust in cities and riches Shall come to shame.
Proverbs 14:9 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
The houses of transgressors will need purification; But the houses of the just are acceptable.
Isaiah 24:2 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And the people shall be as the priest, and the servant as the lord, and the maid as the mistress; the buyer shall be as the seller, the lender as the borrower, and the debtor as his creditor.
Ezekiel 18:7 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
and shall not oppress any man, but shall return the pledge of the debtor, and shall be guilty of no plunder, shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked;
Matthew 18:28 New Testament, KJV
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Matthew 18:30 New Testament, KJV
And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Matthew 18:34 New Testament, KJV
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Matthew 23:16 New Testament, KJV
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Matthew 23:18 New Testament, KJV
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Luke 7:41 New Testament, KJV
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luke 11:4 New Testament, KJV
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Luke 16:5 New Testament, KJV
So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
Luke 16:7 New Testament, KJV
Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
Luke 17:10 New Testament, KJV
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
John 13:14 New Testament, KJV
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
John 19:7 New Testament, KJV
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
Acts 17:29 New Testament, KJV
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Romans 13:8 New Testament, KJV
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Romans 15:1 New Testament, KJV
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Romans 15:27 New Testament, KJV
It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
1 Corinthians 5:10 New Testament, KJV
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
1 Corinthians 7:3 New Testament, KJV
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
1 Corinthians 7:36 New Testament, KJV
But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
1 Corinthians 9:10 New Testament, KJV
Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
1 Corinthians 11:7 New Testament, KJV
For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
1 Corinthians 11:10 New Testament, KJV
For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
2 Corinthians 12:11 New Testament, KJV
I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
2 Corinthians 12:14 New Testament, KJV
Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
Ephesians 5:28 New Testament, KJV
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 New Testament, KJV
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2 Thessalonians 2:13 New Testament, KJV
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Philemon 1:18 New Testament, KJV
If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
Hebrews 2:17 New Testament, KJV
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 5:3 New Testament, KJV
And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Hebrews 5:12 New Testament, KJV
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
1 John 2:6 New Testament, KJV
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 3:16 New Testament, KJV
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 4:11 New Testament, KJV
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
3 John 1:8 New Testament, KJV
We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.
Tobit 6:13 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Then the young man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azariah, that this maid hath been given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber.
1 Maccabees 10:43 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
And whosoever they be that flee unto the temple at Jerusalem, or be within the liberties thereof, being indebted unto the king, or for any other matter, let them be at liberty, and all that they have in my realm.
1 Maccabees 13:15 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Whereas we have Jonathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing unto the king’s treasure, concerning the business that was committed unto him.
1 Maccabees 13:39 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
As for any oversight or fault committed unto this day, we forgive it, and the crown tax also, which ye owe us: and if there were any other tribute paid in Jerusalem, it shall no more be paid.
3 Maccabees 7:10 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
When they had received this letter, they were not forward to depart immediately. They petitioned the king to be allowed to inflict fitting punishment upon those of their race who had willingly transgressed the holy God, and the law of God.
4 Maccabees 11:3 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
But I have come of my own accord, that by the death of me, you may owe heavenly vengeance a punishment for more crimes.
4 Maccabees 11:15 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
for having been born and reared unto the same end, we are bound to die also in behalf of the same cause.
4 Maccabees 16:19 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
And on this account ye ought to bear every affliction because of God.
Wisdom of Solomon 12:15 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Forsomuch then as thou art righteous thyself, thou orderest all things righteously: Thinking it not agreeable with thy power To condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished.
Wisdom of Solomon 12:20 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy children, and the condemned to death, with such deliberation, Giving them time and place whereby they might be delivered from their malice:

All Indexed Usage Links

Every indexed verse link for Strong's G3784, grouped by book.

Deuteronomy 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Job 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Proverbs 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Isaiah 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Ezekiel 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Matthew 5 usages, New Testament
Luke 5 usages, New Testament
John 2 usages, New Testament
Acts 1 usage, New Testament
Romans 3 usages, New Testament
1 Corinthians 6 usages, New Testament
2 Corinthians 2 usages, New Testament
Ephesians 1 usage, New Testament
2 Thessalonians 2 usages, New Testament
Philemon 1 usage, New Testament
Hebrews 3 usages, New Testament
1 John 3 usages, New Testament
3 John 1 usage, New Testament
Tobit 1 usage, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
1 Maccabees 3 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
3 Maccabees 1 usage, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
4 Maccabees 3 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Wisdom of Solomon 2 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha

Strong's G3784 FAQ

What does opheilo (ὀφείλω) mean?

Opheilo (Strong's G3784) is a Greek word most simply glossed "ought". opheilo (of-ei'-lo) (or (in certain tenses), its prolonged form opheileo of-ei-leh'-o) v. 1. to owe (finacially) 2. (figuratively) to be under obligation, indebted (ought, must, should)

How many times is opheilo (ὀφείλω) used in the Bible?

This page currently indexes 50 linked usages for Strong's G3784 across 23 books.

Where can I study opheilo (ὀφείλω) in context?

Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's G3784 in context. The indexed coverage includes New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

What English words translate opheilo (ὀφείλω)?

The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as ought, certain, indebted, owe, and must. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.

Does Strong's G3784 appear in the Septuagint or deuterocanonical books?

Yes. The current local index includes 5 in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament and 10 in Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha for Strong's G3784, with linked reader references where each row is available.