Lexical Definition

‎ὀφείλω‎ opheílō (of-i'-lo) to owe ^G:V
probably from the base of ‎ὄφελος‎ (through the idea of accruing)

behove, be bound, (be) debt(-or), (be) due(-ty), be guilty (indebted), (must) need(-s), ought, owe, should.

• to owe (pecuniarily)
• figuratively, to be under obligation (ought, must, should)
• morally, to fail in duty

Abbott-Smith

ὀφείλω, [in LXX: De 15:2, Is 24:2 (נשׁה, נשׁא), Ez 18:7 (חוב), Wi 12:15, 20, al.;]
to owe, be a debtor: c. acc. rei, Mt 18:28, Lk 7:41 16:7, Phm 18; id. c. dat. pers., Mt 18:28, Lk 16:5. Pass., to be owed, to be due: τ. ὀφειλόμενον, Mt 18:30, 34. Metaph.: absol. (= Rabbinic חַיָּב; v. McNeile, in l.), Mt 23:16, 18; c. acc. rei et dat. pers., Ro 13:8; c. inf., to be bound or obliged to do (of. Westc., Epp. Jo., 50), Lk 17:10, Jo 13:14 19:7, Ac 17:29, Ro 15:1, 27, I Co 5:10 7:36 9:10 11:7, 10, II Co 12:14, Eph 5:28, II Th 1:3 2:13, He 2:17 5:3, 12, I Jo 2:6 3:16 4:11, III Jo 8; ὤφειλον συνίστασθαι, I ought to have been commended, II Co 12:11. In peculiar Aram. sense of having wronged one (v.s. ὀφείλημα; but of. also Inscr. ἁμαρτίαν ὀφείλω, Deiss., BS, 225), c. dat. pers., Lk 11:4 (cf. προσ-οφείλω).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὀφείλω-ω,

imperfect ὤφειλον; Epic dialect ὀφέλλω (also Aeolic dialect, [Refs 4th c.BC+]imperfect ὤφελλον or ὄφελλον, see infr. II. [ὀφείλωετ᾽, ὄφειλον in 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 11.686, 688, 698, 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Opera et Dies” 174 is probably due to the Copyists)">Refs 8th c.BC+]: future ὀφειλήσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ὠφείλησα [Refs 5th c.BC+] (ἐπ-): perfect ὠφείληκα: pluperfect -ήκειν[Refs 4th c.BC+]aorist 2 ὤφελον (see. below [Refs]:—passive, aorist participle ὀφειληθείς [Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Cretan dialect ὀφήλω [Refs], written ὀπέλο [Refs 4th c.AD+] ὀφέλλω (see. above) and ὀφήλω [Refs 4th c.BC+]: in early Attic dialect Inscrr. written both ὀφελ -IG 12.91.8[Refs]:—owe, have to pay or account for, τὸ καὶ μοιχάγρι᾽ ὀφέλλει [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅτι μοι.. ζωάγρι᾽ ὀφέλλεις[Refs 8th c.BC+]; τί ὀφείλωω; what do I owe? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀ. ἀργύριον, χρέα, [Refs 5th c.BC+] to be debtor to another, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, to be in debt, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ὀφείλωοντες debtors, [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—passive, to be due, ἔνθα χρεῖός μοι ὀφέλλεται (variant{ὀφείλωεται}) [ὀφείλωετο 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 11.686, 698; ἢν.. ὀφείλωηταί τί μοι 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Nubes” 484; μισθὸς τοῖς στρατιώταις ὠφείλετο 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 1.2.11, etc.">Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὸ ὀφειλόμενον a debt,[Refs 5th c.BC+]

__2 metaphorically, ὀ. μέλος τινί [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀ. χάριν, see at {χάρις} [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, ὀφείλωεταί τινι ἐκ θεῶν κλέος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοὐφειλόμενον πράσσουσα Δίκη what is due, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__3 as a legal term, to be bound to render, εὐθύνας ὤφειλον [Refs 5th c.BC+], incur a penalty, ζημίαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__4 in passive, of persons, to be due or liable to, θανάτῳ πάντες ὀφειλόμεθα [LXX+4th c.BC+]our help is due, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__II with infinitive, to be bound, to be obliged to do, ὀφέλλετε ταῦτα πένεσθαι ye are bound, ye ought to.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; and of things, ought to be, ὁ λόγος οὐκ ἀκριβῶς ὀ. λέγεσθαι [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—passive, δράσαντι γάρ τοι καὶ παθεῖν ὀφείλωεται [Refs 4th c.BC+]; σοὶ τοῦτ᾽ ὀφείλωεται παθεῖν it is thy destiny to.., [ὀφείλωεται 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Alcestis” 419, compare 782, “Or.” 1245, 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 25.11; see above 1.4. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 in this signification Epic dialect imperfect ὤφελλον or ὄφελλον and aorist ὤφελον or ὄφελον are used of that which one has not, but ought to have, done (ought being the pret. of owe), ὤφελεν ἀθανάτοισιν εὔχεσθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.3 these tenses are also used, followed by present or aorist infinitive, in wishes that something were or had been in present or past, ἀνδρὸς.. ὤφελλον ἀμείνονος εἶναι ἄκοιτις I ought to be.., would that I were.. ! [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὴν ὄφελ᾽ ἐν νήεσσι κατακτάμεν Ἄρτεμις would that Artemis had slain her !, [Refs 8th c.BC+] O that thou hadst!, [Refs 8th c.BC+] O that I had.. !,[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὡς ὄφελεν.. [Refs 8th c.BC+].. would thou hadst never.. !, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὤφελες.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὤφελε.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴθ᾽ ὤφελ᾽.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὡς ὤφελες.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὡς μήποτ᾽ ὤφελον.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄφελε.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μήποτ᾽ ὄφελον.. [Refs 5th c.BC+] is used in late Epic dialect, ὡς μὴ ὤφειλες ἱκέσθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.3.b with indicative, ὤφελε μηδ᾽ ἐγένοντο θοαὶ νέες [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__II.3.c ὄφελον (adverb accusative to [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in this signification: with accusative et infinitive, ὤμοι ἐγών, ὄφελόν με.. ὀλέσθαι [NT+1st c.AD+]; ὤφελον (sic) εἰ ἐδυνάμεθα πέτασθαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]infinitive, ὄφελομ μὲν ἡ θεὸς.. στερῆσαι.. [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__III impersonal ὀφείλωει, it behoves, with accusative et infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄφελλέ με μήτε.. εἰσοράαν κτλ. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]participle, absolutely, αἱ ὀφείλωουσαι ἱερουργίαι τῶν θεῶν the due services of the gods, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; κατὰ τὸν ὀφείλωοντα καιρόν [Refs 2nd c.AD+]. (ὦφλον, ὤφληκα, aorist and perfect of ὀφλισκάνω, were probably originally aorist and perfect of ὀφείλωω: ὄφελον in signf. II. [Refs] may be originally neuter participle of ὤφελε (signification [Refs]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: 1Cor.4.8 ☩ 2Cor.11.1 ☩ Gal.5.12 ☩ Rev.3.15 ☩ LXX.Job.14.13 ☩ LXX.Exod.16.3}