Lexical Definition

‎χάρις‎ cháris (khar'-ece) grace ^G:N-F
from ‎χαίρω‎

acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

• graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete
• literal, figurative or spiritual
• especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life
• including gratitude)

Abbott-Smith

χάρις, -ιτος, ἡ , acc., χάριν (χάριτα in Ac 24:27, Ju 4; v. WH, App., 157), [in LXX chiefly for חֵן ;]

1. objectively, that which causes favourable regard, gracefulness, grace, loveliness of form, graciousness of speech (cl.; Ec 10:12, Si 21:16, al.): Col 4:6; λόγοι τ. χάριτος (gen. qual.), Lk 4:22.
2. Subjectively,
(a) on the part of the giver, grace, graciousness, kindness, goodwill, favour: Lk 2:52, Ac 7:10, al.; esp. in NT of the divine favour, grace, with emphasis on its freeness and universality: Lk 1:30, Ac 14:26, Ro 1:7, I Co 1:3, al.; opp. to ὀφείλημα, Ro 4:4, 16; to ἔργα, Ro 11:6;
(b) on the part of the receiver, a sense of favour received, thanks, gratitude: Ro 6:17 7:25, al.; χ. ἔχειν, to be thankful, Lk 17:9, I Ti 1:12, al.
3. Objectively, of the effect of grace,
(a) a state of grace: Ro 5:2, II Ti 2:1, I Pe 5:12, II Pe 3:18;
(b) a proof or gift of grace (cl., a favour): Jo 1:16, Ac 6:8, Ro 1:5, I Co 3:10, II Co 9:8, Ga 2:9, Eph 3:2, I Pe 5:5, 10 al. (For fuller treatment of the NT usage, v. AR, Eph., 221 ff.; DB, ii, 254 ff.; DCG, i, 686 ff.; Cremer, s.v.).

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

χάρις [ᾰ], ἡ,

genitive χάρῐτος: accusative χάριν [ῑ in arsi, [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.; also χάριτα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative χάρισι, χαρίτεσσι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: (χαίρω):—grace:

__I in objective sense, outward grace or fauour, beauty, properly of persons or their portraits, θεσπεσίην δ᾽ ἄρα τῷ γε χάριν κατεχεύατ᾽ Ἀθήνη [Refs 8th c.BC+]: plural, graces, κάλλεϊ καὶ χάρισι στίλβων [Refs 8th c.BC+]gracefully, [Refs 5th c.BC+] of ear-rings, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of works, ἔργοισι χάριν καὶ κῦδος ὀπάζει [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of words, οὔ οἱ χ. ἀμφιπεριστέφεται ἐπέεσσιν [Refs]; πλείστη δὲ χ. κατὰ μέτρον ἰούσης [γλώσσης] [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__I.2 glory, Φερενίκου χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II in subjective sense, grace or favour felt, whether on the part of the doer or the receiver (both senses appear in such phrases as ὅτ᾽.. ἡ χάρις χάριν φέροι [χάρις χάριν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τίκτουσ᾽ ἀεί [prev. author] “Aj.” 522, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Helena” 1234, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Rhetorica” 1385a16): ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.1 on the part of the doer, grace, kindness, goodwill, τινος for or towards one, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ χάριτι τῇ ἐμῇ not for any kind feeling towards me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦ μεγάλα χ. δώρῳ σύν ὀλίγῳ [LXX+3rd c.BC+]; partiality, favour, μήτε ἔλεον μήτε συγγνώμην μήτε χ. μηδεμίαν περὶ πλείονος ποιήσασθαι τῶν νόμων [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 more frequently on the part of the receiver, sense of favour received, thankfulness, gratitude, χάριν καὶ κῦδος ἄροιο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τινος for a thing, οὐδέ τίς ἐστι χάρις μετόπισθ᾽ εὐεργέων [Refs 8th c.BC+]infinitive, οὐκ ἄρα τις χάρις ἦεν μάρνασθαι one has, it seems, no thanks for fighting, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χάριν εἰδέναι τινί to acknowledge a sense of favour, feel grateful, once in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τούτων for a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with participle, χ. ἔχειν σωθέντες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also χάριτας ἔχων πατρός owing him a debt of gratitude, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; what thanks will she have for.. ? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χ. ὀφείλειν to owe gratitude, be beholden, τοῖς θεοῖς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χάριν ἀθάνατον καταθέσθαι to lay up a store of undying gratitude, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χάριν λαβεῖν τινος receive thanks from one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τινος for a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῖς θεοῖς χάρις (i.e. ἐστί) ὅτι.., thank the gods that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 favour, influence, opposed to force, χάριτι τὸ πλέον ἢ φόβῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χ. καὶ δεήσει, opposed to ἀπειλῇ, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__II.4 love-charm, philtre, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III in concrete sense, a favour done or returned, boon, χάριν φέρειν τινί confer a favour on one, do a thing to oblige him, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (so in middle, of the recipient,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; χάριν θέσθαι or τίθεσθαί τινι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀνύσαι probably in [Refs 5th c.BC+], indulge, humour, ὀργῇ[Refs 5th c.BC+] return a favour, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to χάριν ἀπαιτεῖν to ask the repayment of a boon, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χ. ἀποστερεῖν withhold a return for what one has received, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰς αὑτοῦ εἰς τοὺς φίλους χ. the favours one has done them, [Refs]; χ. ἄχαρις α thankless favour, one which receives, or deserves, no thanks, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.b grant made in legal form, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; αἱ τῶν Σεβαστῶν χ. imperial grants, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__III.2 especially in erotic sense, of favours granted (see. χαρίζομαι 1.3), ἀλόχου χάριν ἰδεῖν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; βίᾳ δ᾽ ἔπραξας χάριτας ἢ πείσας κόρη; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__IV gratification, delight, τινος in or from a thing, συμποσίου [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also concrete, of things, a delight, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to λύπη, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to πόνος, [χάρις 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 550, compare 1304; βίου χ. μεθεῖσα 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Medea” 227; οὐδεμίαν ἔχω τῷ βίῳ χάριν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Lysistrata” 865; τοῖς δὲ σιτίοις χ. οὐδεμίαν οἶδ᾽ ἐσθίων [prev. work] 869 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; less frequently in Prose, χ. καὶ ἡδονή [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__V δαιμόνων χάρις homage due to them, their worship, majesty, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὅρκων [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__V.2 thank-offering, εὐκταία χ. τινός, opposed to a common gift, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VI Special usages:
__VI.1 accusative singular as adverb, χ. τινός in any one's favour, for his pleasure, for his sake, χ. Ἕκτορος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ψεύδεσθαι γλώσσης χ. for one's tongue's pleasure, i.e. for talking's sake, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; rarely with Article, τὴν Ἀθηναίων χάριν ἐστρατεύοντο [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VI.1.b as preposition, sometimes before its case (once in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χ. τίνο; [LXX+1st c.BC+], but mostly after, for the sake of, on behalf of, on account of, κακά νιν ἕλοιτο μοῖρα δυσπότμου χάριν χλιδᾶς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦ χάρι; for what reason? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so ἐμὴν χάριν, χάριν σήν, for my, thy pleasure or sake, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: less frequently with the Article, τὴν σὴν δ᾽ ἥκω χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also χάριν τινός as far as regards.., as to.., ἔπους σμικροῦ χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δακρύων χάριν if tears would serve, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; also, about, ἔπεμφεν ἐπὶ τὴν πενθεράν σου χ. τοῦ κτήματος about the farm, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]—Orig. an accusative in apposition with the sentence, as in [Refs 8th c.BC+], being a favour, since it is (was) a favour, as is evident in κακῆς γυναικὸς χάριν ἄχαριν ἀπώλετο [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VI.2 with Preps.:
__VI.2.a εἰς χάριν to do a pleasure, οὐδὲν ἐς χ. πράσσων [Refs 1st c.AD+] in such a way as to earn thanks.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VI.2.b πράσσειν τί τινι πρὸς χάριν [Refs 5th c.BC+] for the sake of it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὸς χ., opposed to κλαίων, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὸς χ. alone, as a favour, freely, πρὸς χ. τε κοὐ βίᾳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but κορέσαι στόμα πρὸς χ. to their heart's content, [Refs]
__VI.2.c ἐν χάριτι κρίνειν τινά to decide from partiality to one, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; but also, for one's gratification, pleasure, ἐν χάριτι διδόναι or ποιεῖν τινί τι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]gratefully, [Refs]
__VI.2.d διὰ χαρίτων εἶναι or γίγνεσθαί [τινι] to be pleasing to one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VI.2.e ἐθελοντὶ καὶ μετὰ χάριτος of pure good will, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__VII metaphorically of the cypress, [Refs]; of some kind of myrtle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of salt, ὅτι τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἡδὺ ποιοῦσιν (i.e. ἅλες) [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__B Χάρις, ἡ, as a mythological proper name declined like{χάρις}, save that the accusative is generally Χάριτα (except [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—Charis, wife of Hephaestus, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; mostly in plural Χάριτες, αἱ, the Graces, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; three in number, [Refs 8th c.BC+], as a compliment, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; attendants of Aphrodite, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; coupled with Μοῦσαι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κόμαι Χαρίτεσσιν ὁμοῖαι, i.e. like that of the Graces, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; worshipped at Orchomenus in Boeotia, Ἐτεόκλειοι Χάριτες θεαί [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: but at Lacedaemon and Athens only two were originally worshipped, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Gen.6.8 ☩ LXX.2Chr.7.21}