ὀφείλω

ὀφείλω impf. ὤφειλον; fut. ὀφειλήσω LXX; our lit. has only the pres. and impf. (Hom.+).

① to be indebted to someone in a financial sense, owe someth. to someone, be indebted to τινί τι Mt 18:28a; Lk 16:5. W. acc. of debt (Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 8 §26; Jos., Ant. 13, 56) Mt 18:28b; Lk 7:41; 16:7; Phlm 18 (CMartin, in: Persuasive Artistry, ed. DWatson, ’91, 321–37). τὸ ὀφειλόμενον the sum that is owed (X.; Pla.; CPR I, 228, 5. In pap. the pl. is more freq. found in this mng.) Mt 18:30. πᾶν τὸ ὀφ. αὐτῷ the whole amount that he owed him vs. 34.

② to be under obligation to meet certain social or moral expectations, owe

ⓐ gener.

α. owe, be indebted τινί τι (to) someone (for) someth. (Alciphron 4, 13, 1 Νύμφαις θυσίαν ὀφ.; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 295) πόσα αὐτῷ ὀφείλομεν ὅσια; for how many holy deeds are we indebted to (Jesus Christ)? 2 Cl 1:3. μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν owe nothing to anyone except to love each other Ro 13:8 (AFridrichsen, StKr 102, 1930, 294–97. For initiative in kindness cp. Thu. 2, 40 ‘we acquire friends not by receiving benefits but by conferring them’). τὴν ὀφειλομένην εὔνοιαν the goodwill that one owes, a euphemism for pleasing one’s spouse conjugally 1 Cor 7:3 v.l. εἰς τὸν ὀφειλόμενον τόπον τῆς δόξης to the glorious place that he deserved 1 Cl 5:4. εἰς τὸν ὀφειλόμενον αὐτοῖς τόπον εἰσὶ παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ Pol 9:2,—Subst. τὰ ὀφειλόμενα (s. 1 above) duties, obligations ποιεῖν fulfill GPt 12:53.

β. be obligated. w. inf. foll. one must, one ought (Hom. [Il. 19, 200] et al.; ins, pap; 4 Macc 11:15; 16:19; Philo, Agr. 164, Spec. Leg. 1, 101; TestJos 14:6; Just., A I, 4, 4 al.; Mel., P. 76, 550; Iren., Did.) ὸ̔ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι πεποιήκαμεν Lk 17:10. κατὰ τ. νόμον ὀφείλει ἀποθανεῖν J 19:7. Cp. 13:14; Ro 15:1, 27; 1 Cor 7:36; 9:10; 11:10; Eph 5:28; 2 Th 1:3; 2:13; Hb 2:17; 5:3, 12; 1J 2:6; 3:16; 4:11; 3J 8; 1 Cl 38:4; 40:1; 48:6; 51:1; 2 Cl 4:3; B 1:7; 2:1, 9f; 4:6; 5:3; 6:18; 7:1, 11; 13:3; Pol 5:1; 6:2; Hs 8, 9, 4 v.l.; 9, 13, 3; 9, 18, 2; 9, 28, 5. Negat. one ought not, one must not (Jos., Vi. 149; Ar. 13, 5) Ac 17:29; 1 Cor 11:7; 1 Cl 56:2; Hm 4, 1, 3; 8; Hs 5, 4, 2; 9, 18, 1. Cp. 2 Cl 4:3. οὐκ ὀφείλει τὰ τέκνα τ. γονεῦσι θησαύριζειν children are under no obligation to lay up money for their parents 2 Cor 12:14.

ⓑ Rabbinic usage has given rise to certain peculiarities

α. ὀφ. used absolutely [חַיָּב]: ὀφείλει he is obligated, bound (by his oath) Mt 23:16, 18.

β. commit a sin (s. ὀφείλημα 2; but cp. also SIG 1042, 15 ἁμαρτίαν ὀφιλέτω Μηνὶ Τυράννῳ) w. dat. against someone ἀφίομεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν Lk 11:4.

③ to be constrained by circumstance, (best rendered by an auxiliary verb) have to, ought ἐπεὶ ὠφείλετε ἄρα ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελθεῖν then you would have to come out of the world altogether 1 Cor 5:10.—ἐγὼ ὤφειλον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν συνίστασθαι I ought to have been recommended by you 2 Cor 12:11 (B-D-F §358, 1; Rob. 920). For the semantic perspective of Paul as creditor instead of debtor cp. the use of ὀφείλημα Ro 4:4. Paul’s sophisticated use here of diction that was in common use in reciprocity discourse is of a piece with the context in which irony plays a decisive role.—B. 641. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.