χρεωφειλέτης (chreōpheiletēs)
chreōpheiletēs
debtor
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun chreōpheiletēs means a person who owes money, specifically a debtor. It appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in the Gospel of Luke (7:41; 16:5). The word combines terms for "debt" and "one who owes," emphasizing the legal or financial obligation itself rather than just the abstract concept.
In Luke 7:41, Jesus uses it to describe two borrowers in a parable about forgiveness. In Luke 16:5, the dishonest manager calls his master’s debtors to reduce their obligations. The term focuses on the concrete reality of owing, making it a practical word for illustrating spiritual indebtedness to God.
Its rarity in Scripture highlights its specific use in teaching moments where financial metaphors clarify moral truths. Translators consistently render it as "debtor," preserving the clear sense of obligation without adding theological nuance beyond the literal meaning.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chreōpheiletēs simply means a debtor, someone who owes a debt. Jesus uses this concrete image in Luke 7:41 to describe two borrowers with vastly different amounts owed. One owes five hundred denarii, while the other owes only fifty. This parable highlights how forgiveness is not about earning relief but receiving grace when we recognize our inability to pay what we owe.
In Luke 16:5, the dishonest manager calls his master’s debtors to reduce their obligations. While the character’s motives are questionable, the scene underscores the heavy burden of financial obligation. For us, it serves as a reminder that spiritual indebtedness to God is far greater than any monetary debt we might face.
Understanding this term helps us see our need for mercy more clearly. We cannot settle these accounts on our own. Instead, we look to Christ, who paid the impossible price for us, freeing us from the weight of what we could never repay.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- debtors2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- χρεοφειλέται1×
- χρεοφειλετῶν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 7:41
“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
Jesus introduces the two debtors here to illustrate the magnitude of forgiveness relative to the size of the debt owed.
-
Luke 16:5
Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’
The dishonest manager uses this term to identify those who owe his master, highlighting the legal pressure of outstanding obligations.