Strong's Lexicon charis: Grace, favor, kindness, blessing Original Word: χάρις Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb χαίρω (chairō), meaning "to rejoice" or "to be glad." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with "charis" is חֵן (chen), Strong's Hebrew 2580, which means favor or grace. Usage: In the New Testament, "charis" primarily refers to the unmerited favor and kindness of God towards humanity. It encompasses the idea of divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and sanctification. "Charis" is often associated with the concept of salvation, as it is by grace that believers are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). It also denotes the graciousness of God in bestowing gifts and blessings upon His people, as well as the grace that believers are to extend to others. Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, "charis" was commonly understood as a favor or gift given without expectation of return, often to cement social bonds or express goodwill. In the New Testament, this concept is deepened and transformed to express the profound and unconditional love of God towards humanity, which is not based on human merit but on God's own character and purpose. HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 5485 xáris (another feminine noun from xar-, "favor, disposed to, inclined, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefit") – properly, grace. 5485 (xáris) is preeminently used of the Lord's favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is "always leaning toward them"). 5485 /xáris ("grace") answers directly to the Hebrew (OT) term 2580 /Kaná ("grace, extension-toward"). Both refer to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them. [5485 (xáris) is sometimes rendered "thanks" but the core-idea is "favor, grace" ("extension towards").] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition grace, kindness NASB Translation blessing (1), concession (1), credit (3), favor (11), gift (1), grace (122), gracious (2), gracious work (3), gratitude (1), thank (3), thankfulness (2), thanks (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5485: χάριςχάρις, χάριτος, accusative χάριν, and twice in L T Tr WH the rarer form χάριτα (Acts 24:27; Jude 1:4) which is also poetic (cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. i. § 44 Anm. 1; (WHs Appendix, 157{b}; Buttmann, 13 (12))), accusative plural χάριτας (Acts 24:27 R G), ἡ (χαίρω), from Homer down, Hebrew חֵן, grace; i. e. 1. properly, that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech (Ecclesiastes 10:12; Sir. 21:16 Sir. 37:21; Homer, Odyssey 8, 175; τῶν λόγων, Demosthenes, 51, 9; 1419, 16; χάριτες μωρῶν, verbal pleasantries which the foolish affect in order to ingratiate themselves, Sir. 20:13), λόγοι χάριτος (genitive of quality), Luke 4:22; χάριν διδόναι τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, Ephesians 4:29; ἐν χάριτι, with grace (the substantive, ἅλας being added; see Lightfoot), Colossians 4:6. 2. good-will, loving-kindness, favor: in a broad sense, χάρις παρά τίνι, Luke 2:52; ἔχειν χάριν πρός τινα, to have favor with one, Acts 2:47; χάρις ἐναντίον τινας, Acts 7:10; (χάριν κατά τίνος αἴτεσθαι ὅπως (which see II. 2), Acts 25:3 (but others refer this to 3 b. below)); χάρις (of God) ἐστιν ἐπί τινα, attends and assists one, Luke 2:40; Acts 4:33; χάριν (χάριτα) χάριτας κατατίθεσθαι τίνι (see κατατίθημι), Acts 24:27; Acts 25:9; favor (i. e. act of favoring (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 66 at the end)), 2 Corinthians 8:4. χάρις is used of the kindness of a master toward his inferiors or servants, and so especially of God toward men: εὑρίσκειν χάριν παρά τῷ Θεῷ, Luke 1:30; ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 7:46; τοῦτο χάρις ἐστιν, this wins for us (God's) favor (R. V. is acceptable), 1 Peter 2:19; with παρά Θεῷ added, 1 Peter 2:20; παραδεδομένοι τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ, to be committed or commended to the protecting and helping favor of God, Acts 14:26; Acts 15:40. The apostles and N. T. writers at the beginning and end of their Epistles crave for their readers the favor (`grace') of God or of Christ, to which all blessings, especially spiritual, are due: Romans 1:7; Romans 16:20, 24 (R G); 1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:13 (14); Galatians 1:3; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 1:2; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 1:2; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 1:2; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy 6:21 (22); 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 4:22: Titus 1:4; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:3, 25; Hebrews 13:25; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:18 (cf. 3 a.); 2 John 1:3; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21; cf. Otto, Ueber d. apostol. Segensgruss χάρις ὑμῖν etc., in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. for 1867, p. 678ff. Moreover, the word χάρις contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved: Romans 11:6; hence, κατά χάριν and κατά ὀφείλημα are contrasted in Romans 4:4, 16; χάριτι and ἐξ ἔργων in Romans 11:6; κατ' ἀκλογην χάριτος, Romans 11:5; but the N. T. writers use χάρις pre-eminently of that kindness by which God bestow: favors even upon the ill-deserving, and grants to sinners the pardon of their offences, and bids them accept of eternal salvation through Christ: Romans 3:24; Romans 5:17, 20f; ( 3. what is due to grace; a. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace, what the theologians call the 'status gratiae': ἑστηκεναι ἐν τῇ χάριτι, Romans 5:2; εἰς τήν χάριν, 1 Peter 5:12; αὐξάνειν ἐν χάριτι, 2 Peter 3:18; ἐνδυναμουσθαι ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ, 2 Timothy 2:1. b. a token or proof of grace, 2 Corinthians 1:15 (A. V. benefit (WH text Tr marginal reading χαράν, which see under b.)); a gift of grace; benefaction, bounty: used of alms, 1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:6f, 19 (Sir. 3:29 (31); 4. thanks (for benefits, services, favors); properly: χάριτι, with thanksgiving, 1 Corinthians 10:30; χάριν ἔχειν τίνι (Latingratiam habere alicui), to be thankful to one, Luke 17:9; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 1:3; Hebrews 12:28 (2 Macc. 3:33, and countless times in secular authors; cf. Passow, under the word, p. 2416{a} under the end; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2); Ast, Lex. Plato, ii, p. 539f; Bleek, Brief a. d. Hebrews 2:2, p. 975); followed by ἐπί with a dative of the thing, Philemon 1:7 T editions 2 and 7, Rec.st bez (cf. p. 233a middle); χάρις τῷ Θεῷ namely, ἔστω, Romans 7:25 L T Tr WH text; followed by ὅτι, Romans 6:17 (χάρις τοῖς θεοῖς, ὅτι etc. Xenophon, Cyril 7, 5, 72; 8, 7, 3; an. 3, 3, 14; oec. 8, 16); with a participle added to the dative (by apposition), 1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 8:16; followed by ἐπί; with a dative of the thing (cf. ἐπί, B. 2 a. δ.), 2 Corinthians 9:15. equivalent to recompense, reward, Luke 6:32-34 (for which Matthew 5:46 usesμισθός). From chairo; 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) -- acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy). see GREEK chairo Englishman's Concordance Luke 1:30 N-AFSGRK: εὗρες γὰρ χάριν παρὰ τῷ NAS: for you have found favor with God. KJV: for thou hast found favour with God. INT: you have found indeed favor with Luke 2:40 N-NFS Luke 2:52 N-DFS Luke 4:22 N-GFS Luke 6:32 N-NFS Luke 6:33 N-NFS Luke 6:34 N-NFS Luke 17:9 N-AFS John 1:14 N-GFS John 1:16 N-AFS John 1:16 N-GFS John 1:17 N-NFS Acts 2:47 N-AFS Acts 4:33 N-NFS Acts 6:8 N-GFS Acts 7:10 N-AFS Acts 7:46 N-AFS Acts 11:23 N-AFS Acts 13:43 N-DFS Acts 14:3 N-GFS Acts 14:26 N-DFS Acts 15:11 N-GFS Acts 15:40 N-DFS Acts 18:27 N-GFS Acts 20:24 N-GFS Strong's Greek 5485 |
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