### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **dáneion**, represented by `{{G1156}}`, refers to a **loan** or **debt**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 verse**, highlighting a very specific application of the concept in scripture. The term is derived from a word for a gift and is related to the idea of giving, but is used in the context of something owed.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{G1156}}` is found in a parable told by Jesus. In the story, a lord is moved with compassion for his servant and **forgave** him the **debt** [[Matthew 18:27]]. This context frames the word not just as a financial obligation, but as a burden that can be mercifully canceled. The debt's forgiveness is a direct result of the lord's compassion.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{G1156}}` is enriched by two key verbs used in the same verse:
* `{{G4697}}` **splanchnízomai** (to have the bowels yearn, i.e. (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity): This is the catalyst for the debt's cancellation. This same compassion is shown by Jesus towards the multitudes [[Matthew 14:14]] and the father of the prodigal son [[Luke 15:20]].
* `{{G863}}` **aphíēmi** (to send forth, in various applications... forgive, forsake, leave): This is the action taken upon the debt. The word carries the meaning of releasing or sending away, as seen when Jesus asks the Father to **forgive** those who crucify him [[Luke 23:34]] and instructs believers to ask for their own debts to be forgiven [[Matthew 6:12]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{G1156}}` is derived entirely from its singular use in the parable of the unforgiving servant.
* **Debt as a Metaphor for Sin:** The parable uses a financial **debt** to illustrate a spiritual one. The connection is reinforced by the use of the verb **forgive** `{{G863}}`, the same word used when asking God to **forgive** us our debts in prayer [[Matthew 6:12]] and when Jesus declares that a man's sins are forgiven [[Matthew 9:5]].
* **Divine Forgiveness and Compassion:** The cancellation of the **debt** is not a transaction but an act of mercy. It is explicitly triggered when the lord "was moved with compassion" `{{G4697}}` [[Matthew 18:27]]. This links the forgiveness of a great debt directly to the character of God, who is shown to have compassion on the suffering and lost [[Matthew 9:36]].
* **The Nature of Remission:** The act of forgiving the **debt** is an act of release or sending away `{{G863}}`. This highlights that forgiveness is not merely overlooking a fault, but completely canceling the obligation, setting the debtor free from what they owed.
### Summary
In summary, **dáneion** `{{G1156}}`, though used only once, provides a powerful illustration of a core theological concept. It functions as a tangible symbol for an overwhelming, unpayable spiritual obligation. Its context in [[Matthew 18:27]] transforms the simple meaning of a **loan** into a profound metaphor for the debt of sin, which can only be canceled through divine compassion and forgiveness.
TRV