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G5483

χαρίζομαι

charízomai /khar-id'-zom-ahee/ Ask about this word
middle voice from χάρις
to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue
deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of charízomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word charízomai, represented by G5483, means to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue. It appears 24 times across 19 unique verses in the Bible. This term is derived from χάρις (grace) and carries the core idea of giving something freely and generously, without expectation of return. It encompasses actions ranging from pardoning a debt to granting a gift or delivering someone from a difficult situation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G5483 is used to describe several aspects of gracious giving and forgiveness. A primary context is the believer's obligation to forgive others, which is modeled on divine forgiveness. Believers are called to be "forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" Ephesians 4:32 and as "Christ forgave you" Colossians 3:13. The term also describes God's actions as the ultimate giver. God is the one who has "freely given to us" all things through the Spirit 1 Corinthians 2:12, and based on the sacrifice of His Son, He will "freely give us all things" Romans 8:32. In a different context, it can mean to grant or deliver, such as when Paul states that no man may "deliver" him to his accusers Acts 25:11 or when the crowd "desired a murderer to be granted unto" them Acts 3:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the nature of granting favor and forgiveness:

  • G2155 eúsplanchnos (well compassioned, i.e. sympathetic): This word is used alongside G5483 to describe the inner disposition required for forgiveness, urging believers to be "tenderhearted, forgiving one another" Ephesians 4:32.
  • G430 anéchomai (to hold oneself up against, i.e. (figuratively) put up with): This term describes the act of forbearance that often precedes forgiveness. It is presented as a parallel action in the command for "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another" Colossians 3:13.
  • G5339 pheídomai (to be chary of, i.e. ...to treat leniently): This word is contrasted with God's ultimate act of giving. Because God "spared not his own Son," He is now able to "freely give" G5483 all things to believers Romans 8:32.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5483 is significant, anchoring the concept of giving in the nature of God's grace.

  • Grace-Based Forgiveness: The word's connection to grace underscores that forgiveness, both divine and human, is not earned but is a favor freely granted. The command to forgive is explicitly based on the pattern of how God "hath forgiven" believers through Christ (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13).
  • The Generosity of God: G5483 repeatedly portrays God as a lavish giver. He gives a name above every name to Christ Philippians 2:9, freely gives believers all things Romans 8:32, and even "gave" the inheritance to Abraham by promise Galatians 3:18.
  • The Cost of a Free Gift: The concept of a "free gift" is deepened by its connection to sacrifice. God's ability to "freely give" all things is predicated on the fact that He "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all" Romans 8:32. Even suffering for Christ is framed as something graciously "given" to believers Philippians 1:29.

Summary

In summary, G5483 is a vital term that moves beyond simple giving to describe acts rooted in grace and favor. It defines the Christian's duty to pardon others based on the unmerited forgiveness received from God. The word illustrates the nature of God as one who gives generously and gratuitously, from granting salvation and all spiritual blessings to delivering his people. Ultimately, charízomai demonstrates how the most profound gifts of God, though freely given, are made possible by the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 23 occurrences, inflected in 14 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

  • ἐχαρίσατο
  • χαρίσασθαι
  • κεχάρισμαι
  • κεχάρισταί
  • χαριζόμενοι
  • χαρίσασθέ
  • χαρισάμενος
  • ἐχαρίσθη
  • χαρισθῆναι
  • χαρισθέντα
  • χαρίσεται;
  • χαρισθήσομαι
  • χαρίζεσθαί
  • χαρίζεσθε

Related Words

Related

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 19 verses across 10 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (4 verses); never once in the other 17.

3
Luke
4
Acts
1
Romans
1
1 Corinthians
3
2 Corinthians
1
Galatians
1
Ephesians
2
Philippians
2
Colossians
1
Philemon

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.