Original Word: χάρις, ιτος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: charis
Phonetic Spelling: (khar'-ece)
Short Definition: grace, favor, kindness
Definition: (a) grace, as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ, (b) favor, (c) gratitude, thanks, (d) a favor, kindness.

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").]

STRONGS NT 5485: χάρις

χάρις, 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; (); 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 1:6,(); f; Philippians 1:7; Colossians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 2:9 (here Treg. marginal reading χωρίς); Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 12:15; Hebrews 13:9; 1 Peter 1:10; Jude 1:4; εὑρίσκειν χάριν, Hebrews 4:16; ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος, Titus 2:11; ὁ λόγος τῆς χάριτος, the message of his grace, Acts 14:3; Acts 20:32; τό εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 20:24; it is styled 'the grace of Christ,' in that through pity for sinful men Christ left his state of blessedness with God in heaven, and voluntarily underwent the hardships and miseries of human life, and by his sufferings and death procured salvation for mankind: (Acts 15:11); 2 Corinthians 8:9; Romans 5:15; Galatians 1:6; (Titus 3:7); John 1:14, 17. χάρις is used of "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues": 2 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; οἱ πεπιστευκότες διά τῆς χάριτος, Acts 18:27; ὑπό χάριν εἶναι,' to be subject to the power of grace, opposed to ὑπό νόμον εἶναι, Romans 6:14f; τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε, Galatians 5:4; προσμένειν τῇ χαρη, Acts 13:43 (G L T Tr WH); ἐπιμένειν, ibid. Rec.; ἐν τῇ χάριτι (R G WH text omit the article), prompted by grace, Colossians 3:16; the grace of God promoting the progress and blessings of the Christian religion, Acts 11:23; (prompting its possessors to benefactions, 2 Corinthians 9:14); sustaining and aiding the efforts of the men who labor for the cause of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 1:12; the favor of Christ, assisting and strengthening his followers and ministers to bear their troubles, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

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 Macc. 5:8; Xenophon, Ages. 4, 3f; Hier. 8, 4); πᾶσα χάρις, all earthly blessings, wealth, etc., which are due to divine goodness, 2 Corinthians 9:8; ὁ Θεός πάσης χάριτος, the author and giver of benefits of every kind, 1 Peter 5:10. the aid or succor of divine grace: διδόναι χάριν ταπεινοῖς, 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6; the salvation offered to Christians is called χάρις, a gift of divine grace, 1 Peter 1:10, 13; of the various blessings of Christ experienced by souls: λαβεῖν χάριν ἀντί χάριτος (see ἀντί, 2 e., p. 49{b} bottom), John 1:16; χαρι ζωῆς, the gift of grace seen in the reception of life (cf. ζωή, 2 b.), 1 Peter 3:7; capacity and ability due to the grace of God (German Gnadenausrüstung), Ephesians 4:7; πλήρης χάριτος. Acts 6:8 G L T Tr WH; πικιλη χάρις, the aggregate of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians, 1 Peter 4:10; used of the power to undertake and administer the apostolic office: λαβεῖν χάριν καί ἀποστολήν, i. e. χάριν τῆς ἀποστολῆς, Romans 1:5; τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης μοι (i. e., Paul), Romans 12:3, 6; Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:2, 7; δοθείσῃ ὑμῖν, of the gifts of knowledge and utterance conferred upon Christians, 1 Corinthians 1:4; ἐδόθη μοι ἡ χάρις αὕτη, followed by an infinitive, Ephesians 3:8; of the desire to give alms roused by the grace of God, 2 Corinthians 8:1.

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).

grace, favor

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

χαράν χαριν χάριν χαρις χάρις χαριτα χάριτα χαριτι χάριτι χάριτί χαριτος χάριτος charan charán charin chárin charis cháris charita chárita chariti cháriti chárití charitos cháritosInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts