John 1:16

Strong’s #G5485, charis. grace, favour. Feminine. Answers to the Hebrew hesed (#2617) kindness, grace.

Primary Meaning — “Grace, Favor, Charm”
In its earliest and most common usage, χάρις denotes an abstract quality—specifically:

• Grace, favor, charm, beauty, or attractiveness.

• This can refer to a person’s outward grace or the effect that person’s presence or actions produce in others (Od. 2.12; Hes. Op. 65).

Examples:

• Od. 2.12: θεσπεσίην δʼ ἄρα τῷ γε χάριν κατεχεύατʼ Ἀθήνη — “Athena poured divine grace on him.”

• Hes. Op. 65: χάριν ἀμφιχέαι κεφαλῇ — “to pour grace around the head.”

So it describes a quality that may be possessed by or bestowed on a person but is not itself a person.

Personification — “The Graces” (Χάριτες)
In the plural, χάριτες (the Graces) personify this abstract quality as divine figures in Greek mythology:

• Daughters of Zeus, representing grace, charm, and beauty in human affairs.

• These are explicitly mythological beings, i.e. “the Graces,” and thus personal.

Example:

• Od. 6.237: κάλλεϊ καὶ χάρισι στίλβων — “shining with beauty and the graces.”

Secondary Use — Applied to Things and Acts
While primarily describing a quality, χάρις can also apply to:

• Things: ear-rings (Il. 14.183), works of craftsmanship (Od. 15.320), or speech (Hes. Op. 720).

• Deeds: a favor rendered, e.g. ποιεῖν χάριν τινί — “to do someone a favor.”

(cf. LSJ χάρις)