Strong's Greek: 1401. δοῦλος (doulos) -- Servant, Slave, Bondservant

Strong's Lexicon

doulos: Servant, Slave, Bondservant

Original Word: δοῦλος
Part of Speech: Adjective; Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: doulos
Pronunciation: DOO-los
Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-los)
Definition: Servant, Slave, Bondservant
Meaning: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave.

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb δέω (deo), meaning "to bind."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - עֶבֶד (ebed) - Strong's Hebrew 5650, often translated as "servant" or "slave" in the Old Testament, used to describe individuals in servitude or those who serve God.

Usage: The term "doulos" in the New Testament is used to describe a person who is in a position of servitude or subjection. It can refer to a literal slave, someone who is legally owned by another and whose entire livelihood and purpose are determined by their master. However, it is also used metaphorically to describe a person who is devoted to another to the disregard of their own interests, often used to describe followers of Christ who are committed to serving God and His purposes.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, slavery was a common institution, and a "doulos" was typically someone who had no personal freedom and was under the complete authority of their master. Slavery could result from various circumstances, including war, birth, or debt. However, the New Testament redefines this concept by using "doulos" to describe the relationship between believers and Christ, emphasizing voluntary servitude out of love and devotion rather than compulsion.

HELPS Word-studies

1401 doúlos (a masculine noun of uncertain derivation) – properly, someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, 1401 /doúlos ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a slave
NASB Translation
bond-servant (11), bond-servants (12), bondslave (3), bondslaves (8), both men and women (8), servants (1), slave (58), slave's (1), slaves (39).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1401: δοῦλος

δοῦλος, δούλη, δοῦλον (derived by most from δέω, to tie, bind; by some from ΔΑΛΩ, to ensnare, capture ((?) others besides; cf. Vanicek, p. 322)); serving, subject to: παρεστήσατε τά μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσία, Romans 6:19. Then substantively, ἡ δούλη, a female slave, bondmaid, handmaid: τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ κυρίου, one who worships God and submits to him, Acts 2:18 (from Joel 2:29 (

1. a slave, bondman, man of servile condition;

a. properly: opposed to ἐλεύθερος, 1 Corinthians 7:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 6:15; Revelation 13:16; Revelation 19:18; opposed to κύριος, δεσπότης, οἰκοδεσπότης, Matthew 10:24; Matthew 13:27; Luke 12:46; John 15:15 Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9, and very often.

b. metaphorically, α. one who gives himself up wholly to another's will, 1 Corinthians 7:23; or dominion, τῆς ἁμαρτίας, John 8:34; Romans 6:17, 20; τῆς φθορᾶς, 2 Peter 2:19, (τῶν ἡδονῶν, Athen. 12, p. 531 c.; τῶν χρημάτων, Plutarch, Pelop c. 3; τοῦ πίνειν, Aelian v. h. 2, 41). β. the δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ, τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, are those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men: used of apostles, Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; 2 Timothy 2:24; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; of other preachers and teachers of the gospel, Colossians 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:24; Jude 1:1; of the true worshippers of Christ (who is κύριος πάντων, Acts 10:36), Ephesians 6:6. The δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, יְהוָה עַבְדֵי, are those whose agency God employs in executing his purposes: used of apostles, Acts 4:29; Acts 16:17; of Moses (Joshua 1:1), Revelation 15:3; of prophets (Jeremiah 7:25; Jeremiah 25:4), Revelation 1:1; Revelation 10:7; Revelation 11:18; of all who obey God's commands, his true worshippers, Luke 2:29; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 19:2, 5; Revelation 22:3, 6; (Psalm 33:23 (); Psalm 68:37 (); Psalm 88:4, 21 ()). γ. δοῦλος τίνος, devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests: Matthew 20:27; Mark 10:44; strenuously laboring for another's salvation, 2 Corinthians 4:5.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

From deo; a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency) -- bond(-man), servant.

see GREEK deo

Forms and Transliterations

Links

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 8:9 N-DMS
GRK: καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου Ποίησον
NAS: and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do
KJV: and to my servant, Do this,
INT: and to servant of me Do

Matthew 10:24 N-NMS
GRK: διδάσκαλον οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν
NAS: nor a slave above
KJV: nor the servant above
INT: teacher nor a servant above the

Matthew 10:25 N-NMS
GRK: καὶ ὁ δοῦλος ὡς ὁ
NAS: his teacher, and the slave like
KJV: master, and the servant as his
INT: and the servant as the

Matthew 13:27 N-NMP
GRK: δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου
NAS: The slaves of the landowner came
KJV: So the servants of the householder
INT: moreover the servants of the master of the house

Matthew 13:28 Noun-NMP
GRK: οἱ δὲ δοῦλοι αὐτῷ λέγουσιν
INT: and [the] servants to him said

Matthew 18:23 N-GMP
GRK: μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ
NAS: to settle accounts with his slaves.
KJV: of his servants.
INT: with the servants of him

Matthew 18:26 N-NMS
GRK: οὖν ὁ δοῦλος προσεκύνει αὐτῷ
NAS: So the slave fell
KJV: The servant therefore fell down,
INT: therefore the servant fell on his knees to him

Matthew 18:27 N-GMS
GRK: κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἀπέλυσεν
NAS: And the lord of that slave felt compassion
KJV: of that servant was moved with compassion,
INT: master the servant of that released

Matthew 18:28 N-NMS
GRK: δὲ ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος εὗρεν
NAS: But that slave went out and found
KJV: the same servant went out,
INT: moreover the servant same found

Matthew 18:32 N-VMS
GRK: λέγει αὐτῷ Δοῦλε πονηρέ πᾶσαν
NAS: to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave
KJV: O thou wicked servant, I forgave
INT: says to him servant evil all

Matthew 20:27 N-NMS
GRK: ἔσται ὑμῶν δοῦλος
NAS: among you shall be your slave;
KJV: let him be your servant:
INT: let him be your slave

Matthew 21:34 N-AMP
GRK: ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ πρὸς
NAS: he sent his slaves to the vine-growers
KJV: his servants to
INT: he sent the servants of him to

Matthew 21:35 N-AMP
GRK: γεωργοὶ τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὃν
NAS: took his slaves and beat
KJV: took his servants, and beat one,
INT: tenants the servants of him one

Matthew 21:36 N-AMP
GRK: ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους πλείονας τῶν
NAS: another group of slaves larger
KJV: other servants more
INT: he sent other servants more than the

Matthew 22:3 N-AMP
GRK: ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι
NAS: And he sent out his slaves to call
KJV: his servants to call
INT: sent those servants of him to call

Matthew 22:4 N-AMP
GRK: ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους λέγων Εἴπατε
NAS: out other slaves saying, 'Tell
KJV: other servants, saying,
INT: he sent other servants saying Say

Matthew 22:6 N-AMP
GRK: κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὕβρισαν
NAS: seized his slaves and mistreated
KJV: his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully,
INT: having laid hold of the servants of him mistreated

Matthew 22:8 N-DMP
GRK: λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ Ὁ
NAS: he said to his slaves, 'The wedding
KJV: saith he to his servants, The wedding
INT: he says to servants of him

Matthew 22:10 N-NMP
GRK: ἐξελθόντες οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι εἰς
NAS: Those slaves went
KJV: So those servants went out into
INT: having gone out the servants those into

Matthew 24:45 N-NMS
GRK: ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος
NAS: and sensible slave whom
KJV: and wise servant, whom his
INT: the faithful servant and wise

Matthew 24:46 N-NMS
GRK: μακάριος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ὃν
NAS: Blessed is that slave whom his master
KJV: Blessed [is] that servant, whom his
INT: Blessed [is] the servant that whom

Matthew 24:48 N-NMS
GRK: ὁ κακὸς δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἐν
NAS: that evil slave says
KJV: that evil servant shall say in
INT: the evil servant that in

Matthew 24:50 N-GMS
GRK: κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἐν
NAS: the master of that slave will come
KJV: The lord of that servant shall come in
INT: master the servant of that in

Matthew 25:14 N-AMP
GRK: τοὺς ἰδίους δούλους καὶ παρέδωκεν
NAS: his own slaves and entrusted
KJV: his own servants, and
INT: the own servants and delivered

Matthew 25:19 N-GMP
GRK: κύριος τῶν δούλων ἐκείνων καὶ
NAS: of those slaves came
KJV: the lord of those servants cometh, and
INT: master of the servants of those and