δουλ-εία G1397
Slavery, bondage; the condition of being enslaved, whether physical, spiritual, or existential
Denotes the state of being in bondage or servitude, used exclusively in the epistles to describe spiritual and existential enslavement. Paul contrasts the 'spirit of slavery' with the 'spirit of adoption' (Rom 8:15) and declares that creation itself groans under the 'bondage of corruption' (Rom 8:21). The Galatian correspondence intensifies the metaphor: the old covenant bears children 'for slavery' (Gal 4:24), and believers must not submit again to a 'yoke of slavery' (Gal 5:1). Spanish 'esclavitud,' French 'esclavage/servitude,' and German 'Knechtschaft' all capture the weight of subjugation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The condition of slavery or bondage, used metaphorically in the NT for spiritual and existential subjugation. Paul deploys it as the antithesis of Christian freedom: a 'spirit of slavery' that leads to fear versus adoption as children (Rom 8:15), the 'bondage of corruption' from which creation awaits liberation (Rom 8:21), and the 'yoke of slavery' that legalism reimpositions on the free (Gal 5:1). Hebrews 2:15 speaks of lifelong slavery to the fear of death. The multilingual evidence -- Spanish 'esclavitud,' French 'servitude,' German 'Knechtschaft' -- consistently renders the term with words denoting total subjection. 5×
AR["العُبوديَّةِ", "عُبوديَّةٍ", "عُبُودِيَّةٍ", "عُبُودِيَّةِ", "لِلْعُبودِيَّةِ"]·ben["দাসত্বের"]·DE["Knechtschaft"]·EN["of-slavery", "slavery", "to-slavery"]·FR["esclavage", "servitude"]·heb["לַעֲבדוּת", "עַבְדוּת"]·HI["दअसत", "दासता-के", "दासत्व", "दासत्व-की"]·ID["perbudakan"]·IT["douleian", "douleias", "schiavitu"]·jav["kaabden", "kabudakan", "kawula"]·KO["종-됨", "종-됨의", "종됨에서", "종됨의", "종의"]·PT["de-escravidão", "escravidão", "à-escravidão"]·RU["в-", "рабства", "рабство", "рабству"]·ES["a-esclavitud", "de-esclavitud", "esclavitud"]·SW["utumwa", "ya-utumwa"]·TR["köleliğe", "köleliğin", "köleliğinden"]·urd["غلامی", "غلامی-میں", "غلامی-کی", "غلامی-کے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δουλ-εία, ἡ, Ionic dialect δουλ-ηΐη Refs 6th c.BC+: also δουλία Refs 5th c.BC+:— slavery, bondage, [same places], Refs 4th c.BC+; δουλείας γάγγαμον, ζυγά, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ τῶν κρεισσόνων δ. imposed by them, Refs 5th c.BC+; applied to the condition of the subject allies of Athens, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II collectively, slaves, δουλεύοντα δουλείαις ἐμαῖς Refs 5th c.BC+; ἢν.. ἡ δ. ἐπανιστῆται if the slave-class rise in rebellion, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III service for hire, μισθὸν δουλείας LXX