δοῦλος G1399
female slave, bondwoman, servant; a woman in servitude, often used in self-designation before God
The feminine form δούλη corresponds to δοῦλος, denoting a woman in servitude. In the New Testament it appears notably in contexts of religious self-designation: Mary calls herself the Lord's 'handmaid' (Luke 1:38, 48), and Peter quotes Joel's prophecy about God pouring out his Spirit on 'female servants' (Acts 2:18). While the classical term could denote chattel slavery, biblical usage often elevates it to express willing submission to God's service.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The three occurrences center on women who serve the Lord. In Luke 1:38 Mary responds to the angel, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord,' and in 1:48 she prophesies that all generations will call her blessed because God 'has looked on the humble estate of his servant.' Acts 2:18 quotes Joel 2:29, promising that in the last days God will pour out his Spirit even on male and female servants. The Spanish (sierva, siervas) and French (servante) translations preserve the servant language. The term functions not primarily as a social descriptor but as a theological posture: complete availability to God's purposes, echoing the servant songs of Isaiah. 3×
AR["أَمَةُ", "أَمَتِهِ", "إِمَائِي"]·ben["দাসী", "দাসীগণের", "দাসীর"]·DE["δούλας", "δούλη", "δούλης"]·EN["female-servants", "servant"]·FR["servante"]·heb["שְׁפָחוֹת", "שִׁפְחָה"]·HI["-दिनों-में", "दासी"]·ID["hamba", "hamba-perempuan", "itu"]·IT["schiava", "serva"]·jav["abdi-èstri"]·KO["쏟아-붓겠다", "종-의", "종-이"]·PT["serva", "servas"]·RU["раба", "рабы", "рабынь"]·ES["sierva", "siervas"]·SW["mjakazi", "wajakazi"]·TR["cariyesi", "cariyesinin", "içinde-"]·urd["باندیوں", "بندی"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δοῦλος __A, Cretan dialect δῶλος Refs, ὁ:—properly born bondman or slave, opposed to one made a slave, τὰ ἀνδράποδα πάντα καὶ δοῦλα καὶ ἐλεύθερα Refs 5th c.BC+: then, generally, bondman, slave, opposed to δεσπότης (which see): not in Refs 8th c.BC+, who twice has feminine δούλη, ἡ, bondwoman, Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently of Persians and other nations subject to a despot, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὔ τινος…