δοῦλος G1401
Slave, bondservant — one bound in service to a master, used literally of slaves and figuratively of devoted service to God or Christ
Doulos denotes a person who belongs to another, a slave or bondservant. Unlike the English word 'servant,' which can imply voluntary employment, doulos in the Greco-Roman world meant legal property — a person without autonomous rights. The New Testament deploys this stark term in both directions: Jesus tells parables featuring literal household slaves (Matt 18:23-35; Luke 17:7-10), and Paul, James, Peter, and Jude each identify themselves as a doulos of Christ (Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; Jas 1:1; 2 Pet 1:1; Jude 1). The paradox is deliberate — total submission to the divine Master is presented as the highest freedom. Spanish 'esclavo/siervo,' French 'serviteur/esclave,' and German 'Knecht/Sklave' variously capture the literal and dignified registers.
Senses
1. slave, bondservant — A person held in bondage to a master, ranging from literal slaves in household and economic settings (Matt 18:26-27; Matt 24:45-46) to the self-designation of apostles and believers as bondservants of Christ (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1). The term carries the full weight of Greco-Roman slave status — absence of self-determination and total availability to the master's will. Spanish distinguishes 'esclavo' (literal slave) from 'siervo' (dignified servant), French uses 'serviteur,' and German 'Knecht,' but none fully resolves the NT paradox where slavery to Christ constitutes true freedom. 126×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الْعَبْدُ", "العَبدُ", "العَبدِ", "العَبْدُ", "العَبْدِ", "الْعَبْدَ", "الْعَبْدُ", "عَبدًا", "عَبدٌ", "عَبدَ", "عَبدُ", "عَبْدَ"]·ben["দাস", "দাসকে", "দাসের"]·DE["Knecht"]·EN["a-servant", "a-slave", "servant", "slave"]·FR["serviteur"]·heb["הָעֶבֶד", "עֶבֶד"]·HI["दअस", "दअस-ने", "दास", "दास-को", "दास-से", "दासे"]·ID["hamba"]·IT["servo"]·jav["abdi", "hé-abdi", "réncang"]·KO["종", "종-을", "종아", "종은", "종을", "종의", "종이"]·PT["escravo", "escravo;", "servo"]·RU["раб", "раба", "рабом", "рабом;", "рабу"]·ES["esclavo", "siervo"]·SW["-wa-mtumishi", "kama-vile", "mtumishi", "mtumwa", "na", "yule"]·TR["kulunuz", "köle", "köleme", "kölenin", "kölesi", "kölesine", "köleyi"]·urd["غلام", "غلام-کا", "غلام-کو", "غُلام-کو"]
Matt 8:9, Matt 10:24, Matt 10:25, Matt 18:26, Matt 18:27, Matt 18:28, Matt 20:27, Matt 24:45, Matt 24:46, Matt 24:48, Matt 24:50, Matt 25:21 (+38 more)
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
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…