1400. doulos

Lexical Summary

doulos: Servant, slave, bondservant

Original Word: δοῦλος
Part of Speech: Noun
Transliteration: doulos
Pronunciation: DOO-los
Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-lon)
KJV: servant
Word Origin: [neuter of G1401 (δοῦλος - slave)]

1. subservient

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

servant.

Neuter of doulos; subservient -- servant.

see GREEK doulos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
adjective from doulos
Definition
slavish, servile.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1400: 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 ()); Luke 1:38, 48. ὁ δοῦλος, the Sept. for עֶבֶד;

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.

2. a servant, attendant, (of a king): Matthew 18:23, 26ff. (Synonym: see διάκονος.)

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Scope

Strong’s Greek 1400 denotes a male or female slave—one whose will is wholly submitted to the mastery of another. Although this precise form is not attested in the Greek New Testament, the cognate at 1401 saturates the apostolic writings. The concept therefore remains essential for understanding biblical patterns of authority, freedom, and service.

Relation to Other Servant Vocabulary

• δοῦλος (1401) – the common term used of believers who belong to Jesus Christ (for example, Romans 1:1).
• διάκονος – an attendant or minister who serves voluntarily (Matthew 20:26).
• ὑπηρέτης – an under‐rower, stressing subordination under command (Luke 4:20).

Together these terms sketch a graduated portrait: the δοῦλος is bound, the διάκονος willingly serves, and the ὑπηρέτης labors under direction. The slave image is the most absolute, highlighting exclusive ownership and total allegiance.

Historical Background in Greco-Roman and Jewish Society

In the first-century Mediterranean world slavery was woven into economic and domestic life. Roman law regarded a slave as property, yet allowed emancipation and even upward mobility. Hebrew Scripture tempered slavery with moral safeguards (Exodus 21:2–11) and the Jubilee principle (Leviticus 25:10). Against that backdrop, the New Testament writers transform the social reality into a spiritual metaphor: believers are “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20) and become joyful bondservants of a benevolent Master.

Servanthood in the Old Testament Foreshadowing

• The “servant of the LORD” motif describes Moses (Joshua 1:2) and David (Psalm 89:3).
• Isaiah’s Servant Songs culminate in the suffering Servant who “bore the sin of many” (Isaiah 53:12).

These anticipations unite authority, suffering, and deliverance, preparing for Christ’s messianic servanthood.

Servanthood in the Ministry of Jesus Christ

Jesus embraced the lowest place: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). By washing feet (John 13:1–17) He redefined greatness as self-emptying service. The ransom language echoes slave-market redemption, portraying His cross as the transaction that transfers believers from bondage to sin into the freedom of divine ownership.

Apostolic Application of Bondservanthood

The apostles uniformly identify themselves as slaves of Christ:
• Paul – “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle” (Romans 1:1).
• James – “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).
• Peter – “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).

Such self-designation conveys humility, authority derived from the Master, and an unbreakable allegiance that eclipses every earthly tie (Galatians 1:10).

Theological Implications: Lordship and Redemption

1. Ownership: Salvation transfers believers from the tyranny of sin to the Lordship of Christ (Romans 6:17–18).
2. Identity: A slave’s worth is grounded not in status but in belonging to Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:22).
3. Freedom: Paradoxically, true liberty is found in wholehearted submission to God (John 8:36).
4. Inheritance: The slave of Christ becomes an heir with Him (Romans 8:17), illustrating grace that elevates bondservants to sons.

Practical Discipleship and Ministry Today

• Obedience – Aligning daily choices with the Master’s will (Luke 6:46).
• Wholehearted Service – Laboring “not with eye service as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ” (Ephesians 6:6).
• Mutual Submission – Seeing fellow believers as co-servants, eliminating pride and rivalry (Philippians 2:3–7).
• Evangelistic Witness – Demonstrating that Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden light, drawing others to the liberating Lordship of Jesus (Matthew 11:28–30).

Illustrative Passages

Exodus 21:5–6 – The voluntary lifelong slave, prefiguring joyful surrender.

Psalm 123:2 – Eyes of servants fixed on the master’s hand.

Matthew 24:45–46 – The faithful and wise slave rewarded at the Master’s return.

Romans 6:22 – “Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.”

Revelation 22:3 – “His bondservants shall serve Him” in the consummated kingdom.

Suggested Study Trajectories

• Compare the terminology of slavery and sonship in Romans 8.
• Explore Old Testament laws regulating slaves as a backdrop to New Testament ethical instruction (Ephesians 6:5–9; Philemon).
• Trace the motif of ransom across Scripture, connecting Exodus, Isaiah 53, Mark 10:45, and Revelation 5:9.

The concept embodied in Strong’s Greek 1400, though unrecorded in the New Testament lexeme list, permeates Scripture’s testimony: the living God redeems a people to be His glad, loyal bondservants forever.

Forms and Transliterations

δούλα

Englishman's Concordance

δουλευέτωσαν — 1 Occ.
δουλεύω — 2 Occ.
δουλεύων — 2 Occ.
δουλεύοντες — 3 Occ.
δουλεύουσιν — 1 Occ.
δουλεύσει — 1 Occ.
δουλεύσουσιν — 1 Occ.
ἐδουλεύσατε — 1 Occ.
ἐδούλευσεν — 1 Occ.
δούλας — 1 Occ.
δούλης — 1 Occ.
δοῦλα — 2 Occ.
Δοῦλε — 6 Occ.
δούλῳ — 6 Occ.
δούλων — 5 Occ.
δοῦλοι — 22 Occ.
δούλοις — 7 Occ.
δοῦλον — 18 Occ.
δοῦλος — 35 Occ.
δούλου — 6 Occ.