Dictionaries :: Servant

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Servant:

sur'-vant ('ebhedh; doulos): A very common word with a variety of meanings, all implying a greater or less degree of inferiority and want of freedom:

(1) The most frequent usage is as the equivalent of "SLAVE" (which see), with its various shades in position (Ge 9:25; 24:9; Ex 21:5; Mt 10:24; Lu 17:7, and often); but also a hired workman where "hired servant" translates Hebrew and Greek expressions which differ from the above.

(2) An attendant in the service of someone, as Joshua was the "servant" the Revised Version (British and American) "minister" of Moses (Nu 11:28).

(3) As a ‘term of respectful self-depreciation referring to one's self, "thy servant." or "your servant" is used in place of the personal pronoun of the first person:

(a) in the presence of superiors (Ge 19:2; 32:18, and often);

(b) in addressing the Supreme Being (1Sa 3:9; Ps 19:11; 27:9; Lu 2:29, and often).

(4) Officials of every grade are called the "servants" of kings, princes, etc. (1Sa 29:3; 2Sa 16:1; 1Ki 11:26; Pr 14:35, and often).

(5) The position of a king in relation to his people (1Ki 12:7).

(6) One who is distinguished as obedient and faithful to God or Christ (Jos 1:2; 2Ki 8:19; Da 6:20; Col 4:12; 2Ti 2:24). (7) One who is enslaved by sin (Joh 8:34).

Written by William Joseph McGlothlin

Nave's Topical Bible

Servant: Definition Of

Distinguish a bondservant (greek: doulos), who was a slave, from a hired servant (greek: diakonos), who was not a slave

Servant: Bond:

Laws of Moses concerning,

Exd 21:1-11, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32; Lev 19:20-22; 25:6, 10, 35-55; Deu 15:12, 14, 18; 24:7.

Kidnapping forbidden,

Deu 21:10-14; 24:7; 1Ti 1:10; Rev 18:13.

Fugitive, not to be returned to his master,

Deu 23:15, 16.

David erroneously supposed to be a fugitive slave,

1Sa 25:10.

Instances of fugitive:

Hagar, commanded by an angel to return to Sarah (Sarai), her owner,

Gen 16:9.

Sought by Shimei,

1Ki 2:39-41.

Onesimus interceded for, by Paul,

Phm 1:10-21.

Rights of those born to a master,

Gen 14:14; 17:13, 27; Exd 21:4; Pro 29:21; Ecc 2:7; Jer 2:14.

Bought and sold,

Gen 17:13, 27; 37:28, 36; 39:17; Deu 28:68; Est 7:4; Eze 27:13; Joe 3:6; Amo 8:6; Rev 18:13.

Captives of war became slaves,

Deu 20:14; 21:10-14; 2Ki 5:2; 2Ch 28:8, 10; Lam 5:13;

captive bondservants shared by priests and Levites,

Num 31:28-47.

Thieves punished by being made,

Gen 43:18; Exd 22:3.

Defaulting debtors made,

Lev 25:39; Mat 18:25.

Children of defaulting debtors sold as,

2Ki 4:1-7.

Voluntary servitude of,

Lev 25:47; Deu 15:16, 17; Jos 9:11-21.

Given as dowry,

Gen 29:24, 29.

Owned by priests,

Lev 22:11; Mar 14:66.

Slaves owned slaves,

2Sa 9:10.

The master could marry, or give in marriage,

Exd 21:7-10; Deu 21:10-14; 1Ch 2:34, 35.

Taken in concubinage,

Gen 16:1, 2, 6; 30:3, 9.

Used as soldiers by Abraham,

Gen 14:14.

Must be circumcised,

Gen 17:13, 27; Exd 12:44.

Must enjoy religious privileges with the master's household,

Deu 12:12, 18; 16:11, 14; 29:10, 11.

Must have rest on the sabbath,

Exd 20:10; 23:12; Deu 5:14.

Equal status of, with other disciples of Jesus,

1Cr 7:21, 22; 12:13; Gal 3:28; Eph 6:8.

Kindness to, commanded,

Lev 25:43; Eph 6:9.

Bond service threatened, as a national punishment, for the disobedience of Israel,

Deu 28:68; Joe 3:7, 8.

Degrading influences of bondage exemplified by cowardice,

Exd 14:11, 12; 16:3; Jdg 5:16-18, 23.

Emancipation of,

Ezr 1:1-4; Jer 34:8-22; 1Cr 7:21.

Freedmen called "Libertines,"

Act 6:9.

Cruelty to:

To Hagar,

Gen 16:1-21; Gal 4:22-31;

to the Israelites,

Exd 1:8-22; 2:1-4; Act 7:19, 34;

an abandoned sick man,

1Sa 30:13.

Kindness to,

By the Roman centurion,

Mat 8:8-13; Luk 7:2-10;

by Paul,

Phm 1:21.

Servant: Instances Of:

Joseph,

Gen 37:26-28, 36.

Israelites,

Exd 1:10-22; 5:7-14; Deu 6:12, 21.

Gibeonites,

Jos 9:22-27.

Canaanites,

1Ki 9:21.

The Jews in Babylon,

2Ch 36:20; Est 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10.

Emancipation of,

2Ch 36:23; Ezr 1:1-4.

Servant: Figurative:

Lev 25:42, 55; Psa 116:16; Mat 24:45-51; Luk 12:35-48; 17:7-9; Jhn 8:32-35; Rom 6:16-22; 1Cr 4:1; 7:21-23; Gal 5:13; 1Pe 2:16; 2Pe 2:19; Rev 7:3

Servant: Instances of Good:

Joseph,

Gen 39:2-20; 41:9-57; Act 7:10;

Elisha,

2Ki 2:1-6.

Servants of Abraham,

Gen 24;

of Boaz,

Rth 2:4;

of Jonathan,

1Sa 14:7;

of Abigail,

1Sa 25:14-17;

of David,

2Sa 12:18; 15:15, 21;

of Ziba,

2Sa 9;

of Naaman,

2Ki 5:2, 3, 13;

of Nehemiah,

Neh 4:16, 23;

of the Roman centurion,

Mat 8:9;

of Cornelius,

Act 10:7;

Onesimus,

Phm 1:11.

Servants in the parable of the pounds and the parable of the talents,

Mat 25:14-23; Luk 19:12-19.

Servant: Wicked and Unfaithful:

Jeroboam,

1Ki 11:26;

Gehazi,

2Ki 5:20-27;

Zimri,

1Ki 16:9, 10; 2Ki 9:31;

Onesimus,

Phm 1:11.

Of Abraham and Lot,

Gen 13:7.

Of Abimelech,

Gen 21:25.

Of Ziba,

2Sa 16:1-4; with 2Sa 19:26, 27.

Of Absalom,

2Sa 13:28, 29; 14:30.

Of Shimei,

1Ki 2:39.

Of Joash,

2Ki 12:19-21.

Of Amon,

2Ki 21:23.

Of Job,

Job 19:15, 16.

In the parable of the talents and the parable of the pounds,

Mat 25:24-30; Luk 19:20-26.

In the parable of the vineyard,

Mat 21:33-41; Mar 12:1-9.

Conspiracy by,

See CONSPIRACY

Servant: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To:

Gen 16:6-9; Exd 20:10; Deu 5:14; Neh 5:8; Job 19:15, 16; 31:13, 14; Psa 123:2; Pro 12:9; 13:17; 17:2; 19:10; 25:13; 26:6; 27:18, 27; 29:19, 21; 30:10, 21-23; Ecc 7:21; Isa 52:3; Jer 22:13; 34:8-17; Lam 5:8; Zep 1:9; Mal 1:6; Mat 8:9; 10:24, 25; 24:45-51; Luk 12:35-48; 16:1-13; 17:7-9; 22:27; Jhn 13:16; 1Cr 4:2; 7:21-24; Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:22-25; 1Ti 6:1, 2; Tts 2:9, 10; 1Pe 2:18-20

See EMPLOYEE; EMPLOYER; MASTER

Servant: Hired:

Jacob,

Gen 29:15; 30:26;

re-employed,

Gen 30:27-34; 31:6, 7, 41.

Parable of laborers of a vineyard,

Mat 20:1-15;

of the father of the prodigal son,

Luk 15:17, 19.

The prodigal,

Luk 15:15-19.

Treatment of, more considerate than that of slaves,

Lev 25:53.

Await employment in the marketplace,

Mat 20:1-3.

Wages paid in kind,

Gen 30:31, 32; 2Ch 2:10;

in money,

Mat 20:2.

UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO:

Lev 19:13; 25:39-41; Deu 24:14, 15; Job 7:1, 2; 14:6; Mal 3:5; Mat 10:9, 10; Luk 10:7; Rom 4:4; Col 4:1; 1Ti 5:18; Jam 5:4

See MASTERS; WAGES

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

A-1NounStrong's Number: g1401Greek: doulos

Servant:

an adjective, signifying "in bondage," Rom 6:19 (neuter plural, agreeing with mele, "members"), is used as a noun, and as the most common and general word for "servant," frequently indicating subjection without the idea of bondage; it is used

(a) of natural conditions, e.g., Mat 8:9; 1Cr 7:21, 22 (1st part); Eph 6:5; Col 4:1; 1Ti 6:1; frequently in the four Gospels;

(b) metaphorically of spiritual, moral and ethical conditions: "servants"

(1) of God, e.g., Act 16:17; Tts 1:1; 1Pe 2:16; Rev 7:3; 15:3; the perfect example being Christ Himself, Phl 2:7;

(2) of Christ, e.g., Rom 1:1; 1Cr 7:22 (2nd part); Gal 1:10; Eph 6:6; Phl 1:1; Col 4:12; Jam 1:1; 2Pe 1:1; Jud 1:1;

(3) of sin, Jhn 8:34 (RV, "bondservants"); Rom 6:17, 20;

(4) of corruption, 2Pe 2:19 (RV, "bondservants"); cp. the verb douloo (see B).
See BONDMAN.

A-2NounStrong's Number: g1249Greek: diakonos

Servant:

for which see DEACON and Note there on synonymous words, is translated "servant" or "servants" in Mat 22:13 (RV marg., "ministers"); 23:11 (RV marg., ditto); Mar 9:35, AV (RV, "minister"); Jhn 2:5, 9; 12:26; Rom 16:1.

A-3NounStrong's Number: g3816Greek: pais

Servant:

for which see CHILD, No. 4, also denotes "an attendant;" it is translated "servant"

(a) of natural conditions, in Mat 8:6, 8, 13; 14:2; Luk 7:7 ("menservants" in 12:45); 15:26;

(b) of spiritual relation to God,

(1) of Israel, Luk 1:54;

(2) of David, Luk 1:69; Act 4:25;

(3) of Christ, so declared by God the Father, Mat 12:18; spoken of in prayer, Act 4:27, 30, RV (AV, "child"); the argument advanced by Dalman for the rendering "Child" in these passages, is not sufficiently valid as against the RV, "Servant" in Acts 4, and the AV and RV in Matt. 12 (cp., e.g., the use of pais in the Sept. of Gen 41:38; Jer 36:24). The Matt. 12 passage by direct quotation, and the Acts 4 passages by implication, refer to the ideal "Servant of Jehovah" (Sept., pais Kuriou), of Isa 42:1 and following passages, thus identifying the Servant with the Lord Jesus; for the same identification, cp. Act 8:35.

A-4NounStrong's Number: g3610Greek: oiketes

Servant:

"a house-servant" (oikeo, "to dwell," oikos, "a house"), is translated "servant" in Luk 16:13 (RV marg., "household servant"); so Rom 14:4; 1Pe 2:18; in Act 10:7, AV and RV, "household servants."

A-5NounStrong's Number: g5257Greek: huperetes

Servant:

for which see MINISTER, No. 3, and OFFICER, is translated "servants" in the AV of Mat 26:58; Mar 14:65 (RV, "officers"); in Jhn 18:36, AV and RV (RV, marg., "officers").

A-6NounStrong's Number: g2324Greek: therapon

Servant:

akin to therapeuo, "to serve, to heal, an attendant, servant," is a term of dignity and freedom, used of Moses in Hbr 3:5.

A-7NounStrong's Number: g4889Greek: sundoulos

Servant:

"a fellow-servant," is used

(a) of natural conditions, Mat 18:28, 29, 31, 33; 24:49;

(b) of "servants" of the same Divine Lord, Col 1:7; 4:7; Rev 6:11; of angels, Rev 19:10; 22:9.

Note: For misthios and misthotos, see HIRED SERVANT.

B-1VerbStrong's Number: g1402Greek: douloo

Servant:

"to enslave, to bring into bondage" (akin to A, No. 1), e.g., 1Cr 9:19, RV, "I brought (myself) under bondage (to all)," AV, "I made myself servant," denotes in the Passive Voice, "to be brought into bondage, to become a slave or servant," rendered "ye became servants (of righteousness)" in Rom 6:18; "being... become servants (to God)," Rom 6:22.
See BONDAGE, B, No. 2.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Servant:

SEE [SLAVE].