Be a slave
δουλεύωStrong’s G1398douleuō
Appears in 23 verses of the New Testament
In short
Douleuō is the Greek word usually translated “serve”, “serving” and “have we been under bondage”. It appears in 23 verses of the New Testament.
“And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”
Meaning
Usually translated “serve”, “serving” and “have we been under bondage”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- to serve 6
- serving 4
- serve 2
- i serve 1
- have we been under bondage 1
- they will be in bondage 1
- being enslaved 1
- will serve 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Romans 7
- Galatians 4
- Luke 2
- Acts 2
- Matthew 1
- John 1
12 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Titus 3:3In contextFor we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
- Matthew 6:24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- Luke 15:29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
- Luke 16:13No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- John 8:33They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
- Acts 7:7And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
Greek dictionary
δουλεύω douleuō · be a slave
δουλεύω (δοῦλος), [in LXX for עָבַד, as Gen.14:4, exc. Da TH Dan.7:14, 27 (פְּלַח), Isa.56:6 (שָׁרַת pi.)* ;] to be a slave, be subject to, serve: absol., Rom.7:6, Gal.4:25, 1Ti.6:2; with dative of person(s), Mat.6:24, Luk.15:29 16:13, Rom.9:12" (LXX) ; of nations, Jhn.8:33, Act.7:7" (LXX) ; θεῷ, τ. κυρίῳ, Mat.6:24, Luk.16:13, Act.20:19, Rom.12:11 (R, mg., καιρῷ) Rom.16:18, Eph.6:7, Col.3:24, 1Th.1:9; τ. Χριστῷ, Rom.14:18, Col.3:24; νόμῳ θεοῦ, Rom.7:25; τ. θεοῖς, Gal.4:8; τ. καιρῷ, Rom.12:11 (R, mg. for κυρίῳ); ἀλλήλοις, Gal.5:13; σὺν ἐμοί Php.2:22; τ. ἁμαρτίᾳ, Rom.6:6; νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας, Rom.7:2 …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “serve” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
SERVE, verb transitive
serv. [Latin servio. This verb is supposed to be from the noun servus, a servant or slave, and this from servo, to keep.]
- To work for; to bestow the labor of boky and mind in the employment of another.“Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy youngest daughters” Genesis 29:18“No man can serve two masters” Matthew 6:24
- To act as the minister of; to perform official duties to; as, a minister serves his prince.
- To attend at command; to wait on.
- To obey servilely or meanly. be not to wealth a servant.
All definitions and other forms of “serve”
- To supply with food; as, to be served in plate.
- To be subservient or subordinate to.
- To perform the duties required in; as, the curate served two churches.
- To obey; to perform duties in the employment of; as, to serve the king or the country in the army or navy.
- To be sufficient, or to promote; as, to serve one's turn, end or purpose.
- To help by good offices; as, to serve one's country.
- To comply with; to submit to.
- To be sufficient for; to satisfy; to content.
- To be in the place of any thing to one.
- To treat; to requite; as, he served me ungratefully; he served me very ill; We say also, he served me a trick, that is he deceived me, or practiced an artifice on me.
- In Scripture and theology, to obey and worship; to act in conformity to the law of a superior, and treat him with due reverence.“Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth. As for me and my house, we will serve the lord” Joshua 24:14
- In a bad sense, to obey; to yeild compliance or act according to.“Serving divers lusts and treasures” Titus 3:3
- To worship; to render homage to; as, to serve idols or false gods.
- To be a slave to; to be in bondage to.
- To serve one's self of, to use; to make use of; a Gallicism, [se sevir de.]
- To use; to manage; to apply.
- In seamen's language, to wind something round a rope to prevent friction.
SERVE, verb intransitive
serv.
- To be a servant or slave.“The Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve” Isaiah 14:3
- To be employed in labor or or other business for another.
- To be in subjection.
- To wait; to attend; to perform domestic offices to another.
- To perform duties, as in the army, navy or in any office.
- To answer; to accomplish the end.
- To be sufficient for a purpose.
- To suit; to be convenient.
- To conduce; to be of use.
- To officiate or minister; to do the honors of; as, to serve at a public dinner.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.