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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #1398 - δουλεύω
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- to be a slave, serve, do service
- of a nation in subjection to other nations
- metaph. to obey, submit to
- in a good sense, to yield obedience
- in a bad sense, of those who become slaves to some base power, to yield to, give one's self up to
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this Strong's Number
δουλ-εύω, (δοῦλος)
1. to be a slave, Hdt. 2.56, And. 1.138, Pl. Lg. 777d, etc.; παρά τινι D. 18.129: c. acc. cogn., δουλείαν δ. X. Mem. 3.12.2, Pl. Smp. 183a, al.
2. serve, be subject, τό τ' ἄρχειν καὶ τὸ δ. δίχα A. Pr. 927, etc.; δ. ζεύγλαις ib. 463; τοῖς ἄρχουσι καὶ τοῖς νόμοις Pl. Lg. 698b; ἡδονῇ Id. Phdr. 238e, etc.; δ. γαστρί, ὕπνῳ, λαγνείᾳ, X. Mem. 1.6.8; κεναῖς δόξαις Polystr. p.29 W.; τῇ γῇ δ. make oneself a slave to one's land, i. e. give up rights that one may keep it, Th. 1.81; so δ. τῇ κτήσει αὐτοῦ Pl. R. 494d; δουλεύομεν δόξαισιν Philem. 93.8; δ. τῷ καιρῷ accommodate oneself to the occasion, AP 9.441 (Pall.); θυμῷ Hdn. 1.17.6.
3. render a service, τινά PLond. 5.1727.11 (vi A. D.).
δουλεύω; future δουλεύσω; 1 aorist ἐδούλευσα; perfect δεδούλευκά; (δοῦλος); the Sept. for עָבַד;
1. properly, to be a slave, serve, do service: absolutely, Ephesians 6:7; 1 Timothy 6:2; τίνι Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; Romans 9:12; said of nations in subjection to other nations, John 8:33; Acts 7:7; men are said δουλεύειν who bear the yoke of the Mosaic law, Galatians 4:25 (see δουλεία).
2. metaphorically, to obey, submit to;
a. in a good sense: absolutely, to yield obedience, Romans 7:6; τίνι, to obey one's commands and render to him the services due, Luke 15:29; God: Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; κυρίῳ and τῷ κυρίῳ, Acts 20:19; Romans 12:11 (not Rec.st, see below); Ephesians 6:7; Christ: Romans 14:18; Colossians 3:24; νόμῳ Θεοῦ, according to the context, feel myself bound to, Romans 7:25; τοῖς θεοῖς, to worship gods, Galatians 4:8; τῷ καιρῷ (Anth. 9, 441, 6), wisely adapt oneself to, Romans 12:11 Rec.st (see above), cf. Fritzsche at the passage; perform services of kindness and Christian love: ἀλλήλοις, Galatians 5:13; used of those who zealously advance the interests of anything: ὡς πατρί τέκνον σύν ἐμοί ἐδούλευσεν εἰς τό εὐαγγέλιον equivalent to ὡς πατρί τέκνον δουλεύει, ἐμοί ἐδούλευσεν καί οὕτω σύν ἐμοί ἐδούλευσεν, etc. Philippians 2:22 (Winers Grammar, 422 (393); 577 (537)).
b. in a bad sense, of those who become slaves to some base power, to yield to, give oneself up to: τῇ ἁμαρτία, Romans 6:6; νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας, Romans 7:25; ἐπιθυμίαις καί ἡδοναῖς, Titus 3:3, (Xenophon, mem. 1, 5, 5; Apology Socrates 16; Plato, Phaedrus, p. 238 e.; Polybius 17, 15, 16; Herodian, 1, 17, 22 (9, Bekker edition)); τῇ κοιλία, Romans 16:18, (γαστρί, Anthol. 11, 410, 4; Xenophon, mem. 1, 6, 8;abdomini servire, Seneca, de benef. 7, 26, 4;ventri obedire, Sall. (Cat. 1:1)); μαμωνᾷ, to devote oneself to getting wealth: Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13. τοῖς στοιχειοις τοῦ κόσμου, Galatians 4:9.
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δουλεύω
(<δοῦλος ),
[in LXX for H5647, as Genesis 14:4, exc. Da TH Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27 (H6399), Isaiah 56:6 (H8334 pi.)*;]
to be a slave, be subject to, serve: absol., Romans 7:6, Galatians 4:25, 1 Timothy 6:2; c. dat pers., Matthew 6:24, Luke 15:29; Luke 16:13, Romans 9:12 (LXX); of nations, John 8:33, Acts 7:7 (LXX); θεῷ , τ . κυρίῳ , Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13, Acts 20:19, Romans 12:11 (R, mg., καιρῷ ) Romans 16:18, Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:9; τ . Χριστῷ , Romans 14:18, Colossians 3:24; νόμῳ θεοῦ , Romans 7:25; τ . θεοῖς , Galatians 4:8; τ . καιρῷ , Romans 12:11 (R, mg. for κυρίῳ ); ἀλλήλοις , Galatians 5:13; σὺν ἐμοί Philippians 2:22; τ . ἁμαρτίᾳ , Romans 6:6; νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας , Romans 7:25;
ἐπιθυμίαις κ . ἡδοναις , Titus 3:3; τ . κοιλία , Romans 16:18; μαμωνᾷ , Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13; τ . στοιχείοις τ , κόσμου , Galatians 4:9 (Cremer, 217).†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
We can cite no example of δ. used in a religious sense from pagan literature, but the syncretistic occult P Leid Wxiii. 38 (ii/iii A.D.) shows it : ὅτι δουλεύω ὑπὸ τὸν σὸν κόσμον τῷ σῷ ἀγγέλῳ. Note also the mention of the ἱερόδουλοι in connexion with the Serapeum in P Leid Di. 22 (B.C. 162) σοὶ δὲ γίνοιτο, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ὁσίως διάκ [ει ]σαι καὶ τῶν ἱεροδούλων καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ π [ά ]ντων ἀντιλαμβάνῃ, ἐπαφροδισία, χάρις κτλ., and in P Tebt I. 6.25 (B.C. 140–39) where reference is made to the revenues accruing to the priests from various sources including the ἱερόδουλοι. The mention immediately afterwards of ";the so-called ἀφροδίσια "; leads the editors to believe that these ἱερόδουλοι were ἑταῖραι, like the votaries of Aphrodite at Corinth; but cf. Otto (Priester i. p. 118), who understands simply a ";lower"; order of priests in contrast to the tribal priests. See Grenfell-Hunt’s note on P Tebt l.c. Δουλεύω in MGr = ";work,"; ";serve.";
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.