Almanac › Words & writing

Doulos: servant or slave

Greek δοῦλος. Also called Slave, Servant, Bondservant, Bondman, doulos.

The Greek word for a slave, a person owned by another, used 126 times in the New Testament; English Bibles have long softened it to “servant”, and the BSB uses both.

A doulos belonged to a master, and slavery ran through the world the New Testament was written in, as its letters to slaves and masters show. For centuries English Bibles rendered the word “servant”, which in older English could mean either. Modern translations divide. The BSB says “slave” where the text is about slavery itself (“slave nor free”, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters”) or slavery to sin, and “servant” in Jesus’ parables and where Paul, James and Jude name themselves the doulos of Christ. The word in Philippians 2:7 is the same: Christ took “the form of a doulos”.

How the BSB and the other translations render doulos, servant or slave

One word, two Englishes in the BSB

  • 93 servant
  • 31 slave
  • 2 other

“Slave” where the text is about slavery, or slavery to sin

“Servant” in the parables, and where an apostle names himself

Four verses, ten translations

Translation Romans 1:1 Galatians 3:28 Ephesians 6:5 Ephesians 6:6
BSB a servant of Christ Jesus slave nor free Slaves, obey as servants of Christ
OEB a servant of Jesus Christ slave and free Slaves, obey as slaves of Christ
T4T who serve Christ Jesus slaves or ones You slaves, obey slaves of Christ
FBV a servant of Jesus Christ slave or free Servants, obey like servants of Christ
WEB a servant of Jesus Christ neither slave nor free Servants, be obedient as servants of Christ
KJV a servant of Jesus Christ neither bond nor free Servants, be obedient as the servants of Christ
ASV a servant of Jesus Christ neither bond nor free Servants, be obedient as servants of Christ
LSV a servant of Jesus Christ neither servant nor freeman The servants: obey as servants of the Christ
YLT a servant of Jesus Christ not here servant nor freeman The servants! obey as servants of the Christ
DBY bondman of Jesus Christ no bondman nor freeman Bondmen, obey as bondmen of Christ

Ephesians 6:5 and 6:6 are one sentence about the same people. The BSB is the only translation here that changes word between them: “Slaves, obey” and then “as servants of Christ”. Darby says “bondman” every time; the KJV’s “bond” is the old word for a slave.

Related words

  • δοῦλος doulos, a slave 126
  • δουλεύω douleuō, to serve as a slave 25
  • δούλη doulē, a female slave 3
  • διάκονος diakonos, a different word: one who serves or waits on others, a deacon 30

Where it is used

  1. Matthew 30
  2. Mark 5
  3. Luke 26
  4. John 11
  5. Acts 3
  6. Romans 7
  7. 1 Corinthians 5
  8. 2 Corinthians 1
  9. Galatians 4
  10. Ephesians 3
  11. Philippians 2
  12. Colossians 4
  13. 1 Timothy 1
  14. 2 Timothy 1
  15. Titus 2
  16. Philemon 2
  17. James 1
  18. 1 Peter 1
  19. 2 Peter 2
  20. Jude 1
  21. Revelation 14

Counted in the site’s Greek by Strong’s number G1401, with the BSB’s English for each use from its translation tables. Matthew and Luke use it most, in Jesus’ parables of masters and their slaves.

Where it appears

All 91 almanac entries