noun · masculine
doulos
Strong’sG1401
a male slave
stem doul-126 times in the New Testamentin 21 of 27 books10 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
δοῦλος refers to a slave or bondman/bondwoman 1234 — a person owned by and subject to a master 13, as opposed to a free person 13. The feminine form denotes specifically a female slave or bondmaid 13. The word is used literally throughout the New Testament for actual slaves, often set against terms for master, such as lord or householder 1.
The word is also used figuratively for being in bondage or subject to someone or something else, without reference to literal slavery 12. In this sense a person can be called a "slave" of sin, of corruption, or, positively, a "slave" of God, of Christ, or of the Lord, meaning wholly subject to and belonging to that power or person 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
δοῦλος, -η, -ον,
[in LXX, ὁ δ. nearly always for עֶבֶד; ἡ δ. chiefly for שִׁפְחָה,אָמָה;]
SYN.: διάκονος (q.v.), θεράπων, ὐπηρέτης (v. DB, iii, 377; iv, 461, 469; DCG, i, 221; ii, 613; Cremer, 215, 702).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1401 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saiddoo'-los
a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency)
Fromfrom G1210;
King Jamesbond(-man), servant.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
A, Cretan dialect δῶλος Refs, ὁ:—properly born bondman or slave, opposed to one made a slave, τὰ ἀνδράποδα πάντα καὶ δοῦλα καὶ ἐλεύθερα Refs 5th c.BC+: then, generally, bondman, slave, opposed to δεσπότης (which see): not in Refs 8th c.BC+, who twice has feminine δούλη, ἡ, bondwoman, Refs 8th c.BC+: frequently of Persians and other nations subject to a despot, Refs 5th c.BC+; οὔ τινος δοῦλοι κέκληνται, of the Greeks, Refs 4th c.BC+ slaves to money, Refs 5th c.BC+; λιχνειῶν, λαγνειῶν, Refs 5th c.BC+
A.II adjective (not in Refs 4th c.BC+, δοῦλος, η, ον, slavish, servile, subject, δ. πόλις Refs 5th c.BC+; σῶμα δ., opposed to νοῦς ἐλεύθερος, Refs 5th c.BC+; δ. θάνατος, ζυγόν, πούς, Refs 5th c.BC+ more enslaved, Αἴγυπτον δ. ποιεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+
A.II.2 τὸ δ., ={οἱ δοῦλοι}, Refs 5th c.BC+; also, slavery, a slavish life, Refs
A.II.3 ancillary, δ. ἐπιστῆμαι Refs 4th c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | doulos35×δοῦλος | doulois19×δοῦλοι |
| object accusative | doulon18×δοῦλον | douloin19×δούλους |
| direct address vocative | doulor6×δοῦλε | douloir3×δοῦλοι |
| of, belonging to genitive | doulou6×δούλου | douloiu5×δούλων |
| to, for dative | doulo6×δούλῳ | douloi7×δούλοις |
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
doulo is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
126 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
doulos“servant”subjectnominative singular35×, 17 shown
Matthew 10:24“slave”… atō mathētos huper ton didaskalon oude doulos huper ton kurion autou.A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
Matthew 10:25“slave”… hōs tos didaskalos autou, kai tos doulos hōs tos kurios autou. ei ton …… to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of …
Matthew 18:26piptarantos oun tos doulos proskunate auto legarōntos; Makrothumasar epi mi, …Then the servant fell on his knees before him …
Matthew 18:28exercharantos de tos doulos ekeinos heuriskata henon toiu sundouloiu autou …But when that servant went out, he found one of …
Matthew 20:27… en vi arō prōtos eti vu doulos;… first among you must be your slave —
Matthew 24:45Tinos ara atō tos pistos doulos kai fronimos hon katastēata tos kurios …… then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in …
Matthew 24:46makarios tos doulos ekeinos hon ercharantos tos kurios autou …Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so …
Matthew 24:48ean de legateia tos kakosos doulos ekeinos en ta kardia autou; Chronizatō …But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his …
Mark 10:44… en vi arō prōtos, eti pantoiu doulos;… to be first must be the slave of all.
Luke 7:2Hekatontarchēou de tinou doulos kakōs echarōntos mellate teleutarō, hos ate …There a highly valued servant of a centurion was sick and …
Luke 12:43makarios tos doulos ekeinos, hon ercharantos tos kurios autou …Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so …
Luke 12:45ean de legateia tos doulos ekeinos en ta kardia autou; Chronizatō …But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master …
Luke 12:47ekeinos de tos doulos tos gnōskarantos tem thelēmem tou kuriou …That servant who knows his master’s will but …
Luke 14:21kai paragenerantos tos doulos apangelata to kurio autou houteim. tote …The servant returned and reported all this to …
Luke 14:22kai legata tos doulos; Kurior, genatē hem epitassasa, kai ēti …‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been …
John 8:34… hoti pantos tos poiarōntos tan hamartan doulos atō tau hamartau;… you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
John 8:35tos de doulos ouk menatō en ta oikia eis …A slave does not remain in the house …
doulon“servant”objectaccusative singular18×, 16 shown
Matthew 25:30kai ton achreion doulon ekbalavar eis tem skotem tem exōterem; …And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there …
Matthew 26:51… tan machairan autou kai pataxarantos ton doulon tou archierevou afairata autou tem ōtiem.… drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off …
Mark 12:2… apostelata pros toin geōrgoin to kairo doulon, hina para toiu geōrgoiu labateia apo …At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his …
Mark 12:4kai palin apostelata pros autoin alloson doulon; kakeinon kefaliala kai atimazala.Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the …
Mark 14:47… parastēarēntoiu sperantos tan machairan paiata ton doulon tou archierevou kai afairata autou tem …… drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off …
Luke 2:29Nun apoluasō ton doulon su, despotor, kata tem rēmem su …… have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace.
Luke 7:3… erōtarōntos auton hopōs ercharantos diasōzateia ton doulon autou.… Him to come and heal his servant.
Luke 7:10… ton oikon tois pempirantois heuriskala ton doulon hugiainarōnton.… to the house, they found the servant in good health.
Luke 14:17kai apostelata ton doulon autou ta hōra teu deipneu legara …… for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been …
Luke 14:23kai legata tos kurios pros ton doulon; Exerchasar eis tain hodain kai fragmoin …So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and …
Luke 17:7Tinos de ek vu doulon echarōntos arotriarōnton ē poimanarōnton, hos eisercharanto …Which of you whose servant comes in from plowing or shepherding …
Luke 20:10kai kairo apostelata pros toin geōrgoin doulon, hina apo tou karpou tou ampelōnou …At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his …
Luke 20:11kai prostitheta heteron pempara doulon; tois de kakeinon derarantois kai atimazarantois …So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated …
Luke 22:50… tinos ek autoiu tou archierevou ton doulon kai afairata tem ouem autou tem …And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off …
John 18:10… autan kai paiata ton tou archierevou doulon kai apokoptata autou tem ōtariem tem …… drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off …
2 Timothy 2:24doulon de kuriou ouk datō machorō, alla …And a servant of the Lord must not be …
doulor“servant”direct addressvocative singular6×
Matthew 18:32… auton tos kurios autou legatō auto; Doulor ponēror, pantan tan ofeilan ekeinan afiēkama …… summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because …
Matthew 25:21fēate auto tos kurios autou; Euōs, doulor agathor kai pistor, epi oligeim ase …… replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a …
Matthew 25:23fēate auto tos kurios autou; Euōs, doulor agathor kai pistor, epi oligeim ase …… replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a …
Matthew 25:26… tos kurios autou legata auto; Ponēror doulor kai oknēror, oidaselē hoti therizamō hopou …‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that …
Luke 19:17kai legata auto; Euge, agathor doulor, hoti en elachiste pistos genesa, asōr …His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in …
Luke 19:22… teu stomeu su krinamō sin, ponēror doulor; oidaselē hoti mis anthrōpos austēros amō, …His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your …
doulou“servant”of, belonging togenitive singular6×
Matthew 18:27“servant”splanchnizirantos de tos kurios tou doulou ekeinou apoluata auton, kai tem daneiem …His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
Matthew 24:50hēkati tos kurios tou doulou ekeinou en hēmera ha ouk prosdokatō …The master of that servant will come on a day he …
Luke 12:46hēkati tos kurios tou doulou ekeinou en hēmera ha ouk prosdokatō …The master of that servant will come on a day he …
Galatians 4:1… tos klēronomos nēpios atō, oudenem diaferatō doulou kurios panteiu arōntos,… he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of …
Philippians 2:7alla heauton kenata morfan doulou labarantos, en homoiōme anthrōpoiu generantos; kai …… Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Revelation 15:3kai adalō tan ōdan Mōusou tou doulou tou theou kai tan ōdan teu …… they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great …
doulo“servant”to, fordative singular6×
Matthew 8:9… alloso; Erchosōr, kai erchotō, kai to doulo mu; Poiasar houtem, kai poiatō.… and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does …
Luke 7:8… alloso; Erchosōr, kai erchotō, kai to doulo mu; Poiasar houtem, kai poiatō.… and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does …
Luke 14:21… tote orgizirantos tos oikodespotos legata to doulo autou; Exerchasar tacheōs eis tain plateiain …… became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets …
Luke 17:9mē echatō charitan to doulo hoti poiata teim diatassiranteim?Does he thank the servant because he did what he was …
John 18:10… tem dexem. ate de onomem to doulo Malchos.… cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Revelation 1:1… apostelarantos dia tou angelou autou to doulo autou Iōanno,… by sending His angel to His servant John,
doulois“servants”subjectnominative plural19×, 16 shown
Matthew 13:27prosercharantois de tois doulois tou oikodespotou legala auto; Kurior, ouchi …The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir …
Matthew 13:28… Echthros anthrōpos houtem poiata. tois de doulois auto legalō; Thelasō oun apercharantois sulleganeia …… did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us …
Matthew 22:10kai exercharantois tois doulois ekeinois eis tain hodain sunagala pantoin …So the servants went out into the streets and …
Luke 12:37makariois tois doulois ekeinois, hoin ercharantos tos kurios heuriskati …Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch …
Luke 17:10… panteim teim diatassiranteim vi, legavōr hoti Doulois achreiois anō, hem ofeilane poiara poianē.… you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
John 4:51ēdē de autou katabainarōntou tois doulois autou hupantala auto legarōntois hoti tos …… was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that …
John 18:18stēalelē de tois doulois kai tois hupēretois anthrakian poiarēntois, hoti …Because it was cold, the servants and officers were standing around a …
Acts 16:17… ni krazate legarōntas; Houtois tois anthrōpois doulois tou theou tou hupsistou alō, hotinois …… of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who …
Romans 6:16… ho parastēavō heautoin douloin eis hupakoan, doulois avō ho hupakouavō, ētoi hamartau eis …… yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether …
Romans 6:17charitas de to theo hoti ave doulois tau hamartau hupakouava de ek kardiau …… God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the …
Romans 6:20Hote gar doulois ave tau hamartau, eleutherois ave ta …For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of …
1 Corinthians 7:23timau agoraziva; mē genovōr doulois anthrōpoiu.… at a price; do not become slaves of men.
1 Corinthians 12:13“slaves”… baptizina, eite Ioudaiois eite Hellēnois, eite doulois eite eleutherois, kai pantois henem pneumem …… were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Ephesians 6:6“slaves”… kata ofthalmodoulian hōs anthrōpareskois alla hōs doulois Christou poiarōntois tem thelēmem tou theou, …… are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your …
Philippians 1:1Paulos kai Timotheos doulois Christou Iēsu pantoi toi hagioi en …Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the …
1 Timothy 6:1“slaves”Hosois alō hupo zugon doulois, toin idioin despotoin pantau timau axioin …All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that …
douloin“servants”objectaccusative plural19×, 16 shown
Matthew 21:34… tos kairos toiu karpoiu, apostelata toin douloin autou pros toin geōrgoin labara toin …… time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his …
Matthew 21:35kai labarantois tois geōrgois toin douloin autou hon men derala, hon de …But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and …
Matthew 21:36palin apostelata allosoin douloin polloteroin toiu prōtoiu, kai poiala autoi …Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But …
Matthew 22:3kai apostelata toin douloin autou kalara toin kalorēntoin eis toin …He sent his servants to call those he had invited …
Matthew 22:4palin apostelata allosoin douloin legarōntos; Legavar toi kalorēntoi; Idou tem …Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have …
Matthew 22:6tois de loipois kratarantois toin douloin autou hubrizala kai apoktenala.The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
Matthew 25:14… gar anthrōpos apodēmarōntos kalata toin idioin douloin kai paradōata autoi teim huparcharōnteim autou,… on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
Luke 15:22legata de tos patros pros toin douloin autou; Tachuem ekferavar stolan tan prōtan …But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and …
Luke 19:13kalarantos de deka douloin heautou dōata autoi deka mnain kai …Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct …
Luke 19:15… basileian kai legata fōnira auto toin douloin houtoin hoi dōatelē tem arguriem, hina …… procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the …
John 15:15ouketi legamō vin douloin, hoti tos doulos ouk oidatē tinem …No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand …
Acts 2:18“male slaves”kai ge epi toin douloin mu kai epi tain doulain mu …Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in …
Romans 6:16ouk oidavē hoti ho parastēavō heautoin douloin eis hupakoan, doulois avō ho hupakouavō, …… when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one …
2 Corinthians 4:5… alla Christon Iēsun kurion, heautoin de douloin vu dia Iēsun.… as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Titus 2:9Douloin idioi despotoi hupotassorō en pantei, euarestoin …Slaves are to submit to their own …
Revelation 2:20… kai didaskatō kai planatō toin ēmoin douloin porneuara kai esthiara eidōlothuteim.… By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to …
douloir“slaves”direct addressvocative plural3×
Ephesians 6:5Tois douloir, hupakouavōr toi kata sarkan kurioi meta …Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect …
Colossians 3:22tois douloir, hupakouavōr kata panteim toi kata sarkan …Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything …
Revelation 19:5“servants”… Ainavōr to theo nu, pantoir tois douloir autou, kai tois foborōntoir auton, tois …… throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”
douloiu“servants”of, belonging togenitive plural5×
Matthew 18:23… hos thelata sunairara logon meta toiu douloiu autou;… wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
Matthew 25:19… pollon chronon erchotō tos kurios toiu douloiu ekeinoiu kai sunairatō logon meta autoiu… long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
John 18:26legatō henos ek toiu douloiu tou archierevou, sungenos arōntos hou apokoptata …One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose …
Revelation 19:2… autau, kai ekdikata tem haimem toiu douloiu autou ek cheirau autau.… has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her …
Revelation 19:18… kai sarkain pantoiu eleutheroiu tē kai douloiu kai mikroiu kai megoiu.… of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”
douloi“servants”to, fordative plural7×
Matthew 22:8tote legatō toi douloi autou; Tos men gamos hetoimos atō, …Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but …
Mark 13:34“servants”… tan oikian autou kai dōarantos toi douloi autou tan exousian, hekasto tem ergem …… who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task …
Acts 4:29… tain apeilain autoiu kai dōasar toi douloi su meta parrēsiau pantau lalarō ton …… consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete …
Colossians 4:1… tem dikaiem kai tan isotan toi douloi parechovōr, oidarēntois hoti kai vis echavō …Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair …
Revelation 1:1… dōata auto tos theos deikara toi douloi autou, heim datō genera en tache, …… God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass …
Revelation 11:18… krinira kai dōara ton misthon toi douloi su toi profētoi kai toi hagioi …… the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the …
Revelation 22:6… apostelata ton angelon autou deikara toi douloi autou heim datō genera en tache;… sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”
douleim2×
Romans 6:19“slaves”… hōsper gar parastēava teim meleim vu douleim ta akatharsia kai ta anomia eis …… your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness …
Romans 6:19“slaves”… houtōs nun parastēavar teim meleim vu douleim ta dikaiosuna eis hagiasmon.… escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to …