Bible Word of the Day

Bondservant (Doulos, Slave)

Meaning
A bondservant, also called a “Doulos” in the Greek, was a slave in the ancient world. Typically this would have been a voluntary slave who agreed by choice to give their lives over to their master. We have to remember in ancient society slavery and servant-hood were part of everyday life. And there were many circumstances in which a person could find themselves a slave, which had nothing to do with race. Many of the circumstances included things like coercing someone to be a slave, being captured in war or being born into slavery. In addition others were sentenced to slavery for a specified amount of time as a result of committing a crime. In addition a person could voluntarily become a slave for an agreed amount of time to pay off a debt or to serve an apprenticeship in a specific trade or craft.

Moreover, there were several different social and economic classes in which a slave would live and serve. From a low position, as a gallery slave to a high office as a slave of a king, local leader or businessmen. During ancient times slaves were allowed to earn money as well as buy property. In the case of a “doulos” this was usually a freed slave who because of their love for their master voluntarily agreed to stay with their master for life. And in some cases, men would agree to remain a slave because during their slavery, they had gotten married and had children.

And in many cases the voluntary bondservant would become like a family member and could even receive and inheritance. This concept of doulos is very important because when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He becomes our Lord and Master. The Bible specifically uses the word doulos to describe our relationship with Jesus. And that through our salvation, we because of our love for Jesus, become a “doulos” of Christ as James calls himself in his letter to the Jewish believers.