What does δουλεύω (douleúō) mean in the Bible?
Δουλεύω (douleúō) means to serve as one bound to a master or to live in slavery to a controlling power. Jesus says no one can serve God and wealth because mastery demands exclusive allegiance.
Greek · G1398
δουλεύω
To be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary)
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δουλεύω G1398
Pronunciation douleúō
What does δουλεύω (douleúō) mean in the Bible?
Δουλεύω (douleúō) means to serve as one bound to a master or to live in slavery to a controlling power. Jesus says no one can serve God and wealth because mastery demands exclusive allegiance.
Reader summary
Full entry for δουλεύω (G1398) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1398?
The BSB source-word alignment has 25 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include serve (7), serving (2), [and] enslaved (1), be slaves (1), enslaves them (1).
Where does δουλεύω (douleúō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 6:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Romans (7), Galatians (4), Luke (3), Acts (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Δουλεύω (douleúō) means to serve as one bound to a master or to live in slavery to a controlling power. Jesus says no one can serve God and wealth because mastery demands exclusive allegiance. Paul describes serving the Lord through humility, tears, and trials, not through self-promoting independence. Romans says service to Christ in righteousness, peace, and joy pleases God.
Ephesians tells enslaved workers to render willing service as to the Lord, addressing their conduct without blessing the injustice of human slavery. Titus remembers that believers themselves were once enslaved to desires and pleasures before God's saving kindness appeared. The verb can describe faithful belonging or degrading bondage. The master and manner of service determine whether it is liberating devotion to Christ or captivity to sin, wealth, and human domination.
How the Bible Uses It
Δουλεύω describes serving under mastery. A person cannot serve God and wealth, Paul serves the Lord amid tears, believers serve Christ in kingdom righteousness, workers serve with reference to the Lord, and sinners are enslaved to desires.
- Matt.6.24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Jesus presents God and wealth as rival masters whose claims cannot be combined, exposing financial devotion as a form of slavery rather than neutral possession.
- Acts.20.19
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.
Paul's Ephesian ministry is service to the Lord marked by humility, tears, and trials, making endurance and self-forgetful care part of apostolic servanthood.
- Rom.14.18
For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Serving Christ through righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit is pleasing to God and commendable before people, joining allegiance to reconciled community life.
- Eph.6.7
Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
Enslaved workers are told to serve willingly as to the Lord, relocating ultimate accountability to Christ without declaring their human masters morally ultimate or the institution righteous.
- Titus.3.3
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Titus remembers believers as formerly enslaved to varied desires and pleasures, a captivity expressed in malice, envy, hatred, and mutual hostility before grace.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It serve 7× Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13, Romans 7:6, Romans 7:25
serving 2× Romans 12:11, Romans 16:18
[and] enslaved 1× Titus 3:3
be slaves 1× Romans 6:6
enslaves them 1× Acts 7:7
he has served 1× Philippians 2:22
I have served 1× Luke 15:29
I served 1× Acts 20:19
serve [both] 1× Matthew 6:24
serves 1× Romans 14:18
she is in slavery 1× Galatians 4:25
should serve [them] 1× 1 Timothy 6:2
to be enslaved 1× Galatians 4:9
to serve 1× 1 Thessalonians 1:9
We have never been slaves 1× John 8:33
will serve 1× Romans 9:12
you are serving 1× Colossians 3:24
you were slaves 1× Galatians 4:8
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 6:24 δουλεύειν to serve Verb - Present Infinitive Active Matthew 6:24 δουλεύειν to serve [both] Verb - Present Infinitive Active Luke 15:29 δουλεύω to I have served Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Luke 16:13 δουλεύειν to serve Verb - Present Infinitive Active Luke 16:13 δουλεύειν to serve Verb - Present Infinitive Active John 8:33 δεδουλεύκαμεν to We have never been slaves Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural Acts 7:7 δουλεύσουσιν to enslaves them Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Acts 20:19 δουλεύων to I served Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Romans 6:6 δουλεύειν to be slaves Verb - Present Infinitive Active Romans 7:6 δουλεύειν to serve Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 6:24
Aligned rows 25
Books represented 12
Matthew 2 Luke 3 John 1 Acts 2 Romans 7 Galatians 4 Ephesians 1 Philippians 1 Colossians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 1 Titus 1
Source forms
δουλεύειν 7x douleuein Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13, Romans 6:6, Romans 7:6
δουλεύοντες 3x douleuontes Romans 12:11, Ephesians 6:7, Titus 3:3
δουλεύετε 2x douleuete Galatians 5:13, Colossians 3:24
δουλεύω 2x douleuō Luke 15:29, Romans 7:25
δουλεύων 2x douleuōn Acts 20:19, Romans 14:18
δεδουλεύκαμεν 1x dedouleukamen John 8:33
δουλεύει 1x douleuei Galatians 4:25
δουλεύειν* 1x douleuein Galatians 4:9
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Infinitive Active 8x Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13, Romans 6:6, Romans 7:6
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 3x Romans 12:11, Ephesians 6:7, Titus 3:3
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural 2x Galatians 5:13, Colossians 3:24
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 2x Luke 15:29, Romans 7:25
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 2x Acts 20:19, Romans 14:18
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural 1x Galatians 4:8
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Philippians 2:22
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Acts 7:7
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use commands to enslaved workers to defend chattel slavery or silence appeals against abuse; Christ's lordship relativizes and judges every human master.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that wealth is spiritually neutral when Jesus says it can become a rival master.
- Do not claim that slavery to desire is freedom simply because the desire feels self-chosen.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Serve in submission to authority or power, whether involuntary bondage or willing allegiance.
Strong's G1398
Lexical occurrences 26 verses Greek text appearances 25 times 16 shown below Word forms 4 forms 26 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 25 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 6:24 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν· douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Matthew 6:24 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Luke 15:29 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
δουλεύω douleuw
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Luke 16:13 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν· douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Luke 16:13 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse John 8:33 Verb First Person Plural Perfect Active Indicative
δεδουλεύκαμεν dedouleukamen
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Acts 7:7 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Subjunctive
δουλεύσωσι, douleuswsin
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Acts 20:19 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
δουλεύων douleuwn
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 6:6 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 7:6 Verb Present Active Infinitive
δουλεύειν douleuein
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 7:25 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
δουλεύω douleuw
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 9:12 Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
δουλεύσει douleusei
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 12:11 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
δουλεύοντες· douleuontev
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 14:18 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
δουλεύων douleuwn
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Romans 16:18 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
δουλεύουσιν, douleuousin
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verse Galatians 4:8 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἐδουλεύσατε edouleusate
I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 26 Tenses Present, Perfect, Future, Aorist Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 8×
Present Active Matt 6:24 · Luke 16:13 · Rom 6:6 · Rom 7:6 · Gal 4:9 · 1 Thess 1:9 8×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 6×
Present Active Rom 12:11 · Eph 6:7 · Titus 3:3 · Acts 20:19 · Rom 14:18 5×
Perfect Passive Gal 4:3 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 9×
Present Active Luke 15:29 · Rom 7:25 · Rom 16:18 · Gal 4:25 4×
Future Active Acts 7:7 · Rom 9:12 2×
Aorist Active Gal 4:8 · Phil 2:22 2×
Perfect Active John 8:33 1×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Present Active Gal 5:13 · Col 3:24 · 1 Tim 6:2 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 25 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 20 future 2 aorist 2 perfect 1
Voice
active 25
Mood
indicative 9 infinitive 8 participle 5 imperative 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 6:24 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Matthew 6:24 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Luke 15:29 δουλεύω present active indicative ongoing Luke 16:13 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Luke 16:13 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive John 8:33 δεδουλεύκαμεν perfect active indicative resultant Acts 7:7 δουλεύσουσιν future active indicative prospective Acts 20:19 δουλεύων present active participle participle Romans 6:6 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Romans 7:25 δουλεύω present active indicative ongoing Romans 7:6 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Romans 9:12 δουλεύσει future active indicative prospective Romans 12:11 δουλεύοντες present active participle participle Romans 14:18 δουλεύων present active participle participle Romans 16:18 δουλεύουσιν present active indicative ongoing Galatians 4:25 δουλεύει present active indicative ongoing Galatians 4:8 ἐδουλεύσατε aorist active indicative completed Galatians 4:9 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Galatians 5:13 δουλεύετε present active imperative imperative Ephesians 6:7 δουλεύοντες present active participle participle Philippians 2:22 ἐδούλευσεν aorist active indicative completed Colossians 3:24 δουλεύετε present active imperative imperative 1 Thessalonians 1:9 δουλεύειν present active infinitive infinitive 1 Timothy 6:2 δουλευέτωσαν present active imperative imperative Titus 3:3 δουλεύοντες present active participle participle
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Luke 16:1–13 δουλεύειν douleúō
To serve as a slave
Showing 1 selected witness from 26 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
δουλεύω is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Service is never defined only by the visible supervisor. Jesus uncovers wealth as a master capable of demanding the love and devotion owed to God. Paul names his own ministry slavery to the Lord, yet its marks are humility, tears, endurance, and proclamation rather than loss of moral agency. Romans shows Christ's servants building a kingdom-shaped life of righteousness, peace, and Spirit-given joy.
Ephesians addresses people trapped in slavery and directs their labor toward the Lord, whose impartial judgment also confronts masters; the passage regulates discipleship within an unjust world rather than declaring ownership of humans good. Titus reveals a slavery that crosses social status: desires and pleasures can rule anyone. God's kindness frees sinners for a new life.
Teachers should name both bondage and belonging, refusing autonomy while distinguishing Christ's gracious lordship from sin's tyranny and human exploitation.
Anchor passage
Matt.6.24
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 6:19-24, God and wealth as rival masters
- Acts 20:17-24, serving the Lord through tears and trials
- Romans 14:13-19, serving Christ in righteousness, peace, and joy
- Ephesians 6:5-9, service under Christ's impartial lordship
- Titus 3:3-7, slavery to desires and salvation by grace
- Exodus 20:1-3, the delivering Lord claiming exclusive allegiance
Δουλεύω is the verb related to δοῦλος and describes service under a master's authority. A dative commonly identifies the master. Figurative uses retain the force of binding allegiance or control.
From Old to New Testament
Israel is freed from Pharaoh to serve the Lord, wisdom contrasts slavery to sin with obedience, and the apostles call themselves Christ's servants. Redemption changes masters and reshapes service.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain