What does δουλόω (doulóō) mean in the Bible?
δουλόω (douloō) means to enslave, bring into bondage, or make subject as a slave. Paul uses the verb to describe powers and relationships that claim a person's obedience.
Greek · G1402
δουλόω
To enslave (literally or figuratively)
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δουλόω G1402
Pronunciation doulóō
What does δουλόω (doulóō) mean in the Bible?
δουλόω (douloō) means to enslave, bring into bondage, or make subject as a slave. Paul uses the verb to describe powers and relationships that claim a person's obedience.
Reader summary
Full entry for δουλόω (G1402) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1402?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [and] have become slaves (1), a man is a slave (1), addicted (1), enslaved (1), have become slaves (1).
Where does δουλόω (doulóō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Acts 7:6. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (2), Romans (2), 2 Peter (1), Acts (1).
What This Word Actually Means
δουλόω (douloō) means to enslave, bring into bondage, or make subject as a slave. Paul uses the verb to describe powers and relationships that claim a person's obedience. Romans 6 says believers were enslaved to sin and have been set free to become servants of righteousness, a deliberately human analogy that contrasts two masters and two outcomes. Galatians 4 describes life under the elemental principles of the world as bondage from which God's Son redeems His people into adoption.
In 1 Corinthians 7:15 Paul says a believing spouse is not enslaved when an unbelieving spouse departs, placing the verb inside a careful pastoral ruling about peace. The word names real domination and obligation. It must never be used to dignify human chattel slavery, excuse controlling relationships, or turn freedom in Christ into autonomy from God.
How the Bible Uses It
Paul uses δουλόω for bondage under sin and elemental powers, service transferred toward righteousness, and a marriage case in which the believer is not enslaved. Redemption changes lordship and grants filial freedom.
- 1Cor.7.15
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
When an unbelieving spouse departs, the believer is not enslaved to prevent the separation at any cost. Paul's ruling is framed by God's call to peace.
- Gal.4.3
So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
Life under the elemental principles is described as bondage that ends when God sends His Son to redeem and grant adoption.
- Rom.6.18
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Freedom from sin results in a transferred obedience to righteousness. Paul marks the slavery analogy as human language serving the call to holiness.
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 [and] have become slaves 1× Romans 6:18
a man is a slave 1× 2 Peter 2:19
addicted 1× Titus 2:3
enslaved 1× Galatians 4:3
have become slaves 1× Romans 6:22
I make myself a slave 1× 1 Corinthians 9:19
is not bound 1× 1 Corinthians 7:15
they would be enslaved 1× Acts 7:6
Show sample aligned rows
Acts 7:6 δουλώσουσιν to they would be enslaved Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Romans 6:18 ἐδουλώθητε to [and] have become slaves Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Plural Romans 6:22 δουλωθέντες to have become slaves Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1 Corinthians 7:15 δεδούλωται to is not bound Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1 Corinthians 9:19 ἐδούλωσα to I make myself a slave Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Galatians 4:3 δεδουλωμένοι to enslaved Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Titus 2:3 δεδουλωμένας to addicted Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Plural 2 Peter 2:19 δεδούλωται to a man is a slave Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Acts 7:6
Aligned rows 8
Books represented 6
Acts 1 Romans 2 1 Corinthians 2 Galatians 1 Titus 1 2 Peter 1
Source forms
δεδούλωται 2x dedoulōtai 1 Corinthians 7:15, 2 Peter 2:19
δεδουλωμένας 1x dedoulōmenas Titus 2:3
δεδουλωμένοι 1x dedoulōmenoi Galatians 4:3
δουλωθέντες 1x doulōthentes Romans 6:22
δουλώσουσιν 1x doulōsousin Acts 7:6
ἐδουλώθητε 1x edoulōthēte Romans 6:18
ἐδούλωσα 1x edoulōsa 1 Corinthians 9:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 7:15, 2 Peter 2:19
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 9:19
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Plural 1x Romans 6:18
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Romans 6:22
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Acts 7:6
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Plural 1x Titus 2:3
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Galatians 4:3
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use slavery language to expose sin's mastery and magnify redemption, never to excuse coercive control by a spouse, leader, employer, or institution.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:15 within the whole marriage case and with careful pastoral oversight rather than turning one verb into a universal formula.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that becoming a servant of righteousness makes God's children equivalent to human chattel slaves.
- Do not claim that freedom in Christ means freedom from obedience, holiness, love, or accountable life in the church.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To bring under binding control; figuratively, to place under dominating power or constraint.
Strong's G1402
Lexical occurrences 7 verses Greek text appearances 8 times Word forms 2 forms 7 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 Source Gloss
to enslave (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To bring under binding control; figuratively, to place under dominating power or constraint.
(δοῦλος), [in LXX for עָבַד ;] to enslave, bring into bondage: Act.7:6 (LXX), 2Pe.2:19; metaphorically, 1Co.9:19; pass., before ἐν, 1Co.7:15; τ. θεῷ, Rom.6:22; τ. δικαιοσύνῃ, Rom.6:18; οἴνῳ, Tit.2:3; ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τ. κόσμου, Gal.4:3 (Cremer, 217).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Acts 7:6 Verb Third Person Plural Future Active Indicative
δουλώσουσιν doulwsousin
I enslave
Read verse Romans 6:18 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐδουλώθητε edoulwqhte
I enslave
Read verse Romans 6:22 Verb Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
δουλωθέντες doulwqentev
I enslave
Read verse 1 Corinthians 7:15 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Passive Indicative
δεδούλωται dedoulwtai
I enslave
Read verse 1 Corinthians 9:19 Verb First Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐδούλωσα, edoulwsa
I enslave
Read verse Galatians 4:3 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
δεδουλωμένοι· dedoulwmenoi
I enslave
Read verse Titus 2:3 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Plural Feminine
δεδουλωμένας, dedoulwmenav
I enslave
Read verse 2 Peter 2:19 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Passive Indicative
δεδούλωται. dedoulwtai
I enslave
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 2 Aligned forms 7 Tenses Perfect, Future, Aorist Voices Passive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 5×
Perfect Passive 1 Cor 7:15 · 2 Pet 2:19 2×
Future Active Acts 7:6 1×
Aorist Passive Rom 6:18 1×
Aorist Active 1 Cor 9:19 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Aorist Passive Rom 6:22 1×
Perfect Passive Titus 2:3 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
perfect 3 aorist 3
Voice
passive 5 active 1
Mood
indicative 4 participle 2
NT Occurrences
Romans 6:18 ἐδουλώθητε aorist passive indicative completed Romans 6:22 δουλωθέντες aorist passive participle participle 1 Corinthians 7:15 δεδούλωται perfect passive indicative resultant 1 Corinthians 9:19 ἐδούλωσα aorist active indicative completed Titus 2:3 δεδουλωμένας perfect passive participle participle 2 Peter 2:19 δεδούλωται perfect passive indicative resultant
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 Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Passive voice: a believer bound or enslaved in marriage to an unbelieving spouse
Metaphorical: Paul voluntarily enslaves himself to all for gospel advancement
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
δουλόω is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
Paul's slavery language names the seriousness of competing lordships while directing believers toward the freedom of God's sons and daughters. Romans 6 says sin once ruled embodied obedience and produced death. Liberation from that master does not create moral independence; grace brings wholehearted obedience to the teaching received and a new service to righteousness leading to holiness.
Paul explicitly calls this a human analogy, which cautions readers against pressing every feature of slavery into the doctrine. Galatians 4 supplies the redemptive center: those enslaved under the world's elemental principles are redeemed by the Son so that they receive adoption and the Spirit's cry, 'Abba, Father.' First Corinthians 7 then applies the verb with pastoral restraint.
A believer deserted by an unbelieving spouse is not enslaved in such circumstances, and God has called His people to peace. None of these uses authorizes one human being to own, coerce, or spiritually dominate another.
Anchor passage
Gal.4.1-7
Doctrinal connections
- Romans 6:15-23 - liberation from sin brings obedience leading to holiness and life
- 1 Corinthians 7:12-17 - the abandoned believer is not enslaved and is called to peace
- Galatians 4:1-7 - the Son redeems slaves into adoption and the Spirit's filial cry
- Galatians 5:1-13 - Christian freedom serves love rather than the flesh
- John 8:31-36 - the Son frees those enslaved to sin
The causative verb means to enslave or subject. Its passive forms can describe being held in bondage, while other contexts describe a transfer into service. Romans 6 signals that its slavery comparison is an analogy adapted to human weakness, so interpreters should not import every social feature of ancient slavery into union with Christ.
From Old to New Testament
The exodus establishes redemption from oppressive bondage as a central scriptural pattern, and the law repeatedly reminds Israel not to reproduce Egypt's cruelty. Paul draws on the wider slavery and redemption world while centering liberation in God's Son and adoption. The canonical connection condemns dehumanizing mastery rather than providing religious cover for it.
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