Servant (Heb. usually naar, “young man” or “young man”; ebed, “slave”, “servant”, “subject”, “servant”; Gr. usually dóulos, “slave”, “servant”; diákonos, “servant ”, “helper”, “deacon”; oikétes, “domestic servant”; pais “child”, “youth”, “boy”, “slave”, “servant”). Someone who provides services, voluntarily or involuntarily, to another person. The term can be applied to court officials as servants of the king (Gen 41:10; Exo 7:10, 20; etc.), or to someone who is in some way dependent on another person (Dan 1:12, 13). When an inferior addresses a superior politely, he may often refer to himself as a servant, to express submission (Gen 50:18, 2Ki 1:13; Luk 2:29; Act 4:29). Those who worship and serve the true God as his subjects are called servants of the Lord (Gen 19:19; 1Sa 3:10; Rev 1:1; 22:6), and especially his chosen representatives and spokesmen (1Ki 8:56; 2Ki 9:7; Dan 9:6). Paul commonly referred to himself as the “servant” or “slave” of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1; Phi 1:1; Tit. 1:1; etc.). Of particular interest is the expression “my servant” or its equivalents, as they appear in Isaiah chs 41-66, where Israel is often referred to as the “servant” of God, whom he “chosen” (41: 8, 9). Isaiah sees the nation playing out its role in the framework of the covenant relationship with the Lord, particularly with respect to God’s purpose for that people after the Babylonian captivity (v 9). Acting as his “witnesses” (43:10) they were to know and understand the will of the Lord so that they could bear witness to him before the surrounding nations. God would pour out his Spirit on them in order to enable them to do so effectively (44:1-3). The Lord would redeem his “servant” Jacob and his descendants from Babylon, bring them back to his own land (65:9), bless them (vs 13-15), and be glorified in them (49 : 3). If they were faithful to him, he would defend them from his enemies (cf 54: 15-17). In a special sense, the Messiah in person would be the “servant” of Jehovah, who would complete the spiritual restoration and glorification of Israel (Is. 42:1-4). He is the suffering servant of chs 52:13-53:12. As Israel witnessed before the nations, many would come to worship the true God, thereby becoming his “servants” (56:6). Moderns generally attribute all of the “servant of the Lord” comments in chs 41-66 to Israel as God’s chosen people. However, the oldest Jewish expositors – the Targum of Isaiah, for example – apply chs 52:13-53:12 to the Messiah. Most of the Jewish scholars who helped compose the Midrash also applied these passages to the future Messiah. See Slave; servant.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
slave, person affects a lord or master, to whom he is unconditionally submitted. In ancient times slavery, servitude, was accepted as something natural in society, necessary. Serfs were employed in households, the most benign servitude, in construction, in commerce, in war and, above all, in agricultural work. The treatment of the serfs varied in the different civilizations, in general they were not considered people, that is, they lacked rights, in many cases they were considered things, merchandise, simple work instruments. Among the Greeks the treatment of slaves was benign, even the philosopher Aristotle proposed to give freedom to faithful servants. Among the Spartans, helot slaves, more numerous than their masters, were treated very severely and were forced to work hard in the fields.
The Romans were harsher because they disposed of the life of the serf at their discretion; the Roman economy, its social system and its imperial warlike activity necessitated a large number of slaves for agricultural work and household maintenance. There were several ways to become servants, by buying and selling; by war, the prisoners became servants of the victors; the children of slaves were born with this condition; many people for economic needs, to pay a debt, for example, gave themselves up as slaves or gave themselves up to members of their family.
In the Scriptures we find that the Hebrews were enslaved. Joseph was sold as s. to some Midianite merchants, who in turn negotiated it with the head of the pharaoh’s guard, in Egypt, Gn 37, 28 and 36. The Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt, where, for example, they had to work in the construction of cities, Ex 1, 11.
Among the Israelites there was also the institution of servitude although the Law imposed certain restrictions and obligations of the masters towards them, and the Israelites are always reminded that they were also oppressed in Egypt, for which they are asked to behave humanely. with his servants. The Israelites also bought slaves, Gn 17, 12; Lev 25, 44s; prisoners of war were also subjected to servitude, Dt 21, 10; also the children of the serfs were the property of the lord. The master could punish the s., But if he died on the spot, he could be punished, Ex 21, 20; if he caused a permanent injury, the loss of an eye, a tooth, he should set him free, Ex 21, 26-27. he s. he was also part of the Alliance, so he was circumcised, Gn 17, 12 and 23; Ex 12, 44; he had the right to sabbatical rest, Ex 20, 10; 23, 12; as well as participating in parties, Dt 12, 12; 16, 11 and 14.
The slaves among the Israelites were foreigners however an Israelite could be s. of a fellow national of his, due to poverty, for the payment of a debt, but the Law commands not to treat him as a slave, Ex 21, 1-11; Lev 25, 39-41. The prophet Amos denounces the abuse of this custom of buying servants who were sold due to extreme poverty or debt, Am 2, 6; 8, 6; Nehemiah criticizes the same thing, Ne 5, 5; this situation had become endemic in Israel, as can be seen in the time of the prophet Elijah, 2 R 4, 1.
At the time of Jesus and in the apostolic age this institution of servants still existed. In the Gospels the servants of the high priests are mentioned, Mt 26, 51; Jn 18, 18; as well as the servants of royal officials, Jn 4, 51; the centurion of Capernaum speaks to Jesus about his s., Mt 8, 9.
It is a term widely used in the Bible, above all to signify the dependence and submission of man to God, but not as a master-slave relationship, but as a filial relationship, of trust. Yahweh calls Abraham his s, Gn 16, 14; Moses is said s. of Yahweh, Ex 4, 10; Nm 11, 11; and Yahweh also calls him his s, Nm 12, 7-8; Joshua 1, 2; the people of Israel is the s. of Yahweh, 2 Cro 6, 21; Salt 136 (135), 22; Yahweh tells the Israelites that they are his servants, Lv 25, 42; Israel is chosen by Yahweh as her servant, Is 41, 8. In the NT, Mary surrenders to the will of God, when the angel announces to her that she will be the mother of Jesus: “Behold, she is the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word †, Lk 1, 38.
It is also used in a figurative sense to speak of slavery to sin, “everyone who commits a sin is a slave”, Jn 8, 34; Rom 6, 16-23.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
see trades
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
See “Serve”. The cap. 53 of Isaiah the one of the “Servant of God”.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
†¢Slavery.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
See MINISTRY.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
The one who is at the service or dependent on another. Such a situation appears frequently in the Bible. It is equivalent to “Minister”. The term servant (dulos) appears 126 times in the New Testament. Along with that of service (duleia) or serving (duloo) and its derivatives, there are another 55. They are enough to notice the profound evangelical scope that availability or generosity has in evangelical language.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
This article deals with the word “servant” (more properly, slave) as it applies to men with a specific ministry for the Lord. The Hebrew word is ʿeḇeḏwhich the LXX translates country, zerapōnY doulos. As applied to men who serve God in a particular capacity, the word denotes (1) submission and (2) the honor of having been chosen for service. This latter trait is not clearly seen when the servant speaks of himself in prayer (Moses Num. 11:11; Samson Jud. 15:18; 1 Sam. 3:10; Saul 1 Sam. 14:41; David 2 Sam. 7:19f.; 1 Solomon 3:7f.; Nehemiah, Neh. 1:6; Elijah 1 Kings 18:36), which may reflect Semitic etiquette when addressing a superior (see 1 R. 1:26–27). However, it is particularly evident in the way Moses and David are generally designated as God’s servants (Num. 12:1–7; 2 Kings 21:8; Mal. 4:4; 2 Sam. 7:5 2 Kings 19:34; Ps. 89:3). Particularly noteworthy is the designation, ʿeḇeḏ YHWH or ʿeḇeḏ hā ʾĕlôhîm as applied to Moses (Dt. 34:5; Josh. 1:7; 1 Chr. 6:49; 2 Chr. 1:3; Neh. 10:29; Dan. 9:11) and his successor Joshua (Jos 24:29; Judges 2:8). Equally significant is the summation of prophetic activity by the phrase “my servants the prophets” (2 Kings 17:13, 23; Jer. 7:25; Ez. 38:17; Am. 3:7; Zech. 1:6). The emphasis here is on the trustworthy proclamation of God’s message.
All the words that the LXX uses to translate the Hebrew ʿeḇeḏ appear in the NT. David (Luke 1:69; Acts 4:25) and Jesus (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27; 30) are designated as country of God, and Moses as his zerapōn (Hebrews 3:5). In other places it is used doulos. The designation “servants of God” for the prophets can still be found, notably in Revelation 1:1; 10:7; 11:18. Perhaps this is what is meant when Paul and Silas are designated as “servants of the Most High God” (Acts 16:17). However, in the NT we find a new emphasis. Men are called “slaves of Christ”: Paul (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Gal. 1:10), James (Jas. 1:1), Peter (2 Pet. 1:1) , Judas (Jude 1) and Epaphras (Col. 4:12). Apart from the example of Epaphras, the rest are cases in which the authors themselves are designated in this way.
Rengstorf (TWNT, vol. II, p. 276) states that one cannot be sure that this is a conscious application of the designation as a prophet or a personal acknowledgment of complete submission to God. However, the latter alternative finds support in Paul’s awareness of having been seized by Christ (Phil. 3:12) as well as in the use of the figure of slaves that Jesus used to illustrate the need for faithful service ( Mt. 24:45f.; Mr. 13:34; Lk. 17:7f.). However, in 2 Timothy 2:24 “servant of the Lord” is a technical term that reminds us of the one given to Moses.
Charles A….