δουλεύω

δουλεύω fut. δουλεύσω; 1 aor. ἐδούλευσα; pf. δεδούλευκα J 8:33, ptc. δεδουλευκώς 2 Cl 17:7 (Aeschyl., Hdt.+; the basic diff. between master and slave is stated Aeschyl., Pr. 927).

① to be owned by another, be a slave, be subjected

ⓐ lit., of Hagar and Jerusalem Gal 4:25. τινί to someone (Jos., Ant. 4, 115.—C. Ap. 2, 128 the Egyptians claim τὸ μηδενὶ δουλεῦσαι. Likew. in Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 67 §286 the Rhodians are proud ἕνεκα τύχης ἐς τὸ νῦν ἀδουλώτου; Diod S 5, 15, 3 the Iolaës of Sardinia have maintained their freedom ἅπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα … μέχρι τοῦ νῦν; in 5, 15, 4 even the Carthaginians οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν [αὐτοὺς] … καταδουλώσασθαι) J 8:33; Ac 7:7 (Gen 15:14); Ro 9:12; B 13:2 (both Gen 25:23; cp. Jos., Ant. 1, 275); 13:5 (Gen 48:19 altered after 25:23); 1 Cl 31:4 (Jacob by Laban [Gen 29:15, 20]; cp. Just., D. 134, 3).

ⓑ in imagery: of a change in masters Ro 7:6.

② to act or conduct oneself as one in total service to another, perform the duties of a slave, serve, obey.

ⓐ be in service to personal beings

α. to humans, w. dat. of pers. (PHal 1, 219 [III B.C.] ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεὺς τῷ Ἀλεξανδρεῖ μὴ δουλευέτω) Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13; 2 Cl 6:1 (on being a slave to more than one master s. Billerb. on Mt 6:24; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 203 II, 13f; 206, 16ff). τοσαῦτα ἔτη δ. σοι I have slaved for you so many years Lk 15:29, a statement about toil rather than actual status (cp. Gen 31:41). Abs. ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ 2 Cl 11:1; μᾶλλον δ. let them be all the better slaves 1 Ti 6:2; πλέον δ. IPol 4:3. On Eph 6:7, see β. Fig., of loving service ἀλλήλοις Gal 5:13. δίκαιον εὖ δουλεύοντα πόλλοις 1 Cl 16:12 (Is 53:11).

β. to transcendent beings, esp. in expressions relating to God or Jesus Christ as recipients of undivided allegiance, for, as indicated in α, a slave can take orders from only one master δ. τῷ θεῷ serve God, where God is thought of as κύριος, and a human as δοῦλος (Eur., Or. 418; Ex 23:33; Philo, Cher. 107, Somn. 2, 100; Jos., Ant. 7, 367; 8, 257; SibOr 3, 740; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 8, 17; cp. τοῖ κτισθεῖσιν ἀντὶ θεοῦ 3, 15, 17): Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13 (on both cp. Sextus 574 οὐκ ἔστιν ἅμα δουλεύειν ἡδονῇ κ. θεῷ); 1 Th 1:9; 2 Cl 11:1; 17:7; Pol 2:1 (Ps 2:11); 6:3; MPol 9:3; Hm 8:6; 12, 6, 2; Hs 4:2; Dg 2:5 τῷ δημιουργῷ; 1 Cl 26:1. τῷ Χριστῷ Ro 14:18; cp. 16:18; Col 3:24; abs. μετʼ εὐνοίας δ. render service (to your masters) w. good will Eph 6:7 (through wordplay Jesus Christ, as κύριος, is here viewed as the ultimate recipient of the slave’s service); τῷ κυρίῳ (Judg 2:7; 1 Km 7:4; 12:20) Ac 20:19; Ro 12:11 (v.l. τῷ καιρῷ.—δ. τῷ καιρῷ means ‘accommodate oneself to the occasion’ [Plut., Arat. 1047 [43, 2]; Pallad.: Anth. Pal. 9, 441; Procop. Soph., Ep. 113 H. δουλεύειν τῇ χρείᾳ καὶ πείθεσθαι τῷ καιρῷ. The contrast is with πράττειν ὅσα τις βούλεται, or Herodas 2, 9f: ζῶμεν οὐχ ὡς βουλόμεσθʼ, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡμέας ὁ καιρὸς ἕλκει], and can have the unfavorable connotation ‘be an opportunist’; for this reason it is expressly rejected for this pass. by Athanas., Origen-Rufinus, and Jerome, but they may be interested in sanitizing the text. S. Ltzm. ad loc.); Hv 4, 2, 5; Hs 1:7; 4:5ff; 6, 3, 6; 8, 6, 2; the Holy Spirit 5, 6, 5; 7; elements or elemental spirits Gal 4:9, cp. vs. 8 (in a relig. sense also PGM 13, 72 κύριε, δουλεύω ὑπὸ τὸν σὸν κόσμον τῷ σῷ ἀγγέλῳ; lesser divinities [δαίμονες] Just., D. 83, 4; Tat. 17, 3).

ⓑ to things, by fig. ext. of mng. in a: Be a slave to sin Ro 6:6; the law (Orig., C. Cels. 5, 6, 28) 7:25; desire Hm 12, 2, 5; Tit 3:3 (X., Mem. 1, 5, 5, Apol. 16; Pla., Phdr. 238e ἡδονῇ; Polyb. 18, 15, 16; Herodian 1, 17, 9; Philo, Cher. 71; Jos., Ant. 15, 91 δ. ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις; Iren., 1, 6, 3 [Harv. I 56, 2]); the virtues Hv 3, 8, 8; m 12, 3, 1; faith m 9:12; τῇ κοιλίᾳ the belly, i.e. appetite (γαστρί X., Mem. 1, 6, 8; Anth. 11, 410, 4; cp. Ath. 31, 2) Ro 16:18. εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον serve in the gospel Phil 2:22. For Ro 12:11 v.l. καιρῷ s. 2aβ.—M-M. TW.