Douleuō δουλεύω

Douleuō (Greek δουλεύω, Strong's G1398) is a Greek verb meaning “be a slave”. It occurs 25 times in 23 verses of the New Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Greek (based on Abbott-Smith), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Douleuō, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Matthew

• Matthew 6:24
  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.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.

Luke

• Luke 15:29
  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
• Luke 16:13
  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.No servant 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.”

John

• John 8:33
  They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

Acts

• Acts 7:7
  And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’
• Acts 20:19
  Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

Romans

• Romans 6:6
  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
• Romans 7:6
  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
• Romans 7:25
  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• Romans 9:12
  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
• Romans 12:11
  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
• Romans 14:18
  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
• Romans 16:18
  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Galatians

• Galatians 4:8
  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
• Galatians 4:9
  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
• Galatians 4:25
  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
• Galatians 5:13
  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.

Ephesians

• Ephesians 6:7
  With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,

Philippians

• Philippians 2:22
  But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.

Colossians

• Colossians 3:24
  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

1 Thessalonians

• 1 Thessalonians 1:9
  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1 Timothy

• 1 Timothy 6:2
  And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.

Titus

• Titus 3:3
  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.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.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).