Synonymous Words for
"Servant", "Serve", etc.
This Is Appendix 190 From The Companion Bible.

I.

  1. diakonos is a servant as seen in activity (compare dioko, to pursue). It occurs eight times in the Gospels (not in Luke); is twice transl. "minister" (Matthew 20:26. Mark 10:43); six times "servant". The other twenty-two occurrences are in Paul's epistles; transl. "minister", except in Romans 16:1 ("servant"), and Philippians 1:1. 1Timothy 3:8, 12 ("deacon"). It is not found in Acts where the institution of the so-called deacons is recorded.

  2. doulos = slave, bond-servant. There are seventy-three occ. in the Gospels, three in Acts, thirty in Paul's epistles, five in the epistles of James, 1Peter and 2Peter, and Jude, and fourteen in the Revelation. It is translated "servant", except in 1Corinthians 12:13. Galatians 3:28. Ephesians 6:8. Colossians 3:11. Revelation 6:15; 13:16; 19:18, where the rendering is "bond" or "bondman". The fem. doule occ. Luke 1:38, 48. Acts 2:18; transl. "handmaiden"; doulon, "servant", occ. only in Romans 6:19.

  3. huperetes means an under-rower, and is used, generally, for one in a subordinate capacity. It is transl. "officer" eleven times, "minister" five times, and "servant" four times.

  4. leitourgos = one who serves an office. In the Old Testament used of the priests and Levites. In New Testament, of God's ministers, except Philippians 2:25 (of Epaphroditus). It occurs five times.

  5. misthios and misthotos mean hired servants (from misthos, pay). Occ. Luke 15:17, 19. Mark 1:20. John 10:12, 13.

  6. oiketes is a household servant (oikos, a house), and is so rendered in Acts 10:7. Occ. Luke 16:13. Romans 14:4. 1Peter 2:18; "servant".

  7. pais (Appendix 108. iv) means a boy, and then, like Latin puer, French garcon, and English boy, it means a servant. Rendered "servant" eleven times, and should also be so transl. Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30.

  8. therapon is an attendant, one who performs services voluntarily, whether freeman or slave. Occ. only Hebrews 3:5.

II.

  1. diakonia is the service rendered by a diakonos. Occ. once in the Gospels (Luke 10:40); eight times in Acts; twenty-four times in Paul's epistles, and once in the Revelation : rendered "ministry", "ministration", etc., save Acts 11:29, where it is "relief", the result of service, and Romans 11:13 (office).

  2. douleia. Occ. five times, always transl. "bondage".

  3. latreia. Occ five times, transl. "service", or "divine service".

  4. leitourgia. Occ. six times; transl. "ministration" (Luke 1:23), "service" (2Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 2:17, 30), and "ministry" (Hebrews 8:6; 9:21). From this comes English "liturgy".

III.

  1. diakoneo. Occurs thirty-seven times, and is transl. "serve", "minister", etc. and twice "use the office of a deacon" (1Timothy 3:10, 13).

  2. douleuo = to serve as a bondman. It occurs twenty-five times; transl. "serve", "do service", except John 8:33; Acts 7:7; Galatians 4:9, 25; "be in bondage".

  3. douloo is to enslave. Occ. eight times, twice in the active sense, Acts 7:6; 1Corinthians 9:19; elsewhere in the passive (Romans 6:18, 22. 1Corinthians 7:15. Galatians 4:3. Titus 2:3. 2Peter 2:19).

  4. hupereteo. (Compare I. 3, above.) Occurs only in Acts 13:36; 20:34; 24:23.

  5. latreuo. (Compare II. 3, above.) Occ. twenty-one times, always referring to the worship of God, save in Acts 7:42. Transl. "serve", or "do the service", seventeen times, and "worship" four times.

  6. leitourgeo. (Compare I. 4; II. 4, above.) Occ. three times; Acts 13:2. Romans 15:27. Hebrews 10:11, rendered "minister".


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