3.4 KiB
servant, slave, slavery
Definition:
The word for "servant" can also mean "slave" and refers to a person who works for another person, either by choice or by force. The surrounding text usually makes it clear whether a person is a servant or a slave.
- In Bible times, there was less of a difference between a servant and a slave than there is today. Both servants and slaves were an important part of their master's household and many were treated almost like members of the family. Sometimes a servant would choose to become a lifetime servant to his master.
- A slave was a kind of servant who was the property of the person he worked for. The person who bought a slave was called his "owner" or "master." Some masters treated their slaves very cruelly, while other masters treated their slaves very well, as a servant who was a valued member of the household.
- In ancient times, some people willingly became slaves to a person they owed money to in order to pay off their debt to that person.
- In the Bible, the phrase "I am your servant" was used as a sign of respect and service to a person of higher rank, such as a king. It did not mean that the person speaking was an actual servant.
- In the Old Testament, God's prophets and other people who worshiped God were often referred to as his "servants."
- In the New Testament, people who obeyed God through faith in Christ were often called his "servants."
- Christians are also called "slaves to righteousness," which is a metaphor that compares the commitment to obey God to a slave's commitment to obey his master.
(See: Metaphor)
(See also: commit, enslave, household, lord, obey, righteous, serve)
Bible References:
- Acts 04:29-31
- Acts 10:7-8
- Colossians 01:7-8
- Colossians 03:22-25
- Genesis 21:10-11
- Luke 12:47-48
- Mark 09:33-35
- Matthew 10:24-25
- Matthew 13:27-28
Examples from the Bible stories:
*06:01 When Abraham was very old and his son, Isaac, had grown to be a man, Abraham sent one of his servants back to the land where his relatives lived to find a wife for his son, Isaac. *08:04 The slave traders sold Joseph as a slave to a wealthy government official. *09:13 "I (God) will send you (Moses) to Pharaoh so that you can bring the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt." *19:10 Then Elijah prayed, "O Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, show us today that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant." *29:03 "Since the servant could not pay the debt, the king said, 'Sell this man and his family as slaves to make payment on his debt.'" *35:06 "All my father's servants have plenty to eat, and yet here I am starving." *47:04 The slave girl kept yelling as they walked, "These men are servants of the Most High God. *50:04 Jesus also said, "A servant is not greater than his master."