Word Study for G1398 (δουλεύω)

douleúō /dool-yoo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom δοῦλος

Meaningto be a slave to (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary)

KJV usagebe in bondage, (do) serve(-ice).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of douleúō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word douleúō, represented by G1398, means to be a slave to in a literal or figurative sense, whether the service is voluntary or involuntary. It appears 27 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible, establishing a core concept of bondage or servitude to a master.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1398 is used to illustrate the principle of exclusive allegiance. A person cannot serve two masters, as they will inevitably love one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). This concept is applied to the choice between serving God or mammon G3126. The term also describes the state of humanity apart from God, as being in bondage and serving sin Romans 6:6 or "divers lusts and pleasures" Titus 3:3. In contrast, believers are called out of this bondage to a new, willing service. They are to serve the Lord Romans 12:11 and, through love, to serve one another Galatians 5:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of service and mastery:

G2962 kýrios (master): This word for a controller or one "supreme in authority" is frequently the one being served. Believers are called to be "serving the Lord" Romans 12:11.
G3126 mammōnâs (mammon): Personifying avarice, this is presented as the alternative master to God. Scripture states one cannot serve both God and mammon Matthew 6:24.
G1658 eleútheros (free): As the direct opposite of a slave, this word describes the state of being unrestrained. Believers are called to liberty, but are warned not to use that freedom as an occasion for the flesh Galatians 5:13.
G3000 latreúō (serve/worship): This term is more specific, referring to religious homage or ministry to God. After being freed from bondage, Israel was to serve God in a new capacity Acts 7:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1398 is significant, framing the human condition and the nature of salvation.

Exclusive Allegiance: The word establishes that all people are in service to something. The fundamental choice is between serving God or a competing master like mammon Matthew 6:24, with no possibility of dual loyalty.
Bondage to Sin: Before salvation, individuals are described as being in bondage, serving sin Romans 6:6, idols 1 Thessalonians 1:9, and destructive lusts Titus 3:3. This service is presented as a deceptive and disobedient state.
Liberated Service: Freedom in Christ is not an absence of service, but a change in master. Believers are delivered from the law to serve in "newness of spirit" Romans 7:6. This new service is directed toward God and Christ Colossians 3:24 and is expressed by using liberty to serve one another through love G26 Galatians 5:13.

Summary

In summary, G1398 is a pivotal word that defines one's ultimate loyalty. It powerfully contrasts the involuntary and destructive bondage to sin, idols, and wealth with the voluntary and life-giving service to the Lord and to others. The use of douleúō illustrates that true freedom is not the absence of a master, but the joy of willingly serving the right one.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 25 occurrences, inflected in 14 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Infinitive 8×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 2×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Imperative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×

+ 2 rarer forms

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 23 verses across 12 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans (7 verses); never once in the other 15.

Matthew

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

Titus

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.