COMPANION BIBLE. APPENDIX 190.  

SYNONYMOUS WORDS
FOR
"SERVANT", "SERVE", ETC.
I.

  1. diakonos is a servant as seen in activity (cp. dioko, to pursue). It occurs eight times in the Gospels (not in Luke); is twice transl. "minister" (Matt. 20:26.  Mark 10:43); six times "servant".  The other twenty-two occurrences are in Paul's epistles; transl. "minister", except in Rom. 16:1 ("servant"), and Phil. 1:1.  1Tim. 3:8, 12 ("deacon").  It is not found in Acts where the institution of the so-called deacon 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, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude, and fourteen in the Revelation.  It is translated "servant", except in 1Cor. 12:13.  Gal. 3:28.  Eph. 6:8.  Col. 3:11.  Rev. 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 Rom. 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 O.T. used of the priests and Levites.  In N.T., of God's ministers, except Phil. 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. Rom. 14:4.  1Pet. 2:18; "servant".

  7. pais (Ap. 108. iv) means a boy, and then, like Latin puer, French garcon, and Eng. 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 Heb. 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", &c., save Acts 11:29, where it is "relief", the result of service, and Rom. 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" (2Cor. 9:12; Phil. 2:17, 30), and "ministry" (Heb. 8:6; 9:21).  From this comes Eng. "liturgy".


III.
  1. diakoneo. Occurs thirty-seven times, and is transl. "serve", "minister", &c. and twice "use the office of a deacon" (1Tim. 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; Gal. 4:9, 25; "be in bondage".

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

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

  5. latreuo. (Cp. II. 3, above.)  Occ. twenty-one times, always referring to the worship of God, save in Acts 7:24.  Transl. "serve", or "do the service", seventeen times, and "worship" four times.

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

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