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. The word for "serve" means to do things to help other people. It can also mean to "worship." 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 context of a person serving guests, this term means "care for" or "serve food to" or "provide food for." When Jesus told the disciples to "serve" the fish to the people, this could be translated as, "distribute" or "hand out" or "give."
* 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.
* To "serve tables" means to bring food to people who are sitting at tables, or more generally, to "distribute food."
* People who teach others about God are said to serve both God and the ones they are teaching.
* The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians about how they used to "serve" the old covenant. This refers to obeying the laws of Moses. Now they "serve" the new covenant. That is, because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, believers in Jesus are enabled by the Holy Spirit to please God and live holy lives.
* Paul talks about their actions in terms of their "service" to either the old or new covenant. This could be translated as "serving" or "obeying" or "devotion to."
* 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.
* __[06:01](rc://en/tn/help/obs/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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/08/04)__ The __slave__ traders sold Joseph as a __slave__ to a wealthy government official.
* __[09:13](rc://en/tn/help/obs/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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/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](rc://en/tn/help/obs/35/06)__ "All my father's __servants__ have plenty to eat, and yet here I am starving."
* __[47:04](rc://en/tn/help/obs/47/04)__ The __slave__ girl kept yelling as they walked, "These men are servants of the Most High God.
* __[50:04](rc://en/tn/help/obs/50/04)__ Jesus also said, "A __servant__ is not greater than his master."
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