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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:

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."

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3.5 KiB Raw Blame History