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σύνδουλος

sýndoulos

G4889 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person who shares the status of enslaved person or servant with others; one who is under the authority of the same master, most often used in contexts where communal service, mutual subordination, or shared obligations are emphasized. The word denotes someone who is a co-slave or co-servant, highlighting collective dependency and coexistence under the same authority or master.

Semantic Range

person jointly enslaved; co-servant; fellow-bondservant; one who serves with others under the same master; member of a community sharing servitude or obligations

Root / Etymology

From the preposition σύν ('with, together with') and δοῦλος ('slave, servant'). The compound construction emphasizes shared status and association in servitude rather than individual identity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, δοῦλος signifies a person who is enslaved or subject to another's will, and compounds with σύν intensify or specify participation of more than one individual in the same condition. σύνδουλος is not widely attested in classical literature but becomes especially prominent in early Jewish and Christian texts, including the Septuagint and the New Testament. In New Testament literature, it typically designates members of a community—either literal slaves sharing the same master or metaphorical 'servants' (e.g., followers of God/Christ) in shared service or subordination. The term often emphasizes solidarity and mutual responsibility rather than status differentiation, particularly in contexts where equality before the master (human or divine) is stressed. Standard translations like 'fellowservant' or 'fellow slave' are accurate but may fail to capture the nuanced sense of collective service or mutual accountability. In contrast to 'σύνδουλος,' the simple 'δοῦλος' lacks this focus on community. The term does not specify the nature of the master (divine or human)—context determines whether ordinary servitude or religious service is meant.

Translation Consistency

primary "fellow-slave" 7 occurrences

σύνδουλος literally denotes someone who shares the same status of bondage or service under a common master. "Fellow-slave" is natural, clear, and preserves the communal, co-servant sense in modern English better than the less direct "servant" or the less common "co-slave." It matches typical Pauline usage while keeping the precise social reality the term conveys.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"co-slaves" (2x) "fellow-servant" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from σύν and δοῦλος; a co-slave, i.e. servitor or ministrant of the same master (human or divine):--fellowservant.

Root Family

σύνδουλος (syndoulos) — with, together with; slave, servant

Root συν-δουλ- with, together with; slave, servant

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4889-03 σύνδουλος sundoulos N NOM M SG fellow servant co-slave fellow-slave 4
G4889-02 συνδούλων sundoulon N GEN M PL fellow servant of fellow-slaves fellow-slave 2
G4889-01 σύνδουλοι sundouloi N NOM M PL fellowservants co-slaves co-slaves 2
G4889-04 συνδούλου sundoulou N GEN M SG fellow servant of a fellow-slave fellow-servant 1
G4889-05 συνδούλους sundoulous N ACC M PL fellow servants fellow-slaves fellow-slaves 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4889-02 Matthew 18:28 συνδούλων sundoulon N GEN M PL fellowservants of fellow-slaves of fellow-slaves
G4889-03 Matthew 18:29 σύνδουλος sundoulos N NOM M SG fellow servant co-slave fellow-slave
G4889-01 Matthew 18:31 σύνδουλοι sundouloi N NOM M PL fellow servants co-slaves co-slaves
G4889-02 Matthew 18:33 σύνδουλόν sundoulon N ACC M SG fellow servant of fellow-slaves fellow-slave
G4889-05 Matthew 24:49 συνδούλους sundoulous N ACC M PL fellow servants fellow-slaves fellow-slaves
G4889-04 Colossians 1:7 συνδούλου sundoulou N GEN M SG fellow servant of a fellow-slave fellow-servant
G4889-03 Colossians 4:7 σύνδουλος sundoulos N NOM M SG fellow bond-servant co-slave fellow-slave
G4889-01 Revelation 6:11 σύνδουλοι sundouloi N NOM M PL fellowservants co-slaves co-slaves
G4889-03 Revelation 19:10 σύνδουλός sundoulos N NOM M SG fellow servant co-slave fellow-slave
G4889-03 Revelation 22:9 σύνδουλός sundoulos N NOM M SG fellow servant co-slave fellow-slave
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