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οἰκέτης

oikétēs

G3610 noun

SILEX Entry

Root οἰκ- to inhabit, to dwell, to reside

Definition

A member of the household whose principal function is to serve; specifically, a domestic servant or household slave. Refers to an individual who lives within and serves a household, often distinguished from hired laborers or slaves working outside the household. Semantic range includes a household attendant, domestic bonded servant, or someone serving in a family's immediate environment.

Semantic Range

household servant, domestic slave, household attendant, menial domestic, member of household staff

Root / Etymology

From οἰκέω ('to inhabit, dwell') formed with the agentive suffix -της, indicating a person associated with or characterized by dwelling in a house.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, οἰκέτης refers primarily to a slave or servant who lives within a private household, as opposed to publicly-owned slaves or outworkers (see also δοῦλος, which often denotes a generic slave irrespective of function or location). In Hellenistic and Roman-period usage, such as in the New Testament and Septuagint, the term maintains its sense of a household servant, and is not synonymous with 'hired worker' (μισθωτός). The term carries social and legal implications: οἰκέται are bound to the household both spatially and relationally, and their status is distinct from family members and from free servants. English translations frequently render this as 'servant'; however, in context, the sense is more precisely that of a domestic slave. The Septuagint's use overlaps with that of Classical Greek, while in the New Testament, the word appears only rarely, and usually designates a domestic slave in contrast to general field slaves or laborers. English translation tradition has often employed 'servant' or 'household servant,' which may not fully convey the reality of legal enslavement implied in many ancient contexts. The term should be understood within the social framework of household slavery common across Greek and Roman worlds.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from οἰκέω; a fellow resident, i.e. menial domestic:--(household) servant.

Root Family

οἰκέτης (oiketēs) — household servant, domestic slave, one dwelling in a household to serve

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G3610-03 οἰκέτης oiketes N NOM M SG servant household servant 1
G3610-02 οἰκέτην oiketen N ACC M SG servant household servant 1
G3610-04 οἰκετῶν oiketon N GEN M PL household servants of household servants 1
G3610-01 οἰκέται oiketai N VOC M PL servants O household servants 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G3610-03 Luke 16:13 οἰκέτης oiketes N NOM M SG servant household servant
G3610-04 Acts 10:7 οἰκετῶν oiketon N GEN M PL household servants of household servants
G3610-02 Romans 14:4 οἰκέτην oiketen N ACC M SG servant household servant
G3610-01 1 Peter 2:18 οἰκέται oiketai N VOC M PL servants O household servants
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