3610. oiketes
Lexical Summary
oiketes: Servant, household servant, domestic

Original Word: οἰκέτης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: oiketes
Pronunciation: oy-KEH-tace
Phonetic Spelling: (oy-ket'-ace)
KJV: (household) servant
Word Origin: [from G3611 (οἰκέω - dwells)]

1. a house servant or slave, i.e. menial domestic
2. a houseman or housemaid

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
household servant.

From oikeo; a fellow resident, i.e. Menial domestic -- (household) servant.

see GREEK oikeo

HELPS Word-studies

3610 oikétēs (from 3624 /oíkos, "house") – properly, a household-servant working for a family, implying it is done with affection and devotion.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3610: οἰκέτης

οἰκέτης, οἰκέτου, (οἰκέω), from (Aeschylus and) Herodotus down, Latindomesticus, i. e. one who lives in the same house with another, spoken of all who are under the authority of one and the same householder, Sir. 4:30 Sir. 6:11, especially a servant, domestic; so in Luke 16:13; Acts 10:7; Romans 14:4; 1 Peter 2:18; the Sept. for עֶבֶד. See more fully on the word, Meyer on Romans, the passage cited (where he remarks that οἰκέτης is a more restricted term than δοῦλος, designating a house-servant, one holding closer relations to the family than other slaves; cf. διάκονος at the end, Schmidt, chapter 162.)

Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Term in Scripture

The word refers to a household servant who lives within, and answers directly to, the master of the oikos. Scripture employs it five times to describe relationships that are intensely personal, distinguished from the broader term for bond-slave, and used to illuminate discipleship and responsibility within God’s household.

Occurrences and Literary Setting

1 Peter 2:18 directs believing household servants: “Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.”
Romans 14:4 frames Christian liberty: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.”
Luke 16:13 warns of divided loyalty: “No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.”
Matthew 24:45 portrays eschatological stewardship: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household…?”
Acts 10:7 records Cornelius summoning “two of his servants” as the gospel first reaches Gentiles.

In each passage the term functions to highlight accountability, fidelity, and the intimate sphere of the master’s household.

Historical Setting: Household Servitude in the Roman Empire

Domestic servants occupied the most trusted stratum of first-century servile labor. They handled finances, education of children, food distribution, and often represented the paterfamilias in legal matters. Their elevated access made loyalty indispensable; betrayal threatened the entire oikos. Understanding this backdrop sharpens Jesus’ and the apostles’ emphasis on single-minded devotion and trustworthy stewardship.

Ethical and Theological Significance

1. Individual Accountability before God (Romans 14:4). Paul’s metaphor dismantles human hierarchies within the church by fixing every believer’s gaze on his true Master.
2. Exclusive Allegiance (Luke 16:13). Because a household servant’s identity was inseparable from the estate, competing claims were intolerable; likewise the disciple must choose God over mammon.
3. Eschatological Readiness (Matthew 24:45). The faithful servant feeds fellow household members until the Master returns—an image of pastors and lay believers sustaining Christ’s flock with sound doctrine and loving care.
4. Witness in Hostile Contexts (1 Peter 2:18). Peter does not endorse injustice; he calls believers to endure it “with all respect” so that the beauty of the gospel is displayed even in oppressive structures, anticipating their ultimate vindication.
5. Gospel Expansion (Acts 10:7). Cornelius’ domestic staff joins him in seeking God, illustrating how entire households can become conduits of salvation.

Servanthood and Discipleship

The term depicts more than menial labor; it embodies belonging. Jesus frames discipleship in household categories—He is “Son over God’s house” and believers are entrusted servants within it. Authority flows from the Master; privilege is inseparable from responsibility; reward is tied to faithfulness, not status.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Leadership: Pastors are under-stewards charged with feeding the household timely spiritual food (Matthew 24:45). The measure of success is faithfulness, not visibility.
• Church Discipline: Romans 14 cautions against judging fellow believers on disputable matters—each servant answers to his own Master.
• Workplace Witness: 1 Peter 2 equips modern employees for unjust treatment, urging respectful conduct that adorns the gospel.
• Financial Integrity: Luke 16 calls believers to undivided loyalty, shaping budgeting, generosity, and resistance to materialism.
• Household Evangelism: Acts 10 encourages believers to reach family and household networks, trusting God to move through relational channels.

Related Concepts and Distinctions

• doulos emphasizes ownership; this term stresses household intimacy.
• diakonos highlights service in general, whereas this word stresses residence and delegated authority within the master’s domain.
• pais can mean a young servant or a son, but lacks the administrative nuance of a trusted house-servant.

Christological Perspective

Jesus, though Lord, “took the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). He washes feet like the lowliest household attendant, then entrusts His followers with the keys of His Father’s house. By assuming the servant’s role, He dignifies service and establishes the pattern: the greatest in the kingdom is servant of all.

Eschatological Echoes

Matthew 24 ties the servant’s faithfulness to the timing of the Master’s return. Reward or reproof hinges on present stewardship. The imagery urges watchfulness; every act of care within the household points to that decisive day when “the Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect.”

Conclusion

Across its five New Testament occurrences, the term for household servant offers a rich tapestry of devotion, stewardship, and accountable freedom. It invites believers to live as trusted members of God’s household—loyal to one Master, respectful toward human authorities, and steadfast in feeding others until the Lord’s sure return.

Forms and Transliterations
οικεται οικέται οἰκέται οικέταις οικέτας οικετειας οἰκετείας οικέτη οικετην οικέτην οἰκέτην οικετης οικέτης οἰκέτης οικέτιν οικέτις οικέτου οικετων οικετών οἰκετῶν oiketai oikétai oiketeias oiketeías oiketen oiketēn oikéten oikétēn oiketes oiketēs oikétes oikétēs oiketon oiketôn oiketōn oiketō̂n
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 24:45 N-GFS
GRK: ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκετείας αὐτοῦ τοῦ
NAS: put in charge of his household to give
INT: over the household of him

Luke 16:13 N-NMS
GRK: Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ
NAS: No servant can serve
KJV: No servant can serve
INT: No servant is able two

Acts 10:7 N-GMP
GRK: δύο τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ στρατιώτην
NAS: two of his servants and a devout
KJV: of his household servants, and
INT: two of the servants and a soldier

Romans 14:4 N-AMS
GRK: κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην τῷ ἰδίῳ
NAS: are you to judge the servant of another?
KJV: another man's servant? to his own
INT: judging another's servant to the own

1 Peter 2:18 N-NMP
GRK: Οἱ οἰκέται ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν
NAS: Servants, be submissive
KJV: Servants, [be] subject
INT: Servants being subject with

Strong's Greek 3610
5 Occurrences


οἰκέται — 1 Occ.
οἰκέτην — 1 Occ.
οἰκέτης — 1 Occ.
οἰκετείας — 1 Occ.
οἰκετῶν — 1 Occ.

3609b
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