Word Studies
DEACON SYNONYMNS

Servant, Slave, Minister, Steward, Attendant
doulos - therapon - diakonos - oiketes - huperetes
1401 doulos (doo'-los)
from 1210; to bind or fasten
AV-servant 120, bond 6, bondman 1; 127

1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
1a) a slave
1b) metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
1c) devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests
2) a servant, attendant


"doulos" is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master.

2324 therapon (ther-ap'-ohn)
apparently a participle from an otherwise obsolete derivative of the base of 2330;
AV-servant 1; 1

1) an attendant, servant: of God
1a) spoken of Moses discharging the duties committed to him by God


"therapon" is simply one who renders service at a particular time, sometimes as a slave, more often as a freeman, who renders voluntary

1249 diakonos (dee-ak'-on-os)
probably from an obsolete diako (to run on errands, cf 1377);
AV-minister 20, servant 8, deacon 3; 31

1) one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister
1a) the servant of a king
1b) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use
1c) a waiter, one who serves food and drink


3610 oiketes (oy-ket'-ace)
from 3611; (to dwell)
AV-servant 4, household servant 1; 5

1) one who lives in the same house as another, spoken of all who are under the authority of one and the same householder
1a) a servant, a domestic


5257 huperetes (hoop-ay-ret'-ace)
from 5259 and a derivative of eresso (to row);
AV-officer 11, minister 5, servant 4; 20

1) servant
1a) an underrower, subordinate rower
1b) any one who serves with hands: a servant
1b1) in the NT of the officers and attendants of magistrates as--of the officer who executes penalties
1b2) of the attendants of a king, servants, retinue, the soldiers of a king, of the attendant of a synagogue
1b3) of any one ministering or rendering service
1c) any one who aids another in any work
1c1) an assistant
1c2) of the preacher of the gospel