– In antiquity, it was linked to a land and dependent on its lord. In the OT, it had social sense:
Gen 24:2 : Abraham said to the oldest servant in his house, who managed all his goods.
Gen 39,4-6.19 : Joseph won over his master, who employed him at his service.
Gen 40:20 : He lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and chief baker in the midst of all his servants.
Gn 44,1.5 : The cup that you stole is the one from which my lord drinks and from which he uses for his divinations.
Ex 21,2-11 : But if it was his master who gave him a wife, and she gave birth to sons and daughters.
Leviticus 25:39-46 : Because they are my servants whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as a slave is sold.
Deut 15:12-18 : When your Hebrew brother, male or female, has sold himself to you, he shall serve you six years.
1Sm 8,14-17 : He will also take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.
2Sam 24:21 : Why does my lord the king come to his servant’s house?
2 Kings 12 :21-22 : Joshachar son of Shemaat and Jozabad son of Somer, his servants, killed him.
2 Kings 22:12 : He commanded Helcias the priest, […] Achbor the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Azariah his officer.
Ne 2:10 : But when Sanabalat the Horonite and Tobias the Ammonite servant were informed of it.
Est 1 :3 : In the third year of his reign, he gave a feast to all the courtiers and servants.
Est 4:16 : I and my handmaidens will also fast.
– Military:
1Sm 17,8 : Why have you come prepared for battle? Am I not a Philistine and you are Saul’s servants?
1Sm 22,17 : And, addressing the guards who surrounded him: “Go”, he said, “kill the priests of the Lord”.
1Sm 29,3 : “Who are these Hebrews?” – “It is David”, replied Achish, “servant of Saul, king of Israel”.
2 Kings 18:24 : How will you be able to stand before one of the lowest officials of my sovereign?
Jt 12:10 : On the fourth day, Holofernes gave a feast to his officers.
– And it was also a humble treatment that the protagonist gave himself:
Gen 33 :5 : “They are”, replied Jacob, “the children that God was pleased to give to your servant”.
– The qualities of the servant should be faithfulness and prudence, discretion and humility:
Ex 21,5 : However, if the slave says: “I love my master, my wife and my children; I don’t want to go free.”
Deut 15:16 : If, however, your slave says he does not want to leave you, because he is happy in your house.
Pr 27:18 : Whoever takes care of his fig tree will eat its fruit; whoever takes care of his master will be honored.
Eclo 7,20 : Do not do evil against a friend who is slow to pay you.
– Paul gives advice to servants:
Eph 6,5-7 : Servants, obey your temporal masters with fear and eagerness, with a sincere heart.
Col 3:22 : Servants, obey your earthly masters in everything, serving not because you are being seen.
Titus 2 :9 : He exhorts servants to be submissive to their masters and attentive to pleasing them.
1Pt 2,13-14 : For the Lord’s sake, be submissive to every human authority.
– See SLAVERY.
