Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-10
roR THE spEcT AToR.
Iotters TO Northern Unfonists on
tbc Scripture View Of Slavery.
NO. 8.

LETTER NO. g.
WEST VIRGINIA, February, 1859.
IsyEsTrGATIoN OF GREEK WORDS Char.
acier of,he .NsD Testament Greek.-DoU.
LOS. a SLAVE, one who is The property Of his
mosie, .-Oher Greek terms applied 10
slaues.-MnTHoTos,a a hueIing
os, a master.
RrspEcrEp FRrENDs,-We shall need to
occupy but little time IN the examination OF
the original words Of the New Testament.
which have reference to the subject of sla.
very. All of the most important of these
words, have been already noticed, as being
the terms used in the Alexandrinc version,
to express the sense of the corresponding
Hebrew words. That version and the He.
brew Bible are both Of great use in throw.
ing light upon the language of the inspired
writings of the apostles. II is well known
that the New Testament Greek differs ma
terially from that used by the classic Greek
authors. The chief cause Of this difference
is found in the fact, that the vernacular
tongue of the New Testament writers was
not Greek, but a language which bore
very close affinity to the Hebrew. The
Greek written by them was consequently
so modified in its character, that it has been
properly called Hebrew Greek. The same
is true Of language used BY the Seventy IN
their version. There is consequently great
similarity between the New Testament die
tion, and that of the Alexandrine version,
the latter, no xever, being little more He
braistic than the former. This similarity is
greater in consequence Of the familiarity OF
the New Testament writer's with that ver'
sion, and their habit Of quoting from it.
Now since we have ascertained the mean.
ing of the words in question, as used by the
Seventy and also the meaning Of the cor
responding Hebrew terms; but little addi-
tional examination is necessary, to enable
us to understand these words as used in the
New Testament.
By far the most important word used in
the Greek Testament, in reference to slave
ry, Is doulos. Seldom is any other word
employed to designate slaves. We have
seen that this word corresponds accurately
to the Hebrew c6ed, in its various usages.
But little more, therefore, is needful, than
to refer to the explanation of that He
brew term, as given in former letter. 1t
is worthy of notice, that Of the two words,
dou7os and pals, used by the Seventy in
translatng ebed, the New Testament writers
have made choice of the one which is en-
ployed most exclusively with reference to
slavery.
But if the abolitionists should appeal to
classic Greek, they would not benefit then
cause. According to classic usage, donlos,
as we'll as the whole family Of kindred
words, carries with It the idea of slavery.
l will transcribe few of these words, with
the first definition given to each, from a
Lexicon which lies before me. "Dolos, a
slave" "Doule, female slave "Doa-
loo, to enslave." "Douleuo, 20 be ilave."
"Deulosunr, slavery" "Doultia, servi-
tude." "Doularion, little slave" "Don-
lagogeo, to reduce to slavery" "Douio-
prepes, befttng slave" This certainly
seems to be slave family. But perhaps
some one may suspect, that this family has
been kidnapped at the South or in plain
language, thas the Lexicon from which
quote, has been made at the South, to sult
Southern sentiment. No, gentle reader ;
the Lexicon is that of Groves, published 10
the good city of Boston, in the year l84O.
Let us examine briefly the usage of dou-
los in the Greek Testament. 1t occurs ia
times. In 63 Of these instances, it evident
ly means domestic slave. In several ca.
ses, the persons designated by it are con.
trastcd with freemen. l Cor. IL: Is,
whether we be bond literally bondnlen
or free" Gal. 1928, "Tkere is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
Free" Eph. 6: 8, "Whether to be bond or
free" Col. 8: II, "Where there is neither
Greek nor Jew" "bond nor free" Rev. q:
Is, Every JOndman and every freeman. =
10: 16, "Rich and poor, free s. bond. 10: 1S,
the flesh of all men borh free and bond, both
small and great" The doulos is spoken OF
as one who may be cmancipated, Cor. q:
21, cart thou called being servant 2 care
not for it but if thou mayest be made free,
use it rather."-This word is used in the
New Testament with the same variety of
meaning, which belongs to ebed. In IA
cases. 1t refers to the subjects of monarchs.
Mat. 1S: %, 26, &c., and %: 3, 4, &c.
Luke 19: %, Is, SC. In 13 cases, to the
people of God in general; for instance, Rev.
Q: 90, and Z: 8, and 19: 25,and ~: 3. In
Is, to the ministers OF God or Of Christ as
Rom. 1 1-Ja. 1: 1-Rev. /: !, and 10:
7, and IL IS, and Is: 3, and %: 6. Ina
few instances, its meaning seems to extend
to all Of the ABOVE mentioned classes. Mat.
10: "a, 25-John 10: 49, and 15: Is, 20.
In few cases it is used fguratively. In
no case is it applied 10 hired Servants, they
are designated by different term. 1t was
asserted, few years ago, in a certain abo-
lition document, that, "The Greek language
had word corresponding exactly, in signi-
fcation, with our word servant" This is
a great mistake; at least so far as the New
Testament Greek is concerned. Douios
comes nearer than any other Greek word to
serrant: but it differs from it in the import
ant respect of not including in its meaning,
hired servants. While it corresponds cx.
actly with the Hebrew ebsd, there is no
English word which answers precisely to
either of them.
Some other words are occasionally ap-
phed to slaves in the Greek Testament.-
Pals is used Mat. 8: 6, 8. 13-Luke ii,
and 12= 45, and Is: 26. 1t plainly in these
cases, means domestic slave, in accord
ance with The frequent usage Of the Seven
ly- In some of these texts, it is used inter.
changably with dou1os. In four instances,
oiketes occurs, Luke 16: 13-Acts 10: r
Rom. IA: Al Pet. 2: Is. In this last
text, it is used in the exhortaion, "Serrants
be subject to your masters" just as doulos
is used in similar exhortations by the apos-