41 Bible Verses about Servanthood, In Society

If thou buy a servant that is an Hebrew, sixth years he shall serve, and the seventh he shall go out free paying nothing. If he came alone, he shall go out alone: If he came married, his wife shall go out with him. And if his master have given him a wife and she have borne him sons or daughters: then the wife and her children shall be her master's and he shall go out alone.read more.
But and if the servant say, 'I love my master and my wife and my children, I will not go out free.' Then let his master bring him unto the judges and set him to the door or the doorpost, and bore his ear through with an awl, and let him be his servant forever.

If thy brother, an Hebrew, sell himself to thee, or an Hebrewess, he shall serve thee six years and the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: but shalt give him of thy sheep and of thy corn and of thy wine, and give him of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.read more.
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God delivered thee thence: wherefore I command thee this thing today. But and if he say unto thee, 'I will not go away from thee,' because he loveth thee and thine house and is well at ease with thee: Then take an awl and nail his ear to the door therewith and let him be thy servant forever, and unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. And let it not grieve thine eyes to let him go out from thee, for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee in his service six years. And the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

The servant born in thy house, and he also that is bought with money, must needs be circumcised, that my covenant may be in your flesh, for an everlasting bond.

but all the servants that are bought for money shall ye circumcise, and then let them eat thereof.

but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt do no manner work: neither thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, neither thy manservant nor thy maidservant, neither thy cattle neither yet the stranger that is within thy gates.

but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no manner work: neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy servant, nor thy maid, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy city, that thy servant and thy maid may rest as well as thou.

"'If thy brother that dwelleth by thee wax poor and sell himself unto thee, thou shalt not let him labour as a bondservant doeth: but as a hired servant and as a sojourner he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the trumpet year, and then shall he depart from thee: both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own kindred again and unto the possessions of his fathers;read more.
for they are my servants which I brought out of the land of Egypt, and shall not be sold as bondmen. See therefore that thou reign not over him cruelly, but fear thy God. "'If thou wilt have bondservants and maidens, thou shalt buy them of the heathen that are round about you, and of the children of the strangers that are sojourners among you, and of their generations that are with you, which they begat in your land. And ye shall possess them and give them unto your children after you, to possess them for ever: and they shall be your bondmen. But over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not reign one over another cruelly. "'When a stranger and a sojourner waxeth rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him waxeth poor and sell himself unto the stranger that dwelleth by thee or to any of the stranger's kin: after that he is sold he may be redeemed again: one of his brethren may buy him out; whether it be his uncle or his uncle's son, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his kindred: either if his hand can get so much he may be loosed. And he shall reckon with him that bought him, from the year that he was sold in unto the trumpet year, and the price of his buying shall be according unto the number of years, and he shall be with him as a hired servant. If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again for his deliverance, of the money that he was sold for. If there remain but few years unto the trumpet year, he shall so count with him, and according unto his years give him again for his redemption, and shall be with him year by year as a hired servant, and the other shall not reign cruelly over him in thy sight. If he be not bought free in the meantime, then he shall go out in the trumpet year and his children with him; for the children of Israel are my servants which I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

When thou goest to war against thine enemies and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands and thou hast taken them captive, and seest among the captives a beautiful woman and hast a fantasy unto her that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; then bring her home to thine house and let her shave her head and pare her nailsread more.
and put her raiment that she was taken in from her, and let her remain in thine house and beweep her father and her mother a month long and after that go in unto her and marry her and let her be thy wife. And if thou have no favour unto her, then let her go whither she lusteth: for thou mayest not sell her for money nor make chevisance of her, because thou hast humbled her.

Ye stand here this day every one of you before the LORD your God: both the heads of your tribes, your elders, your officers and all the men of Israel; your children, your wives and the strangers that are in thine host, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water;

Sheshan had no sons, but only daughters. And Sheshan had a servant that was an Egyptian named Jarha to whom he gave his daughter to wife, and she bare him Attai.

Then said David unto Saul, "As thy servant kept his father's sheep, there came a Lion and likewise a Bear, and took a sheep out of the flock.

And the king said, "Is the lad Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz answered, "I saw a great ado, when the king's servant Joab sent me thy servant. But I know not what it was."

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel containing this tenor, "Now when this letter is come up to thee: Behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou shouldest rid him of his leprosy."

And this is the sum of the letter that they sent: "Unto king Artaxerxes: Thy servants, the men that are now on this side the water.

A discreet servant is a pleasure unto the king; but one that is not honest provoketh him unto wrath.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain King, which would take accounts of his servants.

Then Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am thy servant and thy son, come and deliver me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which are risen against me."

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with them and served them. And so the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon anymore.

And Shalmaneser king of Assyria came upon him, and Hoshea became his servant and gave him presents.

In his days came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years, and then turned and rebelled against him.

Strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall do thee service. For when I am angry, I smite thee; and when it pleaseth me, I pardon thee.

And there was, of the household of Saul, a servant named Ziba which was called unto David. And the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is the man."

And he said, "See lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house; and tarry all night and wash your feet, and rise up early and go on your ways." And they said, "Nay, but we will bide in the streets all night."

And he commanded them, saying, "See that ye speak after this manner to my LORD Esau, 'thy servant, Jacob, sayeth thus: I have sojourned and been a stranger with Laban unto this time;

And thy handmaid had two sons which fought together in the fields where was no man to go between them, and the one slew the other.

And the children of the Prophets of Jericho which saw from afar, said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha," and went against him and bowed to the earth unto him. And they said unto him, "See, there be among thy servants fifty lusty men; let them go and seek thy master: haply the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or in some valley." And he said, "Send not."

And there cried a certain woman of the wives of the children of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD. And the creditor is come to fetch my two sons, to be his bondmen."

And one said, "Begin I pray thee, and go with thy servants." And he said, "I will,"

"O prove but ten days with thy servants, and let us have pottage to eat, and water to drink: Then look upon our faces, and theirs that eat of the king's meat. And as thou seest, so deal with thy servants."

Upon this the Chaldeans answered the king in the Syrians' speech, "O king, God save thy life forever. Show thy servants the dream, and we shall show thee, what it meaneth."

Whoso maketh disquietness in his own house, he shall have wind for his heritage; and the fool shall be servant to the wise.

A simple man which laboureth and worketh, is better than one that is gorgeous and lacketh bread.

A discreet servant shall have more rule than the sons that have no wisdom, and shall have like heritage with the brethren.

A servant will not be the better for words; for though he understand, yet will he not regard them.

Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he speak evil of thee also, and thou be hurt.

But ye shall not suffer yourselves to be called Rabbi, for one is your master, that is, to wit, Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call ye no man your father upon the earth, for there is but one, your father, and he is in heaven. Be not called masters, for there is but one, your master, and he is Christ.read more.
He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant. But whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low. And he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

No man can serve two masters: For either he shall hate the one, and love the other; or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Who is it, if he had a servant a plowing, or feeding cattle, that would say unto him when he were come from the field, 'Go quickly and sit down to meat.' And would not rather say to him, 'Dress wherewith I may sup, and gird up thyself and serve me, till I have eaten and drunk: and afterward, eat thou, and drink thou?' Doth he thank that servant because he did that which was commanded unto him? I think not.read more.
So likewise ye, when ye have done all those things which are commanded unto you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do.'"

Remember the saying, that I said unto you, 'The servant is not greater than the Lord.' If they have persecuted me, so will they persecute you. If they have kept my saying, so will they keep yours.

For I say, through the grace that unto me is given, to every man among you: that no man esteem of himself more than it becometh him to esteem - But that he discreetly judge of himself according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. As we have many members in one body, and all members have not one office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ - and every man, among ourselves, one another's members.read more.
Seeing that we have divers gifts according to the grace that is given unto us: if any man have the gift of prophecy, let him have it that it be agreeing unto the faith; Let him that hath an office, wait on his office; Let him that teacheth take heed to his doctrine; Let him that exhorteth give attendance to his exhortation; If any man give, let him do it with singleness; Let him that ruleth do it with diligence; If any man show mercy let him do it with cheerfulness.