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Bible Dictionaries
Master
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or In the Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypse three words (κυβερνήτης, δεσπότης, κύριος) are translated ‘master’ in the Revised Version . The Authorized Version has ‘masters’ for διδάσκαλοι in James 3:1, the etymological meaning of magistri (so the Rhem. [Note: Rhemish New Testament.] in Hebrews 5:12). The Revised Version uses ‘teacher’ uniformly.
1. In Acts 27:11 the Revised Version has ‘the master’ for ὁ κυβερνήτης (from κυβερνᾶν, Lat. gubernare, ‘govern’), ‘governor.’ So also Revelation 18:17. The notion is that of steersman (cf. Ezekiel 27:8; Ezekiel 27:27 f.).
2. The term δεσπότης is strictly the antithesis of δοῦλος, and signifies ‘absolute ownership and uncontrolled power’ (Thayer Grimm’s Gr.-Eng. Lexicon of the NT). So we have it in 1 Timothy 6:1 f., a pertinent warning to the Christian δοῦλοι not to presume on the new fellowship in Christ with their δεσπόται, but to give them all the more honour and service. Christianity should make better δοῦλοι (cf. also Titus 2:9). In 1 Peter 2:18 δεσπότης is in contrast with οἰκέτης; so in 2 Timothy 2:21 it is ἡ οἰκία τοῦ δεσπότου. In 2 Peter 2:1 Christ is called δεσπότης as One Who has purchased His servants. So also Judges 1:4 and possibly Revelation 6:10, though the latter may refer to God as in the Septuagint (cf. Genesis 15:2; Genesis 15:8 etc.) and Acts 4:24.
3. The other term, κύριος, has a wider meaning and is applicable to various relations and ranks of life, and does not necessarily suggest absolutism. The word is originally an adjective from κῦρος, meaning ‘valid,’ ‘authoritative’ (ὁ ἔχων κῦρος), and so the ‘master’ or ‘owner.’ It is applied to the ‘masters’ who exploited the poor girl for gain in Acts 16:16; Acts 16:19. It stands in opposition to δοῦλοι, as in Ephesians 6:5; Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1-2. In Acts 16:30 the jailer uses κύριοι merely as a term of respect to St. Paul and Silas. In Acts 9:5 (Acts 22:8) St. Paul uses it in asking Jesus who He is, ‘Who art thou, Lord?’ It is not certain that St. Paul here meant more than respect. It is applied to God as the Ruler of the universe. κύριος used for God is translated ‘Lord’ (q.v. [Note: .v. quod vide, which see.] ) (cf. Acts 17:24, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 4:8, etc.). With St. Paul, it may be noted, κύριος usually refers to Christ (cf. Romans 1:4, Galatians 6:18) except in the OT quotations (cf. Romans 4:8; Romans 9:28 f.; but note 1 Corinthians 3:5). The use of κύριος for Nero makes ‘a polemical parallelism between the cult of Christ and the cult of Caesar’ (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, Eng. translation , 1911, p. 353).
A. T. Robertson.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Master'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/m/master.html. 1906-1918.
