δεσποτης
despot; lord; master

Illustrations of English words
derived from the Greek in the New Testament.

By Gaylon West.


δεσποτης^G1203

"Lord." The usual word for Lord is kurios(used 749 times in NT). Kurios is used for God and also for the "master" of slaves (Ephesians 6:5,9; Colossians 4:1). The word despotes is used only 10 times in NT, and is the word from which we get the English despot. Thayer says that despotes "denotes absolute ownership and uncontrolled power" (p.130). This is brought out by the NIV as "Sovereign Lord."

English despot per etymonline.com: "from 1560s, 'absolute ruler,' from Old French despot (14c.), from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despotes "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler," from PIE *dems-pota- "house-master," from root *dem- "house, household" + second element cognate with Latin potis, potens potent)."

In Luke 2:29 Simeon uses Despotes in addressing God. The next time it is used is Acts 4:24, "And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord [depotes], thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:" It is translated as "masters" in 1 Timothy 6:1,2; Titus 2:9; 1 Peter 2:18; "master's" in 2 Timothy 2:21.
Jude 4 uses both words for "lord": "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying (ton monon despoteŻn kai kurion heŻmoŻn). Jesus is both God and Savior: 2 Peter 1:1. For despoteŻn for Christ, see 2 Peter 2:1. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord despoteŻn that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Revelation 6:10 also uses despotes.

Linguistic Key To The New Testament: "[Acts 4:24] despotes lord, sovereign lord. A word connected with servants (Bruce).."-Zondervan 1980, Fritz Rienecker and Cleon Rogers, page 270.

The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament adds: "...one who holds complete power or authority over another" (LN, 1:479; TDNT; NDIEC, 4:144)..." -Zondervan 1998, Cleon L. Rogers Jr & Cleon L. Rogers III, page 237.