Original Word: ἐλεύθερος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: eleutheros
Pronunciation: eh-loo'-the-ros
Phonetic Spelling: (el-yoo'-ther-os)
KJV: free (man, woman), at liberty
NASB: free, free woman, free men, free man, exempt, freeman
Word Origin: [probably from the alternate of G2064 (ἔρχομαι - came)]

1. unrestrained (to go at pleasure)
2. (as a citizen) not a slave (whether freeborn or set free (emancipated))
3. (genitive case) exempt (from obligation or liability)

free man, free woman, at liberty.

Probably from the alternate of erchomai; unrestrained (to go at pleasure), i.e. (as a citizen) not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or (genitive case) exempt (from obligation or liability) -- free (man, woman), at liberty.

see GREEK erchomai

1658 eleútheros (an adjective) – properly, free (liberated), unbound (unshackled); (figuratively) free to realize one's destiny in Christ.

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
free, i.e. not a slave or not under restraint
NASB Translation
exempt (1), free (12), free man (2), free men (3), free woman (4), freeman (1).

STRONGS NT 1658: ἐλεύθερος

ἐλεύθερος, ἐλευθέρα, ἐλεύθερον (ἘΛΑΥΘΩ equivalent to ἔρχομαι (so Curtius, p. 497, after Etym. Magn. 329, 43; Suidas col. 1202 a., Gaisf. edition; but others besides, cf. Vanicek, p. 61); hence, properly, one who can go whither he pleases) (from Homer down), the Sept. for חָפְשִׁי, free;

1. freeborn; in a civil sense, one who is not a slave: John 8:33; 1 Corinthians 7:22; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 6:15; Revelation 13:16; Revelation 19:18; feminine, Galatians 4:22f, 30f. (opposed to ἡ παιδίσκη); of one who ceases to be a slave, freed, manumitted: γίνεσθαι ἐλεύθερον, 1 Corinthians 7:21.

2. free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation: 1 Corinthians 9:1; ἐκ πάντων (see ἐκ, I. 6 at the end), 1 Corinthians 9:19; ἀπό τίνος, free from i. e. no longer under obligation to, so that one may now do what was formerly forbidden by the person or thing to which he was bound, Romans 7:3 (cf. Winers Grammar, 196f (185); Buttmann, 157f (138), 269 (231)); followed by an infinitive (Winers Grammar, 319 (299); Buttmann, 260 (224)), ἐλευθέρα ἐστιν ... γαμηθῆναι she is free to be married, has liberty to marry, 1 Corinthians 7:39; exempt from paying tribute or tax, Matthew 17:26.

3. in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic law, Galatians 4:26; 1 Peter 2:16; from the bondage of sin, John 8:36; left to one's own will and pleasure, with the dative of respect, τῇ δικαιοσύνη, so far as relates to righteousness, as respects righteousness, Romans 6:20 (Winers Grammar, § 31, 1 k.; Buttmann, § 133, 12).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 1658 speaks of a person who is not enslaved, whether socially or spiritually. Twenty-three New Testament occurrences trace a rich line from the earthly status of a freedman to the gospel promise of liberty in Christ.

Historical and Cultural Context

In the first-century Roman world perhaps one-third of the population was enslaved, but manumission was common, creating a class of “free” who nevertheless owed lifelong loyalty to their former masters. The New Testament writers employ 1658 against this backdrop to announce a deeper emancipation that can never be revoked.

Freedom in the Teaching of Jesus

When Jesus distinguished between “the sons” and “others” regarding the temple tax, He concluded, “Then the sons are exempt” (Matthew 17:26). The exemption foreshadows the believer’s release from ritual obligation through the Son. Later, to skeptics who boasted of national freedom, He declared, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36), locating true liberty not in ancestry but in relationship to Himself.

Pauline Theology of Freedom

1. Freedom from Sin’s Dominion. “When you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness” (Romans 6:20). Paradoxically, prior “freedom” from righteousness is bondage; only union with Christ grants genuine release.
2. Freedom from the Sin-Law Complex. To the Galatians Paul contrasts the freewoman Sarah with the slavewoman Hagar (Galatians 4:22-31). The heavenly Jerusalem, he affirms, “is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:26), urging believers to live as heirs of promise rather than under legalistic servitude.
3. Freedom and Apostolic Service. Although Paul can claim, “Am I not free?” (1 Corinthians 9:1), he voluntarily becomes “a slave to all, to win even more” (1 Corinthians 9:19). Liberty, therefore, empowers sacrificial ministry, not self-indulgence.
4. Freedom within Calling. To slaves and freedmen alike Paul writes, “Were you called while a slave? Do not let it worry you… Likewise he who was free when called is Christ’s slave” (1 Corinthians 7:21-22). Earthly status is relativized by belonging to the Lord.

Community Equality in Christ

Baptism erases social distinctions: “Whether… slave or free, we were all given one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). The same conviction appears in Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:11. Fellowship in Christ dismantles class barriers without denying earthly roles, calling every member to mutual honor.

Ethical Implications of Freedom

“Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16). Christian liberty never licenses sin; it obligates holy conduct, public good, and submission to rightful authority for the Lord’s sake.

Eschatological Perspective

Revelation twice pairs “free and slave” to show the impartial scope of final judgment (Revelation 6:15; 19:18) and once to expose the beast’s totalitarian reach (Revelation 13:16). Earthly freedom offers no refuge from divine reckoning, nor can earthly tyranny nullify the believer’s ultimate liberation.

Pastoral Application

• Proclaim liberty from sin and legalism through the finished work of Christ.
• Encourage contentment and faithful witness regardless of social location.
• Guard congregations against using freedom to fracture unity.
• Model voluntary servanthood as the mature expression of gospel freedom.

Summary

Strong’s 1658 unfolds the New Testament’s comprehensive doctrine of freedom: the believer is released from sin’s bondage, adopted into God’s household, and empowered for self-giving service, all while anticipating the consummate liberty of the age to come.

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