Word study · Hebrew
עָבַד
a.vadH5647to serve
Used 288 times in the tagged text.
H5647G · עָבַד · to serve
What it means
- to work, serve
Full dictionary entry (technical)
- : serve[someone]
- 1) to work, serve
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to labour, work, do work
- 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
- 1a3) to serve as subjects
- 1a4) to serve (God)
- 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
- 1b2) to make oneself a servant
- 1c) (Pual) to be worked
- 1d) (Hiphil)
- 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
- 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
- 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
H5647H · עָבַד · to serve: minister
What it means
- to work, serve
Full dictionary entry (technical)
- : minister/serve[God/tabernacle/temple]/worship
- 1) to work, serve
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to labour, work, do work
- 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
- 1a3) to serve as subjects
- 1a4) to serve (God)
- 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
- 1b2) to make oneself a servant
- 1c) (Pual) to be worked
- 1d) (Hiphil)
- 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
- 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
- 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
H5647I · עָבַד · to serve: labour
What it means
- to work, serve
Full dictionary entry (technical)
- : labour/do(work)
- 1) to work, serve
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to labour, work, do work
- 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
- 1a3) to serve as subjects
- 1a4) to serve (God)
- 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
- 1b2) to make oneself a servant
- 1c) (Pual) to be worked
- 1d) (Hiphil)
- 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
- 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
- 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
H5647J · עָבַד · to serve: burden
What it means
- to work, serve
Full dictionary entry (technical)
- : burden
- 1) to work, serve
- 1a) (Qal)
- 1a1) to labour, work, do work
- 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
- 1a3) to serve as subjects
- 1a4) to serve (God)
- 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
- 1b) (Niphal)
- 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
- 1b2) to make oneself a servant
- 1c) (Pual) to be worked
- 1d) (Hiphil)
- 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
- 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
- 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
Same idea, other words · Servant and slave
'Servant of the Lord' is a title of honor for Moses, David, the prophets and above all the Messiah. Translators render the same words 'servant' or 'slave' depending on context.
Where it appears
- Genesis23
- Exodus31
- Leviticus3
- Numbers21
- Deuteronomy35
- Joshua21
- Judges17
- 1 Samuel13
- 2 Samuel6
- 1 Kings8
- 2 Kings18
- 1 Chronicles2
- 2 Chronicles12
- Nehemiah1
- Job3
- Psalms8
- Proverbs2
- Ecclesiastes2
- Isaiah9
- Jeremiah35
- Ezekiel11
- Hosea1
- Zephaniah1
- Zechariah1
- Malachi4
Every use · 1–50 of 288 · BSB
Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”
You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”
Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.”
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”
Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.”
Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care.
You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!
He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant.
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.
“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”
Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.
Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not listened until now.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is in ruins?”
So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”
No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”
Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.
And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you shall keep this service in this month.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free without paying anything.
then his master is to bring him before the judges. And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
Text, tags and lexicon: STEPBible.org (Tyndale House), CC BY 4.0.