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σέβομαι

sébomai

G4576 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To show reverence, venerate, or engage in acts of religious devotion; to honor a deity or sacred entity. The primary lexical sense is to revere or stand in awe of, particularly with reference to religious or cultic observance. In various contexts, it may indicate participating in worship practices, respecting sacred traditions, or being marked by piety toward the divine.

Semantic Range

to revere, to venerate, to worship, to be devout, to show religious respect, to stand in awe (especially of the divine), to observe religious practices

Root / Etymology

The verb σέβομαι derives from the root σεβ-, which in earliest Greek conveys the sense of awe, reverence, or fear, especially in a religious context. It is a middle form, related to the noun σέβας ('awe, reverence'). Not etymologically related to other Greek words for worship such as προσκυνέω or λατρεύω.

Historical & Contextual Notes

σέβομαι occurs chiefly in the middle voice and is attested from the classical period onward, where it denotes deep respect or reverence for the gods, often in ritual or cultic contexts. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, such as in the Septuagint and New Testament, the term came to broadly refer to religious devotion or worship, particularly the public practice of veneration. Notably, in the New Testament (e.g., Acts), it is sometimes used for 'God-fearers' (φοβούμενοι τὸν θεόν), referring to non-Judean adherents who participated in synagogue worship and adhered to certain religious practices. Unlike προσκυνέω (which often describes a physical act of bowing or prostration) or λατρεύω (which emphasizes ritual service), σέβομαι emphasizes an attitude of reverence and pious devotion. In English Bible translation, it is often rendered as 'worship' or 'devout,' but this may not fully capture its broader sense of veneration and respect. In Greek usage outside Jewish or early Christian contexts, it can refer to veneration of any deity or sacred object, not just the God of Israel.

Translation Consistency

primary "worship" 4 occurrences

σέβομαι most commonly denotes religious reverence and cultic devotion. "Worship" is the natural, widely used English verb that covers reverence, veneration, and ritual devotion in typical New Testament contexts, while remaining idiomatic for all forms of this lemma.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"revering" (3x) "revering in devotion" (1x) "revering ones" (1x) "who revered" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, i.e. adore:--devout, religious, worship.

Root Family

σέβομαι (sebomai) — to revere, to venerate, to show religious awe

Root σεβ- to revere, to venerate, to show religious awe

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4576-06 σεβομένων sebomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL devout of those devoutly revering of those devoutly worshiping 2
G4576-08 σέβονταί sebontai V PRS MID IND 3P PL they worship they are revering they are revering 2
G4576-03 σεβομένας sebomenas V PRS MID PTCP ACC F PL devout revering revering 1
G4576-01 σέβεσθαι sebesthai V PRS MID INF to worship to revere devoutly to worship 1
G4576-07 σεβομένου sebomenou V PRS MID PTCP GEN M SG who worshipped of the one revering who revered 1
G4576-05 σεβομένοις sebomenois V PRS MID PTCP DAT M PL God-fearing to the ones revering revering ones 1
G4576-04 σεβομένη sebomene V PRS MID PTCP NOM F SG who worshiped revering in devotion revering in devotion 1
G4576-02 σέβεται sebetai V PRS MID IND 3P SG worships he reveres devoutly worships 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4576-08 Matthew 15:9 σέβονταί sebontai V PRS MID IND 3P PL they worship they are revering they are revering
G4576-08 Mark 7:7 σέβονταί sebontai V PRS MID IND 3P PL they worship they are revering they are revering
G4576-06 Acts 13:43 σεβομένων sebomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL devout of those devoutly revering of those devoutly worshiping
G4576-03 Acts 13:50 σεβομένας sebomenas V PRS MID PTCP ACC F PL devout revering revering
G4576-04 Acts 16:14 σεβομένη sebomene V PRS MID PTCP NOM F SG who worshiped revering in devotion revering in devotion
G4576-06 Acts 17:4 σεβομένων sebomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL devout of those devoutly revering of those devoutly worshiping
G4576-05 Acts 17:17 σεβομένοις sebomenois V PRS MID PTCP DAT M PL God-fearing to the ones revering revering ones
G4576-07 Acts 18:7 σεβομένου sebomenou V PRS MID PTCP GEN M SG who worshipped of the one revering who revered
G4576-01 Acts 18:13 σέβεσθαι sebesthai V PRS MID INF to worship to revere devoutly to worship
G4576-02 Acts 19:27 σέβεται sebetai V PRS MID IND 3P SG worships he reveres devoutly worships
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