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עֲבַד

𐤏𐤁𐤃

ʻăbad

H5649 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד to serve, to work, to be subservient

Definition

Designates a person in a subordinate social, legal, or occupational position—a servant, attendant, or worker. In various settings, the word refers to someone who serves the interests of another, whether in a domestic, royal, religious, or broader professional context. Most commonly denotes an individual bound to serve a master, though the term can extend to positions of official service or administrative function, depending on the context.

Semantic Range

servant, slave, official, attendant, worker; an individual performing service for another, either as a household servant, low-ranking worker, or administrative official

Root / Etymology

Root: עבד, whose core meaning is 'to serve, work'. The noun עֲבַד derives from this root and signifies 'one who serves' or 'a servant'. The Aramaic form parallels the Hebrew עֶבֶד ('eved', slave, servant), maintaining the sense of service or labor.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical Aramaic, as found in the Aramaic portions of Daniel and Ezra, עֲבַד is the typical word for a servant or subordinate. Its usage parallels the Hebrew עֶבֶד but tends to appear exclusively in Aramaic passages. The status of an עֲבַד can range from a household servant to a high-ranking official in royal service, depending on the narrative context. In administrative and diplomatic texts, the term may indicate someone who holds an office of service to the king or imperial authority, resembling the position of a courtier or minister. In most English translations, the broader semantic range (including high-status officials) may not be fully captured, with 'servant' sometimes underrepresenting positions of authority. Notably, in later periods and non-biblical Aramaic, עֲבַד continues to function as the standard word for servant or worker. The usage in the biblical Aramaic context generally reflects the sociopolitical structures of the Neo-Babylonian and Achaemenid Persian courts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from עֲבַד; a servant; servant.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבד (ʿ-b-d) — to work, to serve, to labor, to be in subjection

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4566 מַעְבָּד their deeds
H4567 מַעְבָד his deeds
H5647 עָבַד he served
H5648 עֲבַד you did
H5650 עֶבֶד his servants

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5649-03 עַבְד֛וֹ/הִי avedohi ANcmpc/Sp3ms servants his his servants 2
H5649-05 לְ/עַבְד֖וֹ/הִי leavedohi AR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms his servants to his servants 2
H5649-01 עֲבֵד֙ aved ANcmsc servant servant 1
H5649-02 עַבְדָ֛י/ךְ avedaykhe ANcmpc/Sp2ms your-servants your servants 1
H5649-06 ל/עבדי/ך lvdykh AR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms to your servants to your servants 1
H5649-04 לְ/עַבְדָ֖/ךְ leavedakhe AR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms to your servant to your servant 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5649-06 Daniel 2:4 ל/עבדי/ך lvdykh AR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms to your servants to your servants
H5649-04 Daniel 2:4 לְ/עַבְדָ֖/ךְ leavedakhe AR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms to your servant to your servant
H5649-05 Daniel 2:7 לְ/עַבְד֖וֹ/הִי leavedohi AR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms to his servants to his servants
H5649-03 Daniel 3:26 עַבְד֛וֹ/הִי avedohi ANcmpc/Sp3ms servants-his his servants
H5649-05 Daniel 3:28 לְ/עַבְד֔וֹ/הִי leavedohi ATo/Ncmpc/Sp3ms his servants to his servants
H5649-01 Daniel 6:21 עֲבֵד֙ aved ANcmsc servant servant
H5649-02 Ezra 4:11 עַבְדָ֛י/ךְ avedaykhe ANcmpc/Sp2ms your-servants your servants
H5649-03 Ezra 5:11 עַבְדוֹ/הִי֩ avedohi ANcmpc/Sp3ms servants his his servants
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