עֲבֹדָה

𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤄

ʻăbôdâh

H5656 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד to serve, work, labor

Definition

Work or labor; specifically, the act or process of working, often with a focus on service rendered for another, whether required or voluntary. The term encompasses physical labor, agricultural work, service in a cultic or religious context (e.g., priestly service in the sanctuary), and service rendered in household, administrative, or royal contexts. ʻĂbôdâh denotes both secular and sacred forms of service, as well as labor performed under obligation (such as by servants or in forced labor).

Semantic Range

work, labor, service, act of service (cultic or secular), official duty, household labor, agricultural work, forced labor, ministering, bondage, servitude, obligation, priestly or Levitical duties, corvée, regular employment or tasks

Root / Etymology

From the root עבד, which means 'to serve, work, enslave.' עֲבֹדָה is a feminine abstract noun formed from this verb, denoting the action, process, or result of working or serving. The root refers broadly to service, whether as labor, tribute, or religious duty.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עֲבֹדָה is used for general labor (including agricultural and construction tasks), for work done by servants or those under authority, and with special frequency for the duties performed by Levites and priests in the Tabernacle and Temple. In cultic contexts, it refers not to 'worship' in a modern sense but to prescribed acts of service (sacrifices, rituals, maintenance). During the monarchic period, it may specify mandatory corvée labor. In the exilic and post-exilic periods, its use retains both civic and religious connotations. English translations sometimes obscure the term's breadth by rendering it narrowly as 'service' or 'servitude,' while in Hebrew its range includes honorable, neutral, and burdensome work. Related terms include מְלָאכָה (melāʾkhāh, skilled work or craftsmanship) and עֲבֵד (ʽeved, servant or slave). The later religious term 'worship' reflects interpretive developments not originally present in עֲבֹדָה. The word is never used to refer to 'Jews' as a people, and 'bondservant' is an interpretive translation for some phrases.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עֲבוֹדָה; from עָבַד; work of any kind; act, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבד (ʿ-b-d) — serve, work, labor

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4566 מַעְבָּד their deeds
H4567 מַעְבָד his deeds
H5647 עָבַד he served
H5648 עֲבַד you did
H5649 עֲבַד servant

Word Forms

24 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5656-02 עֲבֹדַ֖ת avodat HNcfsc service service-work of 38
H5656-01 עֲבֹדָ֖ה avodah HNcfsa service service-work 21
H5656-11 הָ/עֲבֹדָ֖ה haavodah HTd/Ncfsa the service the service-labor 16
H5656-03 עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔/ם avodatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their service their service-labor 13
H5656-07 עֲבֹדָת֑/וֹ avodato HNcfsc/Sp3ms its service his service 12
H5656-14 לַ/עֲבֹדַ֣ת laavodat HR/Ncfsc for the service for service of 10
H5656-13 לַ/עֲבֹדָ֖ה laavodah HR/Ncfsa for the service for the service-work 6
H5656-21 וַ/עֲבֹדָ֖ה vaavodah HC/Ncfsa and service and service-labor 4
H5656-09 בַּ/עֲבֹדַ֖ת baavodat HR/Ncfsc in the service of in the service-of 3
H5656-15 לַ/עֲבֹדָתָ֗/ם laavodatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp for their service for their service 3

Occurrences in Scripture

145 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5656-08 Genesis 29:27 בַּ/עֲבֹדָה֙ baavodah HR/Ncfsa for the service in the service-labor
H5656-06 Genesis 30:26 עֲבֹדָתִ֖/י avodati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my service my service
H5656-08 Exodus 1:14 בַּ/עֲבֹדָ֣ה baavodah HR/Ncfsa with hard service, in the service-labor
H5656-01 Exodus 1:14 עֲבֹדָ֖ה avodah HNcfsa service service-work
H5656-03 Exodus 1:14 עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔/ם avodatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their service their service-labor
H5656-11 Exodus 2:23 הָ/עֲבֹדָ֖ה haavodah HTd/Ncfsa the bondage, the service-labor
H5656-11 Exodus 2:23 הָ/עֲבֹדָֽה haavodah-2 HTd/Ncfsa the bondage. the service-labor
H5656-11 Exodus 5:9 הָ/עֲבֹדָ֛ה haavodah HTd/Ncfsa work be laid the service-labor
H5656-19 Exodus 5:11 מֵ/עֲבֹדַתְ/כֶ֖ם meavodatekhem HR/Ncfsc/Sp2mp from your work from your service
H5656-18 Exodus 6:6 מֵ/עֲבֹדָתָ֑/ם meavodatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp from their bondage from their service-labor