עֲבֹדָה
𐤏𐤁𐤃𐤄
ʻăbôdâh
H5656 noun
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot 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 |