עֲבִידָה
𐤏𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤄
ʻăbîydâh
H5673 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Service, labor, or work; specifically refers to duties, employment, or business undertaken by an individual, often in administrative, official, or ritual contexts. In Aramaic passages of the Hebrew Bible, it signifies work or service performed under obligation or as part of assigned roles, whether secular or cultic.
Semantic Range
work, business, ministry, service, affairs, official duties, labor (in both religious and secular/administrative contexts)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root עבד (to serve, to work), which underlies both the base verbal sense 'to serve, to work' and a wide range of terms denoting service, servitude, or work. עֲבִידָה is an Aramaic noun form exhibiting a typically Aramaic nominal ending, paralleling Hebrew עֲבוֹדָה ('service, labor').
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֲבִידָה appears only in Aramaic sections of biblical texts (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), used to describe the official service or administrative duties relating to temple or governmental operations under imperial or provincial systems. The term covers both religious (temple service) and secular (government affairs) domains, reflecting the administrative vocabulary of the Persian/Hellenistic era in which Aramaic was prominent. The standard English translation as 'work' or 'service' is generally accurate, but can obscure the specific association with formal, at times bureaucratic, affairs. The Hebrew equivalent עֲבוֹדָה can carry broader or different connotations, especially regarding Israelite religious practice. In Aramaic, עֲבִידָה is distinguished from other terms describing general work by its frequent connection to institutional or authorized activity. Later translations sometimes render this as 'business' or 'affairs,' especially in reference to governmental service.
Translation Consistency
"Service" best covers the primary semantic range (work, duty, official or cultic labor, ministry/affairs) and is the most frequent and natural English rendering in the P2 data. It fits both secular/administrative and religious contexts and will produce natural-sounding phrases when inflected.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from עֲבַד; labor or business; affairs, service, work.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
עבד (Eved) — to work, to serve, to labor
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4566 | מַעְבָּד | their deeds |
| H4567 | מַעְבָד | his deeds |
| H5647 | עָבַד | he served |
| H5648 | עֲבַד | he perished |
| H5649 | עֲבַד | servant |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5673-01 |
עֲבִידַת֙ | avidat | ANcfsc |
the affairs | service of | service of | 3 |
H5673-02 |
עֲבִֽידְתָּ/א֙ | avideta | ANcfsd/Td |
the affairs | the service-duty | the affairs | 1 |
H5673-03 |
לַ/עֲבִידַ֖ת | laavidat | ATo/Ncfsc |
the work of | of service-work | for the service-work of | 1 |
H5673-04 |
וַ/עֲבִ֥ידְתָּ/א | vaavideta | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and work-the | the service-duty | the service-duty | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5673-02 |
Daniel 2:49 | עֲבִֽידְתָּ/א֙ | avideta | ANcfsd/Td |
the affairs | the service-duty | the affairs |
H5673-01 |
Daniel 3:12 | עֲבִידַת֙ | avidat | ANcfsc |
the affairs | service of | service of |
H5673-01 |
Ezra 4:24 | עֲבִידַ֣ת | avidat | ANcfsc |
the work | service of | service of |
H5673-04 |
Ezra 5:8 | וַ/עֲבִ֥ידְתָּ/א | vaavideta | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and work-the | the service-duty | the service-duty |
H5673-03 |
Ezra 6:7 | לַ/עֲבִידַ֖ת | laavidat | ATo/Ncfsc |
the work of | of service-work | for the service-work of |
H5673-01 |
Ezra 6:18 | עֲבִידַ֥ת | avidat | ANcfsc |
the service | service of | service of |