עָבַד 290 verb work, serve (Old Aramaic 
עבד do make, especially Nabataean, Palmyrene (often), Lzb
331 f. Cook
86, so 
 עֲבַד
 עֲבַד, Syriac 

 (very often); but also Old Aramaic Phoenician 
עבד slave, vassal (and in many proper names), 
 עַבְדָּא
 עַבְדָּא, Syriac 
 id.
 id.; Assyrian 
abdu, 
id. (rare); Late Hebrew 
עָבַד serve, performs acts of worship (with accusative of congnate meaning with verb), and derivatives; Arabic 
 worship, obey
 worship, obey (God); compare We
Skizzen iii. 165; Heid. 141, II. 
enslave; 
 slave, worshiper
 slave, worshiper; Sabean 
עבד id. DHM
Südar. Alt. p. 18; Gerber
Verb. Denom. 14 ff. thinks 
be slave, serve (Qal) and 
enslave (Hiph.) are denominative, compare also Nö
ZMG xl (1886), 741); — 
Qal272 Perfect 3rd person masculine singular ע׳ Ezekiel 29:18 +; suffix 
עֲבָדוֺ Malachi 3:18 +; 
3rd person masculine plural עָֽבְדוּ Deuteronomy 7:4; 
עָבָ֑דוּ Numbers 4:26, + 
64 times Perfect; 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יַעֲבֹד Genesis 25:23 +; suffix 
יַעַבְדֵ֫נִי Exodus 4:23; 
יַעַבְדֶ֫נּוּ Psalm 22:31; 
2 Kings 10:18; 
3rd person masculine plural יַעַבְדוּ Deuteronomy 12:30 +; 
יַעֲבֹ֑דוּ Genesis 15:14 (Dr
§ 103) 
Job 36:11; 
2nd person masculine plural תַּעַבְדוּן Exodus 3:12, 
תַּעֲבֹד֑וּן Joshua 24:15, + 
99 times Imperfect; (
תָּעָבְדֵם, 
נָֽעָבְדֵם see 
Hoph.); 
Imperative עֲבֹד 1 Samuel 26:19; suffix 
עָבְדֵהוּ 1 Chronicles 28:9; 
עִבְדוּ Exodus 5:18 + 
15 times; 
עֲבֹ֑דוּ Ezekiel 20:39; suffix 
עִבְדֻהוּ 1 Samuel 7:3; 
Infinitive construct עֲבֹד Malachi 3:14 +; 
עֲבָדֿ Jeremiah 34:9, 
10; suffix 
עָבְדוֺ Jeremiah 27:6 +, etc.; 
Participle עֹבֵד Genesis 4:2 +; plural 
עֹבְדִים Numbers 18:21 +; construct 
עֹבְדֵי Psalm 97:7 +; suffix 
עֹבְדָיו 2 Kings 10:19; 
עֹבְדֵיהֶם Zechariah 2:13; — 
    †2. work for another, serve him by labour: absolute 
Exodus 21:2 (E); with accusative pers 
Genesis 29:15; 
Genesis 31:6; 
Exodus 21:6 (E) 
Deuteronomy 15:12, 
18; 
Malachi 3:17; 
Jeremiah 34:14, king his people 
1 Kings 12:7; subject animals 
Jeremiah 27:6; 
Job 39:9; with accusative of person and thing 
Genesis 30:26 (twice in verse); 
Genesis 30:29 (J); with 
לְ person 
2 Samuel 16:19; 
עִם Genesis 29:25, 
30 (E) 
Leviticus 25:40 (P); 
עִמָּדִי Genesis 29:27 (E); 
לִפְנֵי 2 Samuel 16:19 (twice in verse); with 
בְּ of price 
Genesis 29:18, 
20, 
25; 
Genesis 31:41 (E) 
Hosea 12:13; 
Ezekiel 29:20; with 
בְּ person
work by means of another, use him as slave, 
Exodus 1:14; 
Leviticus 25:39, 
46 (P) 
Jeremiah 22:13; 
Jeremiah 25:14; 
Jeremiah 27:7; 
Jeremiah 30:8; 
Jeremiah 34:9, 
10.
 
    3. serve as subjects: usually with accusative, their own chiefs or kings 
Judges 9:28 (twice in verse); 
Judges 9:38; 
1 Samuel 11:1; 
1 Kings 5:1 +; other kings, by tribute 
Psalm 18:44 = 
2 Samuel 22:44; 
Jeremiah 27:7; 
Jeremiah 28:14; 
2 Kings 25:24 +, other nations 
2 Samuel 10:19; 
Jeremiah 40:9; 
Zechariah 2:13 +, kings other kings 
2 Kings 18:7 +, with 
לְ, 
1 Samuel 4:9 (twice in verse); 
מַס עֹבֵד Genesis 49:15 (J) 
Joshua 16:10; 
1 Kings 9:21 (see 
מַס); † with 
בְּ person, 
work with, i.e. use as subjects, impose tribute upon, 
Jeremiah 25:14; 
Jeremiah 27:7; 
Jeremiah 30:8; 
Ezekiel 34:27.
 
    4. serve God:
    b. other gods, with accusative 
א׳ † 
Deuteronomy 7:16; 
Deuteronomy 12:2, 
30†; 
אלהים אחרים Deuteronomy 7:4; 
Deuteronomy 8:19; 
Deuteronomy 11:16; 
Deuteronomy 13:7; 
Deuteronomy 13:14; 
Deuteronomy 17:3; 
Deuteronomy 28:14, 
36, 
64; 
Deuteronomy 29:25; 
Deuteronomy 30:17; 
Deuteronomy 31:20; 
Joshua 23:16; 
Joshua 24:2, 
16; 
Judges 2:10; 
Judges 10:13; 
1 Samuel 8:8; 
1 Samuel 26:19; 
1 Kings 9:6, 
9; 
2 Kings 17:35; 
2 Chronicles 7:19, 
22; 
Jeremiah 11:10; 
Jeremiah 13:10; 
Jeremiah 16:11, 
13; 
Jeremiah 22:9; 
Jeremiah 25:6; 
Jeremiah 35:15 (all D and Jeremiah); 
אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֺיִם Deuteronomy 29:17; 
זָרִים Jeremiah 5:19; † 
כל צבא השׁמים Deuteronomy 4:19; 
2 Kings 21:3; 
2 Chronicles 33:3; 
Jeremiah 8:2; 
הבעל(יםׅ Judges 2:11; 
Judges 3:7; 
Judges 10:6; 
Judges 10:10; 
1 Samuel 12:10; 
1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 22:54; 
2 Kings 10:18 (twice in verse); 
2 Kings 10:19 (twice in verse); 
2 Kings 10:21, 
22, 
23 (twice in verse); 
2 Kings 17:16; † 
אלהי נֵכָר Joshua 24:20; 
Jeremiah 5:19; † 
(הַ)גִּלּוּלִים 2 Kings 17:12; 
2 Kings 21:21 (twice in verse); 
Ezekiel 20:39; † 
האשׁרים 2 Chronicles 24:18; 
עצבים Psalm 106:36; † 
פםיל(ים) 2 Chronicles 33:22; 
2 Kings 17:41; 
פסל 2Ki 97:7; with 
לְ, † 
לבעל Judges 2:13; † 
לאלהים אחרים Jeremiah 44:3.
 
    5. serve י׳ with Levitical service (all P; compare RS
Sem i. 69): with accusative 
עבד עֲבֹדָה (see 
עֲבֹדָה) 
Numbers 3:7, 
8; 
Numbers 4:23, 
30, 
47; 
Numbers 7:5; 
Numbers 8:11, 
19, 
22, 
26; 
Numbers 16:9; 
Numbers 18:6, 
21, 
23; 
Joshua 22:27; accusative omitted 
Numbers 4:24, 
26, 
37, 
41; 
Numbers 8:15 (but SAM 
 עבדה
 עבדה), 
Numbers 8:25; 
Numbers 18:7.
 
†Niph. Perfect 3rd person masculine singular נֶעְבָּ֑ד Ecclesiastes 5:8; 
2nd person masculine plural נֶעֱבַדְתֶּם Ezekiel 36:9; 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יֵעָבֵד Deuteronomy 21:4; 
3rd person feminine singular תֵּעָבֵד Ezekiel 36:34; — 
    2. Ecclesiastes 5:8 מֶלֶךְ לְשָׂדֶה נֶעְבָּ֑ד dubious: a king for (devoted to) the 
cultivated field (Hi); a king 
that maketh himself servant to the field (devoted to agriculture), De
see Commentaries, especially De.
 
† 
Pual Perfect 3rd person masculine singular עֻבַּד Deuteronomy 21:3; 
Isaiah 14:3; passive of 
Qal, with 
בְּ impersonal 
Deuteronomy 21:3 of a calf with which 
it has not been worked; hard 
service with which it 
was worked with captives Isaiah 14:3. 
† 
Hiph. Perfect 3rd person masculine singular הֶעֱבִיד Ezekiel 29:18; 
2nd person masculine singular suffix 
הֶעֱבַדְתַּ֫נִי Isaiah 43:24, 
הֶעֱבַדְתִּיךָ Isaiah 43:23, 
וְהַעֲבַדְתִּיךָ Jeremiah 17:4; 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular וַיַּעֲבֵד 2 Chronicles 34:33; 
3rd person masculine plural יַעֲבִדוּ Exodus 1:13; 
Infinitive construct הַעֲבִיד 2 Chronicles 2:17; 
Participle plural 
מַעֲבִדִים Exodus 6:15; — 
Hoph. Imperfect 2nd person masculine singular suffix 
תָּֽעָבְדֵם Exodus 20:5 = 
Deuteronomy 5:9; 
Exodus 23:24; 
1st person plural suffix 
נָֽצָבְדֵם Deuteronomy 13:3 (Kö
i. 259 Sta
§ 549 g Thes; < Nes
Marg. 12 f. Qal anomalously pointed (compare W
AG. ed. 2, i, 62 n. Fl
Kl. Schr. i. 98); Ges
§ 60 R. 1 Dr Qal falsely pointed as Hoph.); — 
be led or 
enticed to serve other gods 
Exodus 20:5 = 
Deuteronomy 5:9; 
Exodus 23:24; 
Deuteronomy 13:8. 
See related Aramaic BDB entry 
H5648.
														
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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