Lexical Definition

‎σέβομαι‎ sébomai (seb'-om-ahee) be devout ^G:V
middle voice of an apparently primary verb

devout, religious, worship.

• to revere, i.e. adore

Abbott-Smith

σέβω [in LXX (chiefly for יָרֵא, Jos 4:24, al.) and NT always mid., σέβομαι, exc. IV Mac 5:24 ;]
to worship: c. acc. pers., Mt 15:9, Mk 7:7, Ac 18:13 19:27; σεβόμενος τ. θεόν, Ac 16:14 18:7; σεβόμενοι (σ. προσήλυτοι, σ. Ἕλληνες), devout, Ac 13:43, 50 17:4, 17 (cf. προσήλυτος).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

σέβομαι,

mostly used in present: imperfect in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future σεβήσομαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: aorist ἐσέφθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—feel awe or fear before God,feel shame, οὔ νυ σέβεσθ; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σεφθεῖσα awe-stricken, [Refs] [same place]: rarely with infinitive, dread or fear to do a thing, σ. προσιδέσθαι.., ἀντία φάσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: so with accusative of things, to fear to do it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with participle, σ. προσορῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__2 after [Refs 8th c.BC+], with accusative person, revere, worship, Κρονίδαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάντων ἀνάκτων κοινοβωμίαν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; Λυκοῦργον σέβεσθαι worship him as a hero, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; do homage to Zeus, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: generally, pay honour or respect to.. , θνατοὺς ἄγαν σ. [Refs]; τὸ φίλον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.b especially of Jewish proselytes, σεβομένη τὸν θεόν [NT+1st c.AD+]; σεβόμενοι προσήλυτοι, Ἕλληνες, [NT]
__3 of things, τὰ βυβλία σεβόμενοι μεγάλως [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II active σέβω is post-[Refs 8th c.BC+], used only in present and imperfect, worship, honour, mostly of the gods, σ. Δήμητρος πανήγυριν [Refs 7th c.BC+]; τἀν Ἅιδου[Refs]; rare in Prose, νομίζεται θεοὺς σέβειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also of parents, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of kings, [Refs]; of suppliants, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σέβειν ἐν τιμῇ with accusative, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, ὑβρίζειν ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐ σέβω, i.e. τὸ ὑβρίζειν, I do not respect, approve it, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: rarely of a god, Ποσειδῶν.. τὰς ἐμὰς ἀρὰς σέβων [Refs 5th c.BC+] —σέβομαι as passive, to be reverenced, ἡ δ᾽ οἴκοι [πόλις] πλέον δίκῃ σέβοιτ᾽ ἄν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ σεβόμενον reverence, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__II.2 less frequently absolutely, to worship, to be religious, τὸν σέβοντ᾽ εὐεργετεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but in all these places an object should perhaps be supplied from the context. (σέβομαι probably originally 'I shrink from.. ', of which σοβέω is the causal; perhaps cognate with Sanskrit tyajati 'desert, let go'.)

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Acts.16.14 ☩ Acts.13.43}