Lexical Definition

‎עֶבֶד‎ ʻebed (eh'-bed) servant/slave ^H:N-M
from ‎עָבַד‎

[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.

• a servant

1) slave, servant
1a) slave, servant, man-servant
1b) subjects
1c) servants, worshippers (of God)
1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)
1e) servant (of Israel)
1f) servant (as form of address between equals)

See Greek: ἄγγελος · ἄνθρωπος · ἄρχων · δουλεία · δούλη · δοῦλον · δοῦλος · δύναμις · ἔθνος · ἐργασία · θεραπεία · θεραπεύω · θεράπων · ἵστημι · λαός · οἰκέτης · οἶκος · παιδάριον · παιδίον · παῖς · σέβομαι · ὑπηρέτης

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (‎ע‎ֲ‎ב‎ַ‎ד‎ "servant/slave" עֲבַד)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎עֶ֫בֶד‎₇₉₉ noun masculine slave, servant (on formation Lag^{BN 77}); — ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Gen 9:25 +, ‎עָ֑בֶד‎ Gen 44:10 +; suffix ‎עַבְדִּי‎ Gen 26:24 +; ‎עַבְדְּךָ‎ Gen 19:19 +; ‎עַבְדֶּ֫ךָ‎ Gen 18:3 +; plural ‎עֲבָדִים‎ Gen 9:25 +, ‎עַבְדֵי‎ Gen 21:25 +, suffix ‎עֲבָדַי‎ Lev 25:42 +, ‎עַבְדֵיכֶם‎ Josh 9:11 +, etc.; —

1. slave, servant of household Gen 39:17; Gen 39:19; Gen 41:12; Gen 50:2; Exod 21:2 +; man-servant, || ‎אמה‎ Exod 20:10; Lev 25:6; Deut 5:14; Job 31:13 +; || ‎שׁפחה‎ Gen 12:16; Gen 32:6*; Jer 34:11; Isa 14:2 +; + ‎אדון‎ Deut 23:16*; Isa 24:2; Mal 1:6 +; ‎מִקְנַת כֶּסֶף‎ Exod 12:44 or ‎יְלִיד בַּיִת‎ Jer 2:14 ‎עֶבֶד‎ ‎עֲבָדִים‎ servant of servants, humblest servant, Gen 9:25 ‎בֵּית עֲבָדִים‎ house of slaves, especially Israel in Egypt Exod 13:3; Exod 13:14 (D ?) Deut 5:6; Deut 6:12; Deut 7:8; Deut 8:14; Deut 13:6*; Deut 13:11*; Josh 24:17; Judg 6:8; Jer 34:13; Mic 6:4 ‎וזכרת כי עבד היית‎ ‎מצרים‎ ‎ב(ארץׅ‎ and thou shalt remember that thou wast a slave in (the land of) Egypt Deut 5:15; Deut 15:15; Deut 16:12; Deut 24:18; Deut 24:22 king of Babylon is slave to ‎׳‎‎י‎ Jer 25:9; Jer 27:6; Jer 43:10 the borrower to the lender Prov 22:7 figurative of beast Job 40:28* of things Gen 47:19.

2. Subjects, of chief Gen 26:15; Gen 26:19; Gen 26:25; Gen 26:32; Gen 27:37; Gen 32:17* (twice in verse) +; of king Gen 21:25; Exod 7:28*; Exod 7:29*; 1Kgs 9:27; Deut 29:1* +; vassal kings 2Sam 10:19 tributary nations 2Sam 8:2; 2Sam 8:6; 2Sam 8:14 = 1Chr 18:2; 1Chr 18:6; 1Chr 18:13 specifically officers of king 1Sam 19:1; 1Sam 21:8*; 2Sam 11:13; Prov 14:35 +; ‎עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה‎ Gen 40:20; Gen 41:10 ‎שָׁאוּל‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ 1Sam 16:17; 1Sam 18:22; 1Sam 28:7 ‎הַמֶּלֶךְ‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ 1Kgs 1:47; Esth 3:3 +; ‎עֶבֶד הַמֶּלֶךְ‎ 2Kgs 22:12 = 2Chr 34:20 (a court offical); opposed to ‎שַׂר‎ Prov 19:10; Eccl 10:7 ‎מֶלֶךְ‎ Prov 30:22 ambassadors Num 22:18; 2Sam 10:2 soldiers of army 1Sam 17:8; 1Sam 25:10; 2Sam 2:12, + officers of army 1Sam 29:3; 1Kgs 11:26; 2Kgs 25:8; Isa 36:9.

3. Servants, worshippers, of God: ‎עַבְדֵי יהוה‎ 2Kgs 9:7; 2Kgs 10:23; Isa 54:17, compare Gen 50:17; Isa 56:6 ‎עֲבָדָיו‎ Deut 32:36 = Ps 135:14; Isa 65:15; Isa 66:14; Ps 34:23*; Ps 69:37*; Neh 2:20 || ‎עַמּוֺ‎ Ps 105:25 compare Deut 32:43 ‎עֲבָּדַי‎ Isa 65:8; Isa 65:9; Isa 65:13 (twice in verse); Isa 69:13; Isa 69:14 ‎עֲבָדֶיךָ‎ 1Kgs 8:23; Isa 63:17 (|| ‎שִׁבְטֵי נחלתך‎), Ps 89:51*; Ps 90:13; Ps 90:16; Ps 102:15*; Ps 102:29*; Ps 119:91; Ps 79:2; Ps 79:10 (|| ‎חֲסִידֶיךָ‎); delivered from Egypt Lev 25:42; Lev 25:55 (twice in verse); Lev 26:13 (P); ‎עַבְדְּךָ‎ Ps 119:125; Ps 143:2, || ‎בֶּןאֲֿמָתֶ֑ךָ‎ Ps 86:16; Ps 116:16 (twice in verse); specifically angels Job 4:18 and ancient worthies, patriarchs Exod 32:13 (J) Deut 9:27 Abraham Gen 26:24 (J) Ps 105:6; Ps 105:42 Isaac Gen 24:14 (J); Jacob, Israel Ezek 28:25; Ezek 37:25; 1Chr 16:13 Moses Exod 14:31; Josh 18:7 (J) Num 12:7; Num 12:8 (E) Deut 34:5 (?) Josh 1:1; Josh 1:2; Josh 1:7; Josh 1:13; Josh 1:15; Josh 8:31; Josh 8:33; Josh 9:24; Josh 11:12; Josh 11:15; Josh 12:6 (twice in verse); Josh 13:8; Josh 14:7; Josh 22:2; Josh 22:4; Josh 22:5 (all D), 1Kgs 8:53; 1Kgs 8:56; 2Kgs 18:12; 2Kgs 21:8; 1Chr 6:34*; 2Chr 1:3; 2Chr 24:6; 2Chr 24:9; Neh 1:8; Neh 9:14; Neh 10:30*; Ps 105:26; Mal 3:22*; Dan 9:11 Joshua Josh 24:29 (E) Judg 2:8 Caleb Num 14:24 (J); Job Job 1:8; Job 2:3; Job 42:7; Job 42:8 (3 t. in verse); David 2Sam 3:18; 2Sam 7:5; 2Sam 7:8; 2Sam 7:26 + 27 t.; Hezekiah 2Chr 32:16 Zerubbabel Hag 2:23 Eliakim Isa 22:20. — The ‎צֶמַח‎ Zech 3:8 compare Zech 6:12 is also servant of ‎׳‎‎י‎ as Messianic builder of temple (see Br^{MP 442 ff}).

4. Servant of ‎׳‎‎י‎, in a special sense: of Levitical singers using benedictions in temple Ps 113:1; Ps 134:1; Ps 135:1 usually of prophets, ‎עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים‎ my servants the prophets 2Kgs 9:7; 2Kgs 17:13; Jer 7:25; Jer 26:5; Jer 29:19; Jer 35:15; Jer 44:4; Ezek 38:17; Zech 1:6 ‎עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים‎ 2Kgs 17:23; 2Kgs 21:10; 2Kgs 24:2; Jer 25:4; Amos 3:7; Dan 9:10 ‎עֲבָדֶיךָ הנביאים‎ Ezra 9:11; Dan 9:6 specifically Ahia 1Kgs 14:18; 1Kgs 15:29 Elijah 2Kgs 9:36; 2Kgs 10:10 Jonah 2Kgs 14:25 Isaiah Isa 20:3 ‎עַבְדּוֺ‎, || ‎מלאכיו‎ Isa 44:26 as one calling to fear ‎׳‎‎י‎ Isa 50:10.

5. Israel as a people is servant of ‎׳‎‎׃י‎ ‎יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ Isa 41:8; Isa 41:9; Isa 44:21 (twice in verse); Isa 49:3; Ps 136:22 ‎יעקב‎ Isa 44:1; Isa 44:2; Isa 45:4; Isa 48:20; Isa 46:27; Isa 47:28 ‎עַבְדִּי‎ = ‎עֶבֶד יהוה‎, || ‎מַלְאָכִי‎, as having a mission to the nations Isa 42:19 (twice in verse); and chosen as witness of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Isa 43:10. But there is also an ideal servant chosen and endowed with the divine Spirit to be a covenant of Israel and a light of the nations Isa 42:1 (compare vIsa 42:2-6); formed to bring back Jacob, raise up the tribes, and become salvation to the end of the earth Isa 49:5; Isa 49:6; Isa 49:7 bearing the sins of all as a lamb and a trespass-offering, and yet prospering and justifying many as interposing martyr Isa 52:13; Isa 53:11: many understand of ideal Israel, contrasted with the actual; al. of personified || with Zion the wife and mother, distinguished from unworthy Israel as Zion from her apostate children; al. of ideal prophetic writer; al. of ideal prophetic person; al. (especially in Isa 53) of an actual prophecy known to writer and his readers; [in any case it is Messianic, see Matt 8:16; Matt 8:17; Matt 12:16-21; Luke 4:17-22; Phil 2:5-11]; see De^{Isa ii. 174} Da^{Expos. 1884, 358 ff.} Di Du Che and others on Isa 42; Isa 53, Dr^{Is 168 ff.} Br^{MP 345 ff.}, also Gie^{Beitr. 146 ff.} Berthol^{Isa 53}.

6. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used ‎עַבְדְּךָ‎ thy servant = 1 person singular, I, Gen 18:3; 1Sam 20:7; 1Sam 20:8 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 8:13 +; ‎עֲבָדֶיךָ‎ thy servants = we Gen 42:11; Isa 36:11 also ‎עַבְדּוֺ‎ his servant = I, 1Sam 26:18; 1Sam 26:19; 2Sam 14:22; 2Sam 24:21 +; also in addressing God, especially in prayer Exod 4:10; Num 11:11; Judg 15:18; 1Sam 3:9; 1Sam 3:10; 1Sam 25:39; 2Sam 24:10; Ps 19:12*; Ps 19:14*; Ps 27:9; Ps 31:17*; Ps 35:27; Ps 69:18*; Ps 109:28; Ps 143:2 +.

7. Phrases are: ‎עבד‎ (‎היה‎), with ‎לְ‎ person, become servant to Gen 9:26; Gen 9:27; Gen 44:10; Gen 44:16; Gen 44:17; Gen 44:33; Gen 47:19; Gen 47:26 (J) Deut 6:21; Deut 15:17; 2Sam 8:14; 2Kgs 17:3; 2Kgs 24:1; 1Chr 18:2; 1Chr 18:6; 1Chr 18:13; 2Chr 10:7; Prov 11:29; Prov 12:9; Prov 22:7 ‎היה לעבד‎, with ‎לְ‎ person, Gen 44:9 (J) Gen 50:18 (E) 1Sam 8:17; 1Sam 17:9 (twice in verse); 1Sam 27:12; 2Sam 8:2; 2Sam 8:6; Jer 34:16 ‎כבשׁ לעבדים‎ 2Chr 28:10; Neh 5:5; Jer 34:11 ‎׳‎‎לקח לע‎ Gen 43:18 (J) 2Kgs 4:1; Job 40:28*.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References