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shebanq

עֶבֶד ‘èbed – servant, slave

Semantic Fields: Servitude   
Author(s): Haposan Cornelius Sinaga
First published: 2026-01-06
Citation: Haposan Cornelius Sinaga, עֶבֶד ‘èbed – servant, slave,
               Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2026 (WORK IN PROGRESS)

Introduction

Grammatical type: noun masc.
Occurrences: 800 HB (180/424/196).

  • Torah: Gen 9:25 (2x), 26, 27; 12:16; 14:15; 18:3, 5; 19:2, 19; 20:8, 14; 21:25; 24:2, 5, 9, 10, 14, 17, 34, 35, 52, 53, 59, 61, 65 (2x), 66; 26:15, 19, 24, 25, 32; 27:37; 30:43; 32:5, 6, 11, 17 (2x), 19, 21; 33:5, 14; 39:17, 19; 40:20 (2x); 41:10, 12, 37, 38; 42:10, 11, 13; 43:18, 28; 44:7, 9 (2x), 10, 16 (2x), 17, 18 (2x), 19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 (2x), 32, 33 (2x); 45:16; 46:34; 47:3, 4 (2x), 19, 25; 50:2, 7, 17, 18; Exod 4:10; 5:15, 16 (2x), 21; 7:10, 20; 7:28; 7:29; 8:5; 8:7; 8:17; 8:20; 8:25; 8:27; 9:14, 20 (2x), 21, 30, 34; 10:1, 6, 7; 11:3, 8; 12:30, 44; 13:3, 14; 14:5, 31; 20:2, 10, 17; 21:2, 5, 7, 20, 26, 27, 32; 32:13; Lev 25:6, 39, 42 (2x), 44 (2x), 55 (2x); 26:13; Num 11:11; 12:7, 8; 14:24; 22:18; 31:49; 32:4, 5, 25, 27, 31; Deut 3:24; 5:6, 14 (2x), 15, 21; 6:12, 21; 7:8; 8:14; 9:27; 12:12, 18; 13:6, 11; 15:15, 17; 16:11, 12, 14; 23:16; 24:18, 22; 28:68; 29:1; 32:36, 43; 34:5, 11;

  • Nebiim: Josh 1:1, 2, 7, 13, 15; 5:14; 8:31, 33; 9:8, 9, 11, 23, 24 (2x); 10:6; 11:12, 15; 12:6 (2x); 13:8; 14:7; 18:7; 22:2, 4, 5; 24:17, 29; Judg 2:8; 3:24; 6:8, 27; 15:18; 19:19; 1 Sam 3:9, 10; 8:14, 15, 16, 17; 12:19; 16:15, 16, 17; 17:8, 9 (2x), 32, 34, 36, 58; 18:5, 22 (2x), 23, 24, 26, 30; 19:1, 4; 20:7, 8 (2x); 21:8, 12, 15; 22:6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 (2x), 17; 23:10, 11 (2x); 25:8, 10 (2x), 39, 40, 41; 26:18, 19; 27:5, 12; 28:2, 7 (2x), 23, 25; 29:3, 8, 10; 30:13; 2 Sam 2:12, 13, 15, 17, 30, 31; 3:18, 22, 38; 6:20; 7:5, 8, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 (2x), 28, 29 (2x); 8:2, 6, 7, 14; 9:2 (2x), 6, 8, 10 (2x), 11 (2x), 12; 10:2 (2x), 3, 4, 19; 11:1, 9, 11, 13, 17, 21, 24 (3x); 12:18, 19 (2x), 21; 13:24 (3x), 31, 35, 36; 14:19, 20, 22 (2x), 30 (2x), 31; 15:2, 8, 14, 15 (2x), 18, 21, 34 (3x); 16:6, 11; 17:20; 18:7, 9, 29 (2x); 19:6, 7, 8, 15, 18, 20, 21, 27 (3x), 28, 29, 36 (2x), 37, 38 (2x); 20:6; 21:15, 22; 24:10, 20, 21; 1 Kgs 1:2, 9, 19, 26 (2x), 27, 33, 47, 51; 2:38, 39 (2x), 40 (2x); 3:6, 7, 8, 9, 15; 5:15; 5:20 (3x), 23; 8:23, 24, 25, 26, 28 (2x), 29, 30, 32, 36, 52, 53, 56, 59, 66; 9:22 (2x), 27 (2x); 10:5, 8, 13; 11:11, 13, 17, 26, 32, 34, 36, 38; 12:7 (2x); 14:8, 18; 15:18, 29; 16:9; 18:9, 12, 36; 20:6 (2x), 9, 12, 23, 31, 32, 39, 40; 22:3, 50 (2x); 2 Kgs 1:13; 2:16; 3:11; 4:1 (3x); 5:6, 13, 15, 17 (2x), 18 (2x), 25, 26; 6:3, 8, 11, 12; 7:12, 13; 8:13, 19; 9:7 (2x), 11, 28, 36; 10:5, 10, 23; 12:21, 22; 14:5, 25; 16:7; 17:3, 13, 23; 18:12, 24, 26; 19:5, 34; 20:6; 21:8, 10, 23; 22:9, 12; 23:30; 24:1, 2, 10, 11, 12; 25:8, 24; Isa 14:2; 20:3; 22:20; 24:2; 36:9, 11; 37:5, 24, 35; 41:8, 9; 42:1, 19 (2x); 43:10; 44:1, 2, 21 (2x), 26; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3, 5, 6, 7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11; 54:17; 56:6; 63:17; 65:8, 9, 13 (3x), 14, 15; 66:14; Jer 2:14; 7:25; 21:7; 22:2, 4; 25:4, 9, 19; 26:5; 27:6; 29:19; 30:10; 33:21, 22, 26; 34:9, 10, 11 (2x), 13, 16 (2x); 35:15; 36:24, 31; 37:2, 18; 43:10; 44:4; 46:26, 27, 28; Ezek 28:25; 34:23, 24; 37:24, 25 (2x); 38:17; 46:17; Joel 3:2; Amos 3:7; Mic 6:4; Hag 2:23; Zech 1:6; 2:13; 3:8; Mal 1:6; 3:22;

  • Ketubim: Pss 18:1; 19:12, 14; 27:9; 31:17; 34:23; 35:27; 36:1; 69:18, 37; 78:70; 79:2, 10; 86:2, 4, 16; 89:4, 21, 40, 51; 90:13, 16; 102:15, 29; 105:6, 17, 25, 26, 42; 109:28; 113:1; 116:16 (2x); 119:17, 23, 38, 49, 65, 76, 84, 91, 122, 124, 125, 135, 140, 176; 123:2; 132:10; 134:1; 135:1, 9, 14; 136:22; 143:2, 12; 144:10; Job 1:8; 2:3; 3:19; 4:18; 7:2; 19:16; 31:13; 40:28; 42:7, 8 (3x); Prov 11:29; 12:9; 14:35; 17:2; 19:10; 22:7; 29:19, 21; 30:10, 22; Eccl/Qoh 2:7; 7:21; 10:7 (2x); Lam 5:8; Est 1:3; 2:18; 3:2, 3; 4:11; 5:11; 7:4; Dan 1:12, 13; 9:6, 10, 11, 17; 10:17; Ezra 2:55, 58, 65; 9:9, 11; Neh 1:6 (2x), 7, 8, 10, 11 (3x); 2:5, 10, 19, 20; 5:5; 7:57, 60, 67; 9:10, 14, 36 (2x); 10:30; 11:3; 1 Chron 2:34, 35; 6:34; 16:13; 17:4, 7, 17, 18 (2x), 19, 23, 24, 25 (2x), 26, 27; 18:2, 6, 7, 13; 19:2, 3, 4, 19; 20:8; 21:3, 8; 2 Chron 1:3; 2:7 (3x), 9, 14; 6:14, 15, 16, 17, 19 (2x), 20, 21, 23, 27, 42; 8:9, 18 (3x); 9:4, 7, 10 (2x), 12, 21; 10:7; 12:8; 13:6; 24:6, 9, 25; 25:3; 28:10; 32:9, 16 (2x); 33:24; 34:16, 20; 35:23, 24; 36:20.

4. Ancient Versions

Septuagint (LXX) and other Greek versions11

  • Αβδησελμα, PN (2x): Ezra 2:55, 58;
  • ἄγγελος, ‘messenger’ (1x): Isa 37:24;
  • ἄνθρωπος, ‘man’, ‘human being’ (1x): 2 Chron 24:6;
  • ἄρχων, ‘one who rules’ (1x): Num 22:18;
  • διέρχομαι, ‘to go through, pass through’ (2x): 2 Sam 15:34 (2x);
  • δουλεία, ‘slavery, bondage’, ‘service’ (13x): Exod 13:3, 14; 20:2; Deut 5:6; 6:12; 7:8; 8:14; 13:6, 11; Judg 6:8; 1 Kgs 5:20 (3rd); Jer 34:13; Mic 6:4;
  • δουλεύω, ‘to perform the duties incumbent upon oneself dutifully and obediently’ (11x): Isa 53:11; 65:8, 13 (3x), 14, 15; Jer 27:6; Zech 2:13; Prov 11:29; 12:9;
  • δούλη, ‘female slave, bondswoman’, tec. (1x): Exod 21:7;
  • δοῦλος, ‘male slave, bondsman’, ‘submissive and respectful person’ (300x): Lev 25:44 (2nd); 26:13; Deut 32:36; Josh 9:23; 24:29; Judg 2:8; 6:27; 15:18; 19:19; 1 Sam 3:9, 10; 8:14, 15, 16, 17; 12:19; 16:16; 17:9 (2x), 32, 34, 36; 19:4; 20:7, 8 (2x); 22:8, 14, 15 (2x); 23:10, 11 (2x); 25:10 (2nd), 39; 26:18, 19; 27:5, 12; 28:2; 29:3, 8; 30:13; 2 Sam 3:18; 6:20; 7:5, 8, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27 (2x), 28, 29 (2x); 8:2, 6, 14; 9:2 (2nd), 6, 8, 10 (2x), 11 (2x), 12; 10:2 (1st), 19; 11:9, 11, 13, 17, 21, 24 (3rd); 12:18; 13:24 (1st, 3rd), 35; 14:19, 20, 22 (2x); 15:2, 8, 21, 34; 18:29 (2x); 19:6, 8, 15, 18, 21, 27 (1st, 3rd), 28, 29, 36 (2x), 37, 38 (2x); 21:22; 24:10, 21; 1 Kgs 1:19, 26 (2x), 27, 33, 47, 51; 2:38, 39 (2x), 40 (2x); 3:6, 7, 8, 9; 5:20 (1st, 2nd), 23; 8:23, 24, 25, 28 (2nd), 29, 30, 36, 52, 53, 56, 59, 66; 11:11, 13, 26, 32, 34, 36, 38; 12:7 (2x); 15:29; 18:9, 12, 36; 20:9, 32, 39, 40; 2 Kgs 1:13; 4:1 (3x); 5:6, 15, 17 (2x), 18 (2x), 25; 6:3; 8:13, 19; 9:7 (2x), 36; 10:10, 23; 12:21, 22; 14:5, 25; 16:7; 17:3, 13, 23; 18:12, 24; 19:34; 20:6; 21:8, 10; 22:9, 12; 24:1, 2; Isa 14:2; 42:19 (2nd); 48:20; 49:3, 5, 7; 56:6; 63:17; 65:9; Jer 2:14; 7:25; 25:4; 46:27; Ezek 28:25; 34:23; 37:24, 25 (2x); 38:17; Joel 3:2; Amos 3:7; Hag 2:23; Zech 1:6; 3:8; Mal 1:6; 3:22; Pss 19:12, 14; 27:9; 31:17; 34:23; 35:27; 36:1; 69:37; 78:70; 79:2, 10; 86:2, 4; 89:4, 21, 40, 51; 90:13, 16; 102:15, 29; 105:6, 17, 25, 26, 42; 109:28; 116:16 (2x); 119:17, 23, 38, 49, 65, 76, 84, 122, 124, 125, 135, 140, 176; 123:2; 132:10; 134:1; 135:1, 9, 14; 136:22; 143:2, 12; 144:10; Job 40:28; Eccl/Qoh 2:7; 7:21; 10:7 (2x); Lam 5:8; Ezra 2:65; 9:9, 11; Neh 1:6 (2x), 11 (1st); 2:10, 19, 20; 5:5; 7:57, 60, 67; 9:14, 36 (1st); 10:30; 11:3; 1 Chron 17:7, 18 (2nd), 26; 2 Chron 2:7 (1st); 6:23, 42; 28:10; 36:20;
  • δοῦλος ‘subordinate’ (adjective), (1x): Ps 119:91;
  • δύναμις, ‘power, capacity’, ‘armed military force’ (1x): Est 2:18;
  • Ἑβραῖος, ‘Hebrew’ (1x): 1 Sam 17:8;
  • ἐγώ, ‘I’ (1x): Josh 9:24 (1st);
  • ἡμίονος, ‘mule’ (1x): 1 Sam 22:9;
  • θεραπεία, ‘worship service’, ‘a body of attendants’ (1x): Gen 45:16;
  • θεραπεύω, ‘to serve devotedly’ (1x): Isa 54:17;
  • θεράπων, ‘one devoted to sbd else's service’ (44x): Gen 50:17; Exod 4:10; 5:21; 7:10, 20, 28, 29; 8:5, 7, 17, 20, 25, 27; 9:14, 20, 30, 34; 10:1, 6, 7; 11:3; 12:30; 14:5, 31; Num 11:11; 12:7, 8; 32:31; Deut 3:24; 9:27; 29:1; 34:11; Josh 1:2; 8:31, 33; Job 2:3; 3:19; 7:2; 19:16; 31:13; 42:7; 42:8 (3x);
  • ἵστημι ἐνώπιον, ‘to stand before’ (1x): 2 Kgs 25:8;
  • λαός, ‘a large body of humans’, ‘nation’ (1x): 1 Kgs 8:32 (see also A.9);
  • οἰκέτης, ‘male domestic employee’, ‘submissive designation in relation to God’ (35x): Gen 9:25 (2nd); 27:37; 44:16 (2nd); 44:33 (2nd); 50:18; Exod 5:15, 16 (1st); 12:44; 21:26, 27; 32:13; Lev 25:39; 25:42 (2x); 25:55 (1st); Num 32:5; Deut 5:15; 6:21; 15:15, 17; 16:12; 24:18, 22; 34:5; Josh 5:14; 9:8, 11; Isa 36:9; Prov 17:2; 19:10; 22:7; 29:19, 21; 30:10, 22;
  • οἶκος, ‘house’ (1x): Jer 22:2;
  • παιδάριον, ‘young male child’ (1x): 1 Sam 21:8;
  • παῖς, ‘child’, ‘person of servile status’ (333x): Gen 9:25 (1st), 26, 27; 12:16; 14:15; 18:3, 5; 19:2, 19; 20:8, 14; 21:25; 24:2, 5, 9, 10, 14, 17, 34, 35, 52, 53, 59, 61, 65 (2x), 66; 26:15, 19, 25, 32; 30:43; 32:5, 6, 11, 17 (2x), 19, 21; 33:5, 14; 39:17, 19; 40:20 (2x); 41:10, 12, 37, 38; 42:10, 11, 13; 43:18, 28; 44:7, 9 (2x), 10, 16 (1st), 17, 18 (2x), 19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 30, 31 (2x), 32, 33 (1st); 46:34; 47:3, 4 (2x), 19, 25; 50:2, 7; Exod 5:16 (2nd); 11:8; 20:10, 17; 21:2, 5, 20, 32; Lev 25:6; 25:44 (1st); 25:55 (2nd); Num 14:24; 31:49; 32:4, 25, 27; Deut 5:14 (2x), 21; 12:12, 18; 16:11, 14; 23:16; 28:68; Josh 1:7, 13; 9:9, 24 (2nd); 10:6; 11:12, 15; 12:6 (1st); 13:8; 14:7; 18:7; 22:2, 5; Judg 3:24; 1 Sam 16:15, 17; 18:22 (2x), 23, 24, 26; 19:1; 21:12, 15; 22:6, 7, 17; 25:10 (1st), 40, 41; 28:7 (2x), 23, 25; 29:10; 2 Sam 2:12, 13, 15, 17, 30, 31; 3:22, 38; 8:7; 9:2 (1st); 10:2 (2nd), 3, 4; 11:1, 24 (1st, 2nd); 12:19 (2x), 21; 13:24 (2nd), 31, 36; 14:30 (2x), 31; 15:14, 15 (2x), 18; 16:6, 11; 17:20; 18:7, 9; 19:7, 20, 27 (2nd); 20:6; 21:15; 24:20; 1 Kgs 1:2, 9; 3:15; 5:15; 9:22 (2nd); 9:27 (2x); 10:5, 8, 13; 11:17; 15:18; 20:6 (2x), 12, 23, 31; 22:3; 2 Kgs 2:16; 3:11; 5:13, 26; 6:8, 11, 12; 7:12, 13; 9:11, 28; 10:5; 18:26; 19:5; 21:23; 23:30; 24:11, 12; Isa 20:3; 22:20; 24:2; 36:11; 37:5, 35; 41:8, 9; 42:1, 19 (1st); 43:10; 44:1, 2, 21 (2x), 26; 45:4; 49:6; 50:10; 52:13; Jer 21:7; 22:4; 25:19; 26:5; 34:9, 10, 11 (2nd); 34:16 (2x); 35:15; 36:24, 31; 37:2, 18; 44:4; 46:28; Ezek 46:17; Pss 18:1; 69:18; 86:16; 113:1; Job 1:8; 4:18; Est 7:4; Dan 1:12, 13; 9:6, 10, 11, 17; 10:17; Neh 1:7, 8, 10, 11 (2nd, 3rd); 2:5; 9:10; 1 Chron 2:34, 35; 6:34; 16:13; 17:4, 17, 23, 24, 25 (2x), 27; 18:2, 6, 7, 13; 19:2, 3, 4, 19; 20:8; 21:3, 8; 2 Chron 1:3; 2:7 (2nd, 3rd), 9, 14; 6:14, 15, 16, 17, 19 (2x), 20, 21, 27; 8:9, 18 (3x); 9:4, 7, 10 (2x), 21; 10:7; 12:8; 13:6; 24:9, 25; 25:3; 32:9, 16 (2x); 33:24; 34:16, 20; 35:23, 24;
  • πάροδος, ‘passer-by’, ‘act of passing on the way to elsewhere’ (1x): 2 Kgs 25:24;
  • πατήρ, ‘father’ (1x): Gen 26:24;
  • πρᾶγμα, ‘deed, action’ (1x): 1 Kgs 9:22 (1st, 10:22c in LXX);
  • σέβω mid., ‘to worship with reverence’ (1x): Isa 66:14;
  • υἱός, ‘son’ (1x): Deut 32:43;
  • ὑπηρέτης, ‘one who is in service to another or in subservient position’ (1x): Prov 14:35;
  • no translation (39x): Exod 9:20; 9:21; Josh 1:1; 1:15; 12:6 (2nd); 22:4; 24:17; 1 Sam 17:58; 18:5; 18:30; 25:8; 2 Sam 7:26; 1 Kgs 8:26, 28 (1st); 14:8, 18; 16:9; 22:50 (2x); 2 Kgs 24:10; Jer 25:9; 29:19; 30:10; 33:21, 22, 26; 34:11 (1st); 43:10; 46:26; Ezek 34:24; Est 1:3 (or ἔθνος?); 3:2, 3; 4:11; 5:11; Neh 9:36 (2nd); 1 Chron 17:18 (1st), 19; 2 Chron 9:12.

A.1 During the transmission of the LXX, certain renderings of עֶבֶד were replaced by other renderings of עֶבֶד, especially in LXXAnt, as will be shown in the following paragraphs.13

A.2 In the following cases, LXXAnt reads a form of δοῦλος instead of a form of παῖς: 2 Sam 10:2 (2nd), 4; 11:24 (2nd); 14:30, 31; 15:14; 19:20, 27 (2nd); 2 Kgs 5:26; 10:5; 1 Chron 2:34, 35; 6:34; 16:13; 17:4, 25 (2x), 27; 18:2 (sing!), 6; 18:6; 21:3, 8; 2 Chron 6:14, 17, 19 (2x), 20, 21, 27; 8:9, 18 (1st); 10:7; 12:8; 24:9; 34:16.

A.3 LXXAnt also replaced the following older renderings by a form of δοῦλος: παιδαρίων in 1 Sam 21:8; δουλείας in 1 Kgs 5:20 (LXXAnt 5:9).

A.4 In the following cases, LXXAnt reads a form of παῖς instead of a form of δοῦλος: 2 Sam 11:9, 11, 13; 12:19; 18:29 (1st: Joab); 19:6, 8, 15; 21:22; 1 Kgs 1:33 (2 Sam 25:19 in LXXAnt); 2 Kgs 14:5; 21:8, 10.

A.5 LXXAnt replaced the following expressions including a form of δοῦλος by another translation: οἱ δοῦλοι > οἱ συμπορευόμενοι 2 Sam 10:19; ἐκ τῶν δούλων > κατὰ τὸν λόγον 2 Sam 11:17. In 2 Sam 21:15, LXXAnt replaced παῖδες by ἄνδρες.

A.6 There is no rendering of עֶבֶד in the older version of the LXX in 1 Sam 17:58; 18:30, 2 Sam 7:26; 1 Chron 17:18 (1st), 19, but in these cases LXXAnt represents עֶבֶד by a form of δοῦλος. In 1 Sam 25:8 there is also no rendering of עֶבֶד in the older version of the LXX, but LXXAnt translates it with a form of παῖς.

A.7 The older version of the LXX translates עֶבֶד with a form of δοῦλος in 1 Kgs 1:19 and 1 Kgs 8:24, but for these occurrences there is no rendering in LXXAnt (1:19 = 2 Sam 25:19 in LXXAnt). In 2 Kgs 25:24 the older version of the LXX translates עַבְדֵי as πάροδον, but there is no rendering in LXXAnt.

A.8 In Judg 19:19 עִם־עֲבָדֶיךָ is translated as τοῖς δούλοις σου in LXXA, but as μετὰ τῶν παιδίων σου, ‘with your young children’, in LXXB.

A.9 Several manuscripts of the LXX read a form of λαός instead of a form of δοῦλος: LXXA in 1 Kgs 8:36 and Isa 48:20; LXXS, second hand, in Ps 136:22.

   Worked astragali                                                                   
Ps 136:22[135:22] in LXXS

Bibliography

For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.

Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1989
Natalio Fernández Marcos, José Ramón Busto Saiz, El texto antioqueno de la Biblia griega, I: 1-2 Samuel (TECC 50), Madrid: Instituto de Filología, C.S.I.C.
Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1992
Natalio Fernández Marcos, José Ramón Busto Saiz, El texto antioqueno de la Biblia griega, II: 1-2 Reyes (TECC 53), Madrid: Instituto de Filología, C.S.I.C.
Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1996
Natalio Fernández Marcos, José Ramón Busto Saiz, El texto antioqueno de la Biblia griega, III: 1-2 Crónicas (TECC 60), Madrid: Instituto de Filología, C.S.I.C.

Notes

  1. The translations of the Greek are based on GELS. ↩

  2. For LXXAnt, see Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1989; Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1992; Fernández Marcos & Busto Saiz 1996. ↩

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