εἰδωλο-λάτρης G1496
An idolater; one who worships images or false gods, often extended to include spiritual unfaithfulness such as greed.
A compound noun formed from eidolon ('image, idol') and latres ('worshipper'), designating someone who renders worship to false gods or their images. Paul deploys it in vice lists alongside sexually immoral persons, drunkards, and the greedy (1 Cor 5:10–11; 6:9), and strikingly equates covetousness with idolatry in Ephesians 5:5. Revelation closes the canon with this word on the lips of judgment, barring idolaters from the holy city (Rev 21:8; 22:15). The multilingual glosses — Spanish 'idolatra,' French 'idolatre,' German 'Gotzendiener' ('idol-servant') — all preserve the concrete image-worship sense, though the Pauline usage pushes the term beyond literal statues to any ultimate allegiance that displaces God.
Senses
1. idolater, one who worships idols — A person who worships idols or false gods — literally one who serves images, but extended by Paul to include anyone whose deepest loyalty belongs to something other than God. In the Corinthian correspondence, idolaters appear in ethical catalogues alongside the sexually immoral and swindlers (1 Cor 5:10–11; 6:9), and 1 Corinthians 10:7 recalls Israel's golden-calf worship as a warning. Ephesians 5:5 broadens the term memorably: a greedy person 'is an idolater.' The German gloss 'Gotzendiener' (idol-servant) captures the underlying etymology well, while Revelation 21:8 and 22:15 place idolaters among those excluded from the new Jerusalem. 7×
AR["عابِدو-الأَوْثانِ", "عابِدي-الأَوْثانِ", "عابِدُ-أَصنامٍ", "عابِدِ-أَوْثانٍ", "عَبَدَةَ-أوثانٍ", "عَبَدَةُ الأَوْثانِ"]·ben["প্রতিমা-পূজক", "প্রতিমা-পূজকদের", "প্রতিমা-পূজকদের -", "প্রতিমা-পূজকেরা", "মূর্তিপূজক", "মূর্তিপূজকেরা,"]·DE["Goetzendiener"]·EN["idolater", "idolaters"]·FR["idolâtre"]·heb["עוֹבְדֵי-אֱלִילִים", "עוֹבֵד-אֱלִילִים"]·HI["जो-करता-है", "मुरतिपुजक", "मूर्ति-पूजक", "मूर्तिपूजक", "मूर्तिपूजकों"]·ID["penyembah-berhala", "penyembah-berhala,", "penyembah-penyembah-berhala"]·IT["eidōlolatrai", "eidōlolatrais", "eidōlolatrēs", "idolatra"]·jav["nyembah-brahala,", "panyembah-brahala", "panyembah-brahala,", "panyembah-brahala-", "tiyang-nyembah-brahala"]·KO["우상숭배자", "우상숭배자-이니", "우상숭배자들", "우상숭배자들과", "우상숭배자들이"]·PT["idólatra", "idólatra,", "idólatras"]·RU["идолопоклонникам", "идолопоклонники", "идолослужители,", "идолослужитель", "идолослужитель,", "идолослужителями", "идолослужителями;"]·ES["idólatra", "idólatras", "idólatras,"]·SW["msiwe-waabudu-sanamu,", "mwabudu-sanamu", "waabudu-sanamu", "waabudu-sanamu,", "waabudu-sanamu--"]·TR["putperest", "putperestler", "putperestlerin", "putperestlerle", "ya da-"]·urd["بت-پرست", "بت-پرستوں"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
εἰδωλο-λάτρης, ου, ὁ, ἡ, idol-worshipper, idolater, [prev. work] 5.10, etc.