λειτουργ-ός G3011
A public servant or minister; one who serves in an official capacity, whether civic or sacred.
Built from the roots for 'public' and 'work,' leitourgos originally designated a citizen who funded public works at personal expense — a deeply civic concept. The NT preserves this breadth. In Rom 13:6, governing authorities are God's leitourgoi in their civic role. Paul calls himself a leitourgos of Christ Jesus in priestly ministry to the Gentiles (Rom 15:16). Epaphroditus is Philippi's leitourgos to Paul's need (Phil 2:25). Hebrews applies the term to angels (1:7) and to Christ's superior priestly ministry (8:2).
Senses
1. sense 1 — A minister or public servant — one who carries out service on behalf of another, whether in civic, personal, or sacred contexts. The word's etymological roots in public duty give it a weight of official responsibility. Paul uses it for civil magistrates serving God's purposes (Rom 13:6) and for his own priestly role among the Gentiles (Rom 15:16). Epaphroditus is called a leitourgos for meeting Paul's material needs (Phil 2:25). Hebrews elevates it further: angels are God's ministering servants (1:7), and Christ is the leitourgos of the heavenly sanctuary (8:2). The multilingual glosses — spa: ministro, fra: serviteur, deu: Diener — all emphasize the servant-minister axis. 5×
AR["خادِمَ", "خَادِمًا", "خَادِمٌ", "خُدَّامٌ", "خُدَّامَهُ"]·ben["পরিচারকদের", "সেবক", "সেবকরা", "সেবাকারী"]·DE["Diener"]·EN["a-minister", "minister", "ministers", "servants"]·FR["serviteur"]·heb["מְשָׁרְתֵי", "מְשָׁרְתָיו", "מְשָׁרֵת"]·HI["सेवक", "सेवक,", "सेवकों"]·ID["pelayan", "pelayan-pelayan"]·IT["leitourgon", "leitourgos", "leitourgous", "servo"]·jav["abdi", "abdi-pangibadahan", "pangladosan", "pelayan"]·KO["봉사자-가", "사역자들을", "사역자이고", "일꾼", "일꾼들이라"]·PT["ministro", "ministros"]·RU["Христа", "служителей", "служители", "служитель", "служителя"]·ES["ministro", "ministros", "servidores-públicos"]·SW["mtumishi", "wahudumu", "watumishi"]·TR["hizmetkari", "hizmetkârlar", "hizmetkârı", "hizmetçilerini"]·urd["خادم", "خادم-کو", "خادموں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λειτουργ-ός, ὁ, (λήϊτος, ἔργον) one who performed a λειτουργία (which see), Refs 3rd c.AD+; λ. τῶν ἐν παισὶ λειτουργιῶν Refs __II public servant, ἡ στάσις τῶν λ. [τοῦ Σαλομῶνος] LXX; of workmen, carpenters, etc., οἰκοδόμοι καὶ λ. Refs 3rd c.BC+; at Magnesia, an official of the γερουσία, Refs; = Latin lictor, Refs 1st c.AD+ ministering to my need, NT __II.2 private servant, LXX __III in…