σέβομαι G4576
To worship, revere, or show pious devotion — often of Gentile God-fearers drawn to Judaism
A verb denoting reverent worship or religious devotion, appearing most characteristically in Acts to describe Gentile God-fearers who worshipped the God of Israel without full proselyte conversion. Lydia is a sebomene, a worshiper of God, when Paul meets her at Philippi (Acts 16:14). Paul regularly addresses synagogue audiences that include sebomenoi alongside Jews (Acts 13:43, 50; 17:4, 17). In the Gospels, Jesus cites Isaiah's rebuke: 'In vain do they worship me' (Matt 15:9; Mark 7:7). The term thus spans authentic and deficient worship. Spanish 'adorar/venerar' and French 'adorer' convey the reverential posture.
Senses
1. to worship, revere God — To worship or revere God with pious devotion, used both of sincere religious veneration and of vain, lip-service worship. In Acts, it characteristically identifies Gentile God-fearers (sebomenoi) who were attracted to Judaism's monotheism and ethics without full conversion — Lydia (Acts 16:14), devout Greeks in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4), and proselyte-adjacent attendees of synagogues (Acts 13:43, 50). Jesus uses the term negatively via Isaiah to indict merely external worship (Matt 15:9; Mark 7:7). Spanish 'adorar/venerar' and German 'anbeten' capture the range from deep reverence to hollow ritual. 10×
AR["أَنْ-يَعْبُدُوا", "الأَتقِياءِ", "تَعْبُدُهَا", "مُتَعَبِّداتِ", "مُتَعَبِّدينَ", "مُتَعَبِّدَةٌ", "مُتَّقٍ", "يَعْبُدُونَ"]·ben["ঈশ্বরভক্ত", "উপাসক", "উপাসকদের", "উপাসনা-করতে", "উপাসনা-করে", "পূজা-করে", "ভক্ত", "ভক্তদের", "ভক্তি-করছে"]·DE["anbeten", "verehrt"]·EN["devout", "they-worship", "to-worship", "worshiping", "worshipping", "worships"]·FR["adorer"]·heb["יְרֵא-אֵל", "יִרְאֵי-הָ-", "יִרְאֵי-הָאֵל", "יִרְאֵי-שָׁמַיִם", "יִרְאַת-", "יִרְאוֹת-שָׁמַיִם", "לַעֲבֹד", "מְיַרְאִים", "עוֹבְדִים", "עוֹבֶדֶת"]·HI["पूजता-है", "पूजनेवाली", "पूजनेवाले", "पोओज-करते-हैन", "भक्ति-करना", "भक्तिन-करने-वाली", "भक्तिन-करने-वाले", "भक्तिनों-से", "मुझे"]·ID["menyembah", "mereka-menyembah", "yang-menyembah"]·IT["adorare", "sebontai"]·jav["ingkang-mursid", "kang-nyembah", "nyembah", "sami-nyembah"]·KO["경건한", "경건한-자들과", "경배하는", "경배하도록", "경배한다"]·PT["adora.", "adoradoras", "adoradores", "adoram", "que-adorava"]·RU["почитает.", "почитать", "почитают", "чтущая", "чтущего", "чтущими", "чтущих"]·ES["a-adorar", "adora", "adoradora", "adoradoras", "adoradores", "me-veneran", "temeroso", "temerosos"]·SW["amchaye", "inamwabudu", "kuabudu", "waabudu", "wamchao", "wananiabudu", "waniabudu"]·TR["tapan", "tapanlardan", "tapanlarla", "tapmayı", "tapınıyorlar", "tapıyor"]·urd["خدا-ترس", "خدا-پرست", "عبادت-کرتے-ہیں", "عبادت-کرنے-والوں", "عبادت-کرنے-والی", "عبادت-کرنے-والے", "پرستش-کرتی-ہے", "پرستش-کرتے-ہیں", "پرستش-کرنے-کو"]
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
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…