H5656 H5656
Labor, service, or ministry -- especially cultic service of the tabernacle/temple, but also general duty, manual work, and oppressive bondage.
One of the Hebrew Bible's most versatile work-words, avodah spans the full spectrum from sacred ministry to slave labor. In its dominant usage (~93x), it denotes the cultic service of the tabernacle and temple -- the Levites' carrying, assembling, and guarding duties described throughout Numbers and Chronicles. Beyond the sanctuary, it covers general service rendered to kings or communities (Exod 12:25-26), ordinary agricultural and artisan labor (Exod 1:14; Ps 104:23), and at its darkest extreme, the grinding bondage of slavery in Egypt (Exod 6:6, 9). Arabic distinguishes khidmah (service) from ubudiyyah (bondage), and Swahili separates utumishi (ministry) from utumwa (slavery) -- revealing the same semantic structure multilingual evidence confirms.
Senses
1. cultic service of tabernacle — Cultic service of the tabernacle or temple (~93x) -- by far the dominant sense. This covers the Levitical duties of transporting, assembling, and maintaining the sanctuary (Num 3:7-8; 4:4-33), the service of worship and sacrifice (1 Chr 28:13-14), and temple maintenance (2 Chr 34:13). French service-de and German Dienst-von both render it as ministerial duty tied to the sacred precinct. The construct chain 'avodat ha-mishkan' or 'avodat ohel mo'ed' is the characteristic formula. 93×
AR["خِدمَةِ", "خِدْمَةَ", "خِدْمَةُ", "خِدْمَةِ", "عَمَلَ"]·ben["সেবা", "সেবাকার্যের", "সেবার"]·DE["Dienst-von"]·EN["service-of"]·FR["service-de"]·heb["עבדת", "עבודת"]·HI["काम-के", "सेवा", "सेवा-की"]·ID["pekerjaan", "pelayanan"]·IT["service-di", "servizio-di"]·jav["ayahan", "ayahanipun", "lelados", "leladosan", "pangladosan"]·KO["봉사", "봉사-의", "섬김-의", "일", "일-의", "일의"]·PT["serviço-de", "serviço-de-"]·RU["служба", "службу", "службы", "служение", "служением", "служению", "служения"]·ES["servicio-de"]·SW["huduma", "huduma-ya", "kazi", "utumishi", "utumishi-wa", "utumishi-wote", "ya-huduma-ya-"]·TR["hizmeti", "hizmetini", "hizmetinin"]·urd["خدمت", "خدمت-کا", "خدمت-کی", "خدمت-کے"]
Exod 30:16, Exod 36:1, Exod 36:3, Exod 38:21, Exod 39:40, Num 3:7, Num 3:8, Num 4:4, Num 4:24, Num 4:26, Num 4:27, Num 4:27 (+38 more)
2. general service or ministry — General service or ministry (~29x) -- non-cultic duties rendered to a person, ruler, or community. This includes the Passover observance as a 'service' (Exod 12:25-26), royal administration (1 Chr 26:30), and assigned ministerial roles. Korean distinguishes 봉사 (devoted service) and 섬김 (attendance), while Swahili uses huduma (public service) -- all confirming that this sense occupies a middle register between sacred ritual and manual labor. 29×
AR["خِدْمَةٍ", "عَمَلاً", "عَمَلٍ", "وَ-خِدْمَةً", "وَخِدْمَةٍ"]·ben["আবোদাহ", "আর-সেবার", "এবং-সেবা", "শ্রম", "শ্রমের", "সেবা", "সেবার"]·DE["Arbeit", "Dienst", "und-Dienst"]·EN["and-service", "labor", "service"]·FR["et-service", "service", "travail"]·heb["ו-עבדה", "ו-עבודה", "עבדה", "עבודה"]·HI["और-सेवा", "सेवकाई-का", "सेवा", "सेवा-का", "सेवा-की"]·ID["-pelayanan", "berat", "demi-pelayanan", "pekerjaan", "pelayanan", "tetapi-pekerjaan"]·IT["e-servizio", "lavoro", "servizio"]·jav["lan-ayahan", "lan-pangladosan", "paladosan", "pangabdi", "pangladosan", "rèncang"]·KO["그리고-봉사", "봉사", "섹김", "일은", "종"]·PT["e-serviço", "e-trabalho", "serviço"]·RU["и-службу", "и-служения", "служебной", "служением", "служения", "трудовую"]·ES["servicio", "y-servicio"]·SW["huduma", "kufanya-kazi", "na-utumishi", "utumishi"]·TR["hizmet", "hizmet-için", "hizmeti", "hizmetin", "ve-hizmet", "ve-hizmetin"]·urd["اور-خدمت", "اور-خدمت-کے", "خدمت", "خدمت-کا", "خدمت-کی", "خدمت-کے-لیے", "مشقت-کا"]
3. work or labor — Work or labor (~18x) -- physical, productive toil, especially agricultural or construction work. Ps 104:23 uses it for a person going out 'to his work' in the fields; 1 Chr 27:26 specifies field labor. The Exodus narratives describe the Israelites' avodah in Egypt initially in this neutral sense of hard work (Exod 1:14) before it shades into oppression. Arabic amal (work) and Swahili kazi (labor) render this concrete, non-sacred sense. 18×
AR["اسْتِعْبَادَ", "الْعَمَلُ", "الْعَمَلِ", "الْعُبُودِيَّةِ", "بِ-عَمَلٍ", "عابِدي", "عَمَلٍ", "عَمَلَهُ", "عَمَلِ", "عَمَلِهِمُ", "عُبُودِيَّةً", "فِي-خِدْمَةِ", "لِعَمَلٍ", "مِن-عَمَلِ", "مِنْ-عَمَلِكُمْ"]·ben["-কাজে", "কাজ", "কাজের", "তাঁর-কাজ", "তাদের-সেবায়", "তোমাদের-কাজ-থেকে", "দাসত্বের", "পরিশ্রমে", "সেবা", "সেবা-থেকে"]·DE["Arbeit", "Dienst", "Werk-von", "[בעבדת]", "[עבדתו]", "das-Werk", "der-Arbeit", "der-Dienst", "ihr-Arbeit", "mit-Arbeit", "von-dein-Arbeit"]·EN["His-work", "from-the-service-of", "from-your-labor", "into-work-of", "is-His-work", "labor", "the-labor", "the-work", "their-labor", "with-labor", "work-of"]·FR["[העבדה]", "[עבדה]", "avec-labeur", "de-ton-labeur", "labeur", "le-labeur", "le-travail", "leur-labeur", "oeuvre-de", "service", "servitude", "travail", "travail-de"]·heb["ב-עבודה", "ה-עבודה", "מ-עבודה", "מ-עבודתכם", "עבדת", "עבודה", "עבודת", "עבודתו", "עבודתם"]·HI["काम", "काम-उनका", "काम-में", "काम-से-तुमारे", "कार्य-अपना", "से-सेवा", "सेवा", "सेवा-की"]·ID["dalam-pekerjaan", "dari-pekerjaan", "dari-pekerjaan-kamu", "dengan-kerja", "dengan-pekerjaan", "pekerjaan", "pekerjaan-", "pekerjaan-Nya", "pekerjaan-mereka", "perbudakan"]·IT["con-lavoro", "da-tuo-lavoro", "il-lavoro", "l'-opera", "lavoro", "loro-lavoro", "opera-di", "servizio"]·jav["ing-pedamelan", "kanthi-padamelan", "kawulaan", "ladosan-Ipun", "padamelan", "padamelan-ipun", "padamelan-punika", "pagawéyan", "pandamelaning", "saking-padamelan-ipun", "saking-pandamelipun"]·KO["그-수고", "그-역사를", "그-일을", "그-일이", "그리고-부르짖었다", "너희의-일에서", "노동", "노동-그들의을", "노동으로", "노동을", "수고를-", "에-봉사", "에서-서비스", "일-의", "일의", "일이"]·PT["'Avodat", "Seu-trabalho", "a-obra", "com-trabalho", "de-trabalho-vosso", "do-serviço-de", "no-trabalho-de", "o-trabalho", "obra-de", "trabalho", "trabalho-de", "trabalho-deles"]·RU["на-работу", "от-работы-вашей", "от-служения", "работа", "работой", "работу", "работу-Его", "работу-их", "работы", "служение", "служением"]·ES["con-trabajo", "de-servicio-de", "de-vuestro-trabajo", "el-trabajo", "en-obra-de", "la-obra", "obra-de", "su-trabajo", "trabajo", "trabajo-de"]·SW["hiyo", "katika-kazi-ya", "kazi", "kazi-ya", "kazi-ya-", "kazi-yake", "kazi-yao", "kutoka-kazi", "kutoka-kazi-yenu", "kwa-kazi", "ya-huduma-ya"]·TR["-den-hizmeti", "-hizmeti", "hizmet", "hizmeti", "hizmetin", "isini", "iş", "işi-", "işinde", "işinizden", "işle", "işlerini", "işten", "kölelik"]·urd["اپنی-خدمت", "خدمت", "خدمت-سے", "محنت", "میں-خدمت", "کام", "کام-ان-کا", "کام-تمہارے-سے"]
Exod 1:14, Exod 1:14, Exod 1:14, Exod 2:23, Exod 2:23, Exod 5:9, Exod 5:11, Exod 39:32, Exod 39:42, Lev 25:39, Deut 26:6, 1 Chr 4:21 (+6 more)
4. bondage or servitude — Bondage or servitude (~5x) -- forced labor imposed upon a subjugated people, carrying connotations of oppression and dehumanization. Exod 6:6 and 6:9 use it for Egypt's crushing servitude from which God delivers Israel; 1 Kgs 12:4 records Jeroboam's complaint about Solomon's heavy yoke. Arabic ubudiyyah (slavery) and Swahili utumwa (bondage) sharply distinguish this from neutral labor, and German Knechtschaft (serfdom) captures the oppressive weight. 5×
AR["الْعُبُودِيَّةِ", "مِنْ-عُبُودِيَّةِ", "مِنْ-عُبُودِيَّتِهِمْ", "وَمِنْ-عُبُودِيَّةٍ"]·ben["-দাসত্ব", "ও-দাসত্ব-থেকে", "কাজ-থেকে", "তাদের-দাসত্ব-থেকে", "দাসত্ব"]·DE["[העבדה]", "[עבדה]", "und-von-Knechtschaft", "von-ihr-Knechtschaft", "von-service-von"]·EN["and-from-bondage", "from-service-of", "from-their-bondage", "of-servitude", "the-service"]·FR["de-leur-servitude", "de-service-de", "et-de-servitude", "le-servitude", "servitude"]·heb["ה-עבודה", "ו-מ-עבודה", "מ-עבודתם", "מֵ-עֲבֹדַת", "עבודה"]·HI["उनकी-दासता-से", "और-दासता-के-कारण", "दासता-", "दासत्व", "से-सेवा"]·ID["-perbudakan", "dan-karena-perbudakan", "dari-kerja-paksa", "dari-perbudakan-mereka", "perbudakan"]·IT["da-loro-schiavitù", "da-service-di", "e-da-schiavitù", "servizio"]·jav["lan-saking-kawulaan", "pagawean", "perbudakan", "saking-kawulaan-ipun", "saking-pedamelan"]·KO["그들의-노동에서", "그리고-때문에-노동", "노역-에서", "에서-노동-", "종살이"]·PT["a-servidão", "de-trabalho-deles", "do-serviço-de", "e-de-trabalho", "servidão"]·RU["и-от-рабства", "от-работы", "от-рабства-их", "рабства"]·ES["de-servicio-de", "de-su-servidumbre", "la-servidumbre", "servidumbre", "y-por-trabajo"]·SW["kutoka-utumishi-wa", "kutoka-utumwa-wao", "na-kwa-utumwa", "utumwa"]·TR["hizmetinden", "kulluk", "kölelik", "köleliklerinden", "ve-işten"]·urd["اور-غلامی-سے", "سے-خدمت", "غلامی", "غلامی-ان-کی-سے", "غلامی-سے"]
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
† עֲבֹדָה and (Chr) עֲבוֹדָה 145 n.f. labour, service (on format. v. LagBN 179 BaNB 61);—ע׳ Ex 1:14 + 41 times; cstr. עֲבֹדַת 3016 + 43 times; sf. עֲבֹדָתִי Gn 30:26 + 33 times sfs.; in Chr עֲבוֹדָה 1 Ch 28:14 + 7 times; cstr. עֲבוֹדַת 633 + 13 times; sf. עֲבוֹדָתִי 2 Ch 12:8; עֲבוֹדָתָם 1 Ch 6:17; 2 Ch 31:16;— 1. †labour, work, ψ 10423; in the field Ex 1:14; 1 Ch 27:26, prob. Ne 10:38 (עָרֵי…