H6399 H6399
To serve or worship a deity; Aramaic verb for religious devotion and reverent service.
An Aramaic verb meaning to serve, worship, or pay reverence to a deity, cognate with Akkadian 'palahu' (to fear, revere). It appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of Daniel and Ezra. The word is central to the confrontation scenes of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar's gods (Dan 3:12–18), and Daniel continues serving his God despite the decree (Dan 6:17, 21). In Ezra 7:24 the participial form functions as a noun, 'servants of the house of God.' Spanish 'servir/sirven' and German 'dienen' consistently render the religious service dimension.
Senses
1. serve, worship (a deity) — To serve or worship a deity, paying reverence through religious devotion. This Aramaic verb (cognate with Akkadian palahu, 'to fear, revere') occurs exclusively in Daniel and Ezra. In Daniel it is the key term in the confrontation narratives: the three companions refuse to worship foreign gods (Dan 3:12, 14, 17–18, 28), and Daniel persists in serving his God (Dan 6:17, 21). In Dan 7:14, 27 it describes universal worship of the Son of Man's kingdom. In Ezra 7:24 the participle serves as a noun for temple ministers. Multilingual evidence — Spanish 'servir,' German 'dienen,' French 'servir' — consistently conveys the sense of reverent religious service. 10×
AR["تَعْبُدُ-", "تَعْبُدُونَ", "نَعْبُدُ", "نَعْبُدُهُ", "وَ-خُدَّام", "يَعْبُدُوا", "يَعْبُدُونَ"]·ben["আর-সেবাকারীদের", "সেবা-করছ", "সেবা-করছ-", "সেবা-করছি", "সেবা-করছে", "সেবা-করবে"]·DE["[ופלחי]", "dienen", "sie-werden-dienen"]·EN["and-servants-of", "serve", "serve-", "serving", "should-serve", "they-would-serve", "will-serve"]·FR["et-servir", "servir"]·heb["ו-פלחי", "יעבדו", "עובד", "עובדים"]·HI["और-न", "या-सेवकों", "सेवा-करता-है", "सेवा-करते", "सेवा-करते-हैं", "सेवा-करने-वाले", "सेवा-करें", "सेवा-करेंगे"]·ID["akan-menyembah", "beribadah", "dan-para-pelayan", "layani", "mereka-beribadah", "sembah"]·IT["e-servire", "serviranno", "servire", "servono"]·jav["badhé-ngabekti", "lan-pelayan", "ngabdi", "ngabekti-", "sami-ngabdi", "sami-ngabekti"]·KO["그들이-서기지", "그리고-섬기는자들", "서기는", "서기지", "섬기는-", "섬길것이다"]·PT["e-servos-de", "servem", "serves-", "servimos", "servindo", "servirão", "servissem"]·RU["будут-служить", "и-служителей", "служат", "служим", "служите", "служить", "служишь-"]·ES["servimos", "servirán", "sirven", "sirves", "sirviendo", "sirvieran", "y-servidores-de"]·SW["abudu", "na-watumishi", "tunamwabudu", "unamwabudu-", "watamwabudu"]·TR["(sen)", "hizmet-edecek", "tapan", "tapsınlar", "tapıyorlar", "tapıyorsunuz", "tapıyoruz", "ve-hizmetkarlar"]·urd["اور-خادموں", "خدمت-کی", "عبادت-کرتا-ہے", "پوجا-کرتے-ہیں", "پوجتے", "پوجیں", "پوجیں-گے"]
Related Senses
H8104 1. Qal: keep, observe (law/covenant) (399×)G3101 1. disciple, learner (263×)H5826 1. Qal: to help, aid (53×)H8334 1. to minister, serve (52×)H8334 2. minister, servant, attendant (46×)G5083 1. observe or obey commands (41×)H8104 2. Niphal: beware, take heed (34×)G1247 1. to serve or minister to (32×)H3256 1. discipline, chastise (Piel active) (27×)H5833 1. help, aid, assistance (26×)H8104 3. Qal: watch, look out (26×)H5341 1. keep, observe (commandments) (24×)G5083 2. guard or protect someone (23×)H5647 2. serve, minister to (a person) (21×)H5826 2. Qal participle: helper (21×)G5219 1. obey, be obedient to (20×)H5341 2. guard, protect, preserve (a person) (20×)G1398 1. serve, render service to (19×)H5828 1. help, assistance (19×)H5411 1. Nethinim, temple servants (18×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [פְּלַח] vb. pay reverence to, serve (deity) (cf. Assyrian palâḫu, fear, revere (and BH יָרֵא, פָּחַד etc.); Egyptian Aramaic פלח worship Lzb 351; 𝔗 פְּלַח serve, Syriac ܦܠܰܚ; Palm. פלחא soldier);— Pe. 1. pay reverence to deity (usually ל acc.): Impf. 3 mpl. יִפְלְחוּן Dn 3:28; 7:14, 27; so Pt. act. פָּלַח 6:17, 21, pl. פָּֽלְחִין 3:12, 14, 18, and (acc. dei) v 17. 2. pl. cstr. as n. פָּֽלְחֵי בֵית אֱלָהָא Ezr 7:24 servants of the house of God (+ priests, Nethinim, etc.).