שָׁרַת97 H8334
To minister or serve in an honored capacity; as a substantive, a minister, attendant, or servant of high standing.
Unlike the more general ʿabad ('to work, serve as a slave'), sharat (שָׁרַת) denotes dignified ministerial service — the kind rendered by a trusted personal attendant or a priest in the sanctuary. Joseph 'ministered' to Potiphar in a position of trust (Gen 39:4), Joshua was Moses' personal minister (Exod 24:13), and the Levites 'minister' before the Lord in the tabernacle (Num 3:6). The Piel stem intensifies the sense of devoted, ongoing service. Translations across languages consistently distinguish this from menial labor: Spanish ministrar versus servir, German dienen in its elevated sense, and French serviteur versus esclave.
Senses
1. to minister, serve — The verbal action of ministering or serving in a position of honor, whether in cultic/priestly duty or personal attendance upon a superior. Covers finite and infinitive forms of the Piel stem. Spanish para-ministrar and German dienen capture the elevated register. The Levites serve (sharat) before the tabernacle (Num 3:6), and the priests minister in the sanctuary (Exod 28:35). 52×
AR["لِ-يَخدُموا", "لِ-يَخدُمَ", "لِ-يَخْدِمُوا", "لِـ-يَخْدِمَ", "لِـ-يَخْدِمُوا", "لِلـ-خِدمَةِ", "لِلْخِدْمَةِ", "لِنَخْدُمَ", "لِيَخْدِمَ", "لِيَخْدِمَهُ", "لِيَخْدِمُوا", "لِيَخْدِمُوهُ"]·ben["ও-কে", "তাঁকে-সেবা-করতে", "সেবা-করতে", "সেবা-করার-জন্য"]·DE["dienen", "fuer-dienend", "zu-diene", "zu-dienen-Ihn", "zu-dienen-ihn", "zu-minister"]·EN["for-serving", "to-minister", "to-serve", "to-serve-Him", "to-serve-him"]·FR["pour-serving", "servir", "à-minister", "à-ministrer", "à-servir-Lui", "à-servir-lui"]·heb["ל-שרת", "ל-שרתו"]·HI["के-लिए-सेवा-करने", "सेवा-करने", "सेवा-करने-उसकी", "सेवा-करने-के-लिए", "सेवा-करने-को", "सेवा-करनेवाले"]·ID["untuk-melayani", "untuk-melayani-Nya"]·IT["a-minister", "a-servi", "a-servire-Lui", "a-servire-lui", "per-serving", "servire"]·jav["kangge-ngladosi", "kanggé-ngladosi", "kanggé-ngladosi,", "kanggé-ngladosi-piyambakipun", "ngladosi", "supados-ngladen-Panjenenganipun", "supados-ngladosi"]·KO["그를-섬기려고", "섬기기-위하여", "섬기기-위해", "섬기다", "섬기려고", "섬기려고-", "섬기려고-그를", "에-섬기기-위하여", "에-섬기다"]·PT["para-ministrar", "para-servi-lo", "para-servir"]·RU["для-служения", "служить", "служить-Ему", "чтобы-служить", "чтобы-служить-Ему"]·ES["para-ministrar", "para-servir", "para-servirle"]·SW["kuhudumia", "kuhudumu", "kumtumikia", "kutumika", "kutumikia", "kwa-sababu-ya", "lsharet"]·TR["hizmet-etmek", "hizmet-etmek-için", "hizmet-etmek-için-O'na", "hizmet-etmesi-için-O'na", "hizmet-etmeye"]·urd["خدمت-کرتے-ہوئے", "خدمت-کرنے", "خدمت-کرنے-کو", "خدمت-کرنے-کو-اُس-کی", "خدمت-کرنے-کے-لیے"]
Gen 39:4, Gen 40:4, Exod 28:35, Exod 28:43, Exod 29:30, Exod 30:20, Exod 35:19, Exod 39:1, Exod 39:26, Exod 39:41, Num 1:50, Num 3:6 (+38 more)
2. minister, servant, attendant — A substantivized participle functioning as a noun: 'minister,' 'attendant,' 'servant' — one who occupies a recognized role of honored service. Joshua is called meshareth Mosheh, 'minister of Moses' (Exod 24:13; Josh 1:1), and Samuel serves as attendant before the Lord (1 Sam 2:11). French serviteur and German Diener both render this as a title of dignified office rather than menial labor. 46×
AR["ال-خادِمُونَ", "ال-خادِمِينَ", "الخَادِمُونَ", "الْخَادِمُونَ", "الْخَادِمِينَ", "الْمُخْدِمِينَ", "خادِمو", "خادِمونَ", "خادِمي", "خادِمُ", "خادِمِ", "خَادِمُ", "خَادِمُو", "خَادِمِي", "يَخْدِمُ"]·ben["-যারা-সেবা-করত", "পরিচর্যাকারীদের", "পরিচর্যাকারীরা", "পরিচারক", "সেবক", "সেবকেরা", "সেবা-করছিল", "সেবাকারী", "সেবাকারীদের", "সেবাকারীরা"]·DE["Diener", "Diener-von", "Knecht-von", "dienen", "dienend"]·EN["attendant-of", "ministering", "ministers-of", "servant-of", "the-ones-ministering", "the-ones-serving", "who-served"]·FR["servant", "servir", "serviteur-de"]·heb["ה-משרתים", "משָׁרתי", "משרת", "משרתי", "משרתים"]·HI["-के-सेवा-करते", "के-सेवक", "जो-सेवा-करते-थे", "जो-सेवा-करते-हैं", "मशारेत", "सेवक", "सेवको", "सेवकों", "सेवा-करते-हैं", "सेवा-करनेवाला"]·ID["melayani", "pelayan", "pelayan-pelayan", "yang-melayani"]·IT["servendo", "servire", "servitore-di", "servo-di"]·jav["abdi", "abdining", "ingkang-ngladosi", "juru-laden", "ngladosi", "para-abdi"]·KO["그-섬기는-자들", "그-섬기는-자들에게", "그-섬기는-자들의", "그-섹기는-자들", "사환", "섬기고-있다", "섬기는-자들", "섬기는-자들-아", "섬기는-자들의", "섬기는자-의", "섬기다", "시종"]·PT["ministram", "ministrava", "ministro", "os-ministrando", "os-que-servem", "os-que-serviam", "servo-de", "servos-de"]·RU["а-служащие", "слуга", "служащие", "служащий", "служащим", "служащих", "служителей", "служители", "служитель", "служителю"]·ES["el-servidor-de", "los-que-ministran", "los-que-servían", "ministrando", "ministros-de", "servidor-de", "sirviendo"]·SW["akitumikia", "msaidizi-wa", "mtumishi-wa", "wahudumu-wa", "waliohudumu", "waliomhudumia", "waliomtumikia", "wanaohudumu"]·TR["hizmet-eden", "hizmet-edenler", "hizmet-edenlere-", "hizmet-edenleri", "hizmetkari", "hizmetkârları", "hizmetkârı", "hizmetçisi"]·urd["جو-خدمت-کرتے-تھے", "خادم", "خادمو", "خادموں", "خدمت-کرتا", "خدمت-کرتا-تھا", "خدمت-کرنے-والوں", "خدمت-کرنے-والے"]
Exod 24:13, Exod 33:11, Num 11:28, Josh 1:1, 1 Sam 2:11, 1 Sam 2:18, 1 Sam 3:1, 2 Sam 13:17, 2 Sam 13:18, 1 Kgs 10:5, 1 Kgs 10:5, 2 Kgs 4:43 (+34 more)
Related Senses
H8104 1. Qal: keep, observe (law/covenant) (399×)G3101 1. disciple, learner (263×)H5826 1. Qal: to help, aid (53×)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×)G3936 1. present, offer, yield (17×)G3936 2. stand by, be present (16×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[שָׁרַת97] vb. Pi. minister, serve (cf. NH שֵׁרוּת (temple-) ministry, Ph. משרת ministry, and perhaps vb. שרת minister);— Pi. Pf. 3 ms. שֵׁרֵת Nu 8:26; Dt 18:7; 3 mpl. שֵׁרְתוּ Nu 3:6; Impf. 3 ms. וַיְשָׁ֫רֶת Gn 39:4, 3 mpl. יְשָֽׁרְתוּ Nu 3:31 +, etc.; Inf. cstr. לְשָׁרֵת Ex 28:35 +, לְשָׁ֫רֶת שָׁם Dt 17:12, etc.; Pt. מְשָׁרֵת Nu 11:28 + (2 S 13:9 v. מַשְׂרֵת, p. 602a), f. מְשָׁרַת 1 K 1:15;…