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.
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)
▼ 1 more sense below
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)
Related Senses
H8104 1. Qal: keep, observe (law/covenant) (399×)G3101 1. disciple, learner (263×)H5647 1. worship, serve (God/deity) (203×)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×)
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;…