σέβω, and (so everywhere in the Scriptures) σέβομαι; from Homer down; to revere, to worship: τινα (a deity), Mat_15:9; Mar_7:7; Act_18:13; Act_19:27 (Wis_15:18 etc.; for ιΘψΕΰ, Jos_4:24; Jos_22:25; Jon_1:9). In the Acts, proselytes of the gate (see προσήλυτος, 2) are called σεβόμενοι τόν Θεόν (`men that worship God'), Act_16:14; Act_18:7 (Josephus, Antiquities 14, 7, 2); and simply οἱ σεβόμενοι (A. V. the devout persons), Act_17:17; σεβόμενοι προσήλυτοι (R. V. devout proselytes), Act_13:43; σεβομεναι γυναῖκες, Act_13:50; τῶν ... σεβομένων Ἑλλήνων, (A. V. the devout Greeks), Act_17:4; in the Latin church,metuentes, verecundi, religiosi, timorati; Vulg. (except Act_13:50)colentes; cf. Thilo in his Cod. apocr. Nov. Test., p. 521.

σέβω sebō 10x mid., to stand in awe; to venerate, reverence, worship, adore, Mat_15:9 ; Mar_7:7 ; Act_18:13 ; Act_19:27 ; part. σεβόμενος , η , ον , worshiping, devout, pious, a term applied to proselytes t o Judaism, Act_13:43 ; Act_16:14 ; Act_18:7 ; Act_13:50 ; Act_17:4 ; Act_17:17 * worship.

σέβω , [in LXX (chiefly for H3372 , Jos_4:24 , al. ) and NT always mid ., σέβομαι , exc . 4Ma_5:24 ;] to worship: c . acc pers ., Mat_15:9 , Mar_7:7 , Act_18:13 ; Act_19:27 ; σεβόμενος τ . θεόν , Act_16:14 ; Act_18:7 ; σεβόμενοι (σ . προσήλυτοι , σ . Ἕλληνες ), devout , Act_13:43 ; Act_13:50 ; Act_17:4 ; Act_17:17 ( cf. προσήλυτος ).†

σέβομαι [page 570] reverence, worship, is found in the NT only in the mid. ( Mar_7:7 , Act_16:14 , al .) : cf. PSI IV. 361 .9 (B.C. 251 0) ὅσοι αὐτὸν σέβονται , P Tebt I. 59 .11 (B.C. 99) διὰ τὸ ἄνωθεν φοβεῖσθαι καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ ἱερόν , Chrest . I. 116 .2 (sayings of Sansnos ii/iii A.D.) σέβου τὸ θεῖον , and Syll 256 (= .3 557) .7 ( c . B.C. 207 6) τοῖς σε [β ]ομένοις Ἀπ [ολλῶνα Πύθιον . We may add the claim of a worshipper of an obscure sect P Oxy XI. 1381 .202 (ii/A.D.) Ἑλλην [ὶ ]ς δὲ π [ᾶ ]σα γλῶσσα τὴν σὴν λαλ [ή ][[. .]]σε [ι ] ἱστορίαν κ̣[αὶ ] πᾶς Ἕλ [λ ]ην ἀνὴρ τὸν τ̣[ο ]υ̣̑ Φθᾶ σεβήσεται Ἰμού [θ ]ην , every Greek tongue will tell thy story, and every Greek man will worship the son of Ptah, Imouthes (Edd.). This reminds Reitzenstein ( Hell. Myst. Rel . p. 70) of Php_2:11 : see further Halliday Pagan Background of Early Christianity , p. 246. The phrase οἱ σεβόμενοι (or φοβούμενοι ) τὸν θεόν in the book of Acts to denote pagans in close touch with Jewish worship is discussed by Schόrer Geschichte .3 III. p. 123 ff. (= HJP II. ii. p. 314 ff.). Deissmann ( LAE 2 , p. 451 f.) cites an inscr. from a seat in the theatre of Miletus, dating from the Roman period, in which the Jews themselves are described as Θεοσέβιοι Τόπος Εἰουδέων τῶν καὶ Θεοσεβίον . Place of the Jews who are also called God-fearing. The act. of the verb is seen in the libellus P Oxy XII. 1464 .5 (A.D. 250) ἀεὶ μὲν θύειν καὶ [σπέ ]νδειν καὶ σέβ̣ειν θεοῖς εἰθισμένοις , and in Kaibel 651 .6 (ii/A.D.) σῶ [μα ] χ [ι ]τὼν ψυχῆς· τὸν δὲ θεὸν σέβε μου , where the editor notes that τὸν θεόν μου = τὸ θεῖόν μου , animam meam .

σέβομαι σέβομαι, [Etym: mostly in pres.] Dep. "to feel awe or fear" before God, "to feel religious awe, feel shame", Il. , Ar. ; σεφθεῖσα "awe-stricken", Plat. : c. inf. "to dread or fear to do" a thing, Aesch. , Plat. c. acc. pers. "to honour with pious awe, to worship", Lat. veneror, Pind. , Hdt. , etc.:—then, "to do homage to, pay honour or respect to", Trag.

σέβω [in LXX (chiefly for יָרֵא, Jos.4:24, al.) and NT always mid., σέβομαι, exc. 4Ma.5:24 ;] to worship: with accusative of person(s), Mat.15:9, Mrk.7:7, Act.18:13 19:27; σεβόμενος τ. θεόν, Act.16:14 18:7; σεβόμενοι (σ. προσήλυτοι, σ. Ἕλληνες), devout, Act.13:43, 50 17:4, 17 (cf. προσήλυτος).† (AS)