Quick Definition
σέβομαι v. I reverence, worship
Strong's Definition
to revere, i.e. adore
Derivation: middle voice of an apparently primary verb;
KJV Usage: devout, religious, worship
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀσέβεια · ἀσεβέω · ἀσεβής · εὐσέβεια · εὐσεβέω · εὐσεβής · εὐσεβῶς · θεοσέβεια · θεοσεβής · σεβάζομαι · σέβασμα · σεβαστός · σεμνός · σεμνότης
53.53 · (σέβομαι) · Religious Activities · Worship, Reverence
to worship, to venerate to express in attitude and ritual one’s allegiance to and regard for deity In a number of languages worship is expressed in an idiomatic manner, for example, ‘to bow down before,’ ‘to lower one’s head before,’ ‘to raise one’s arms to,’ ‘to sing to,’ ‘to honor.’ It is important in selecting an expression for worship to employ a term or phrase which will include various aspects of worship.
MAT 15:9 · MRK 7:7 · ACT 13:43 · ACT 13:50 · ACT 16:14 · ACT 17:4 · ACT 17:17 · ACT 18:7 · ACT 18:13 · ACT 19:27
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σέβω, and (so everywh. in the Scriptures) σέβομαι ; fr. Hom. down; (0 revere, to worship: τινά (adeity), Mt. xv. 9; Mk. vii. 7; Acts xviii. 13; xix. 27, (Sap. xv. 18 ete.; for $V, Josh. iv. 24; xxii. 25; Jon.i. 9). In the Acts, “proselytes of the gate” (see προσήλυτος, 2) are called σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν, [men that worship God’], Acts xvi. 14; xviii. 7, (Joseph. antt. 14, 7, 2); and simply οἱ σεβόμενοι, [A. V. the devout persons], Acts xvii. 17; oe βόμενοι προσήλυτοι, [R. V. devout proselyltes], Acts xiii. 433 σεβόμεναι γυναῖκες, ib. 50; of σεβ. Ἕλληνες, [A. V. the devout Greeks], Acts xvii. 4; in the Latin church, metuentes, verecundi, religiosi, timorati; Vulg. [exe. Acts xiii. 50] colentes ; cf. Thilo in his Cod. apocr. Nov. Test. p- 521.* |
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σέβω sebō 10x
mid., to stand in awe; to venerate, reverence, worship, adore, Mt. 15:9; Mk. 7:7; Acts 18:13; 19:27; part. σεβόμενος, η, ον, worshiping, devout, pious, a term applied to proselytes to Judaism, Acts 13:43; 16:14; 18:7; 13:50; 17:4, 17*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σέβω
[in LXX (chiefly for יָרֵא, Jos 4:24, al.) and NT always mid., σέβομαι, exc. IV Mac 5:24 ;]
to worship: c. acc. pers., Mt 15:9, Mk 7:7, Ac 18:13 19:27; σεβόμενος τ. θεόν, Ac 16:14 18:7; σεβόμενοι (σ. προσήλυτοι, σ. Ἕλληνες), devout, Ac 13:43, 50 17:4, 17 (cf. προσήλυτος).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σέβομαι, ** reverence, worship,” is found in the NT only in the mid. (Mk 77, Ac 1614, a/.): cf. PSI IV. 361° (B.c. 251-0) 7. 66 5) U σειρὰ ὅσοι αὐτὸν σέβονται, P Tebt I. 59! (B.c. 99) διὰ τὸ ἄνωθεν φοβεῖσθαι καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ ἱερόν, Chrest, I. 116% (sayings of (c. B.C. 207-6) τοῖς σε[β]ομένοις ᾿Απίολλῶνα Πύθιον. We may add the claim of a worshipper of an obscure sect P Oxy XI. 138120 (ii/a.p.) “EAAnv [Js δὲ πίᾶ]σα γλῶσσα τὴν σὴν AaALHI[[. -J]oet] ἱστορίαν κ[αὶ] πᾶς “ἝλΙλ]ην ἀνὴρ τὸν tlo]d POG σεβήσεται ᾿Ιμού[θ]ην, ‘‘ every Greek tongue will tell thy story, and every Greek man will worship the son of Ptah, Imouthes” (Edd.). This reminds Reitzenstein (/e//. Myst. Rel. p. 70) of Phil 211: 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 Schiirer Geschichte* III. p. 123 ff. (= A/P Il. ii. p. 314ff.). Deissmann (2.4.5, p. 451f.) 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 HiovSéwv τῶν καὶ Θεοσεβίον. ΚΕ Place of the Jews who are also called God-fearing.” The act. of the verb is seen in the libellus P Oxy XII. 1464° (A.D. 250) ἀεὶ μὲν θύειν Kal [σπέ]νδειν καὶ σέβειν θεοῖς εἰθισμένοις, and in Α'αλόελ 651° (ii/A.D.) σῶ[μα] χ[ςυ]τὼν ψυχῆς" τὸν δὲ θεὸν σέβε μου, where the editor notes that τὸν θεόν μου = τὸ θεῖόν pov, animam mean.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
σέβομαι (sebomai) — be devout. σέβομαι, mostly used in present: imperfect in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future σεβήσομαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: aorist ἐσέφθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—feel awe or fear before God,feel shame, οὔ νυ σέβεσθ; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σεφθεῖσα awe-stricken, [Refs] [same place]: rarely with infinitive, dread or fear to do a thing, σ. προσιδέσθαι.., ἀντία φάσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: so with accusative of things, to fear to do it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with participle, σ. προσορῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. after [Refs 8th c.BC+], with accusative person, revere, worship, Κρονίδαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάντων ἀνάκτων κοινοβωμίαν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; Λυκοῦργον σέβεσθαι worship him as a hero, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; do homage to Zeus, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: generally, pay honour or respect to.. , θνατοὺς ἄγαν σ. [Refs]; τὸ φίλον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. b especially of Jewish proselytes, σεβομένη τὸν θεόν [NT+1st c.AD+]; σεβόμενοι προσήλυτοι, Ἕλληνες, [NT]
3. of things, τὰ βυβλία σεβόμενοι μεγάλως [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. active σέβω is post-[Refs 8th c.BC+], used only in present and imperfect, worship, honour, mostly of the gods, σ. Δήμητρος πανήγυριν [Refs 7th c.BC+]; τἀν Ἅιδου[Refs]; rare in Prose, νομίζεται θεοὺς σέβειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also of parents, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of kings, [Refs]; of suppliants, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σέβειν ἐν τιμῇ with accusative, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, ὑβρίζειν ἐν κακοῖσιν οὐ σέβω, i.e. τὸ ὑβρίζειν, I do not respect, approve it, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: rarely of a god, Ποσειδῶν.. τὰς ἐμὰς ἀρὰς σέβων [Refs 5th c.BC+] —σέβομαι as passive, to be reverenced, ἡ δ᾽ οἴκοι [πόλις] πλέον δίκῃ σέβοιτ᾽ ἄν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ σεβόμενον reverence, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
II.2. less frequently absolutely, to worship, to be religious, τὸν σέβοντ᾽ εὐεργετεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but in all these places an object should perhaps be supplied from the context. (σέβομαι probably originally 'I shrink from.. ', of which σοβέω is the causal; perhaps cognate with Sanskrit tyajati 'desert, let go'.)