eved · slave, servant

What it means

eved (עֶבֶד) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “slave, servant”.

Someone who belongs to another or is in his service. It can be a slave, a worker or a high official of the king; before God, one who serves him. "Your servant" is a polite way to say "I".

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A person who belongs to a master and works for him, without freedom of his own.
2. Someone who works for another, or a king's official.
3. "Your servant": a humble way to say "I".
4. YHWH's servant, like Moses or David.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Servant or slave: someone who is in the service of another. It comes from the verb עָבַד, “serve, work”. The text uses it for the bought slave, for the king's officials and for one who serves YHWH.

• Slave, the property of another Exodus 21:2Deuteronomy 5:15
• Official or servant of a king Genesis 40:202 Samuel 11:9
• Courtesy in speech: “your servant” instead of “I” Genesis 18:3
• Servant of YHWH Numbers 12:7Isaiah 42:1Exodus 14:31

Historical and cultural background

The law of Exodus 21:2 limits the service of a Hebrew slave to six years: in the seventh he goes out free. Deuteronomy 5:15 grounds it in memory: “you were a slave in the land of Egypt”.

How we translate it

“Servants” 345 times, “servant” 329, “slave” 64, “slaves” 62. This edition writes “slave” when the person is the property of another; “servant” in courteous speech (“your servant”), for the servants of YHWH (“my servant Moses”, Israel as his servants) and for a king's officials. So Leviticus 25:42 has both words: “they {are} my servants… they shall not be sold as a slave is sold”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• servants ×345
• servant ×329
• slave ×64
• slaves ×62

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×88
• Exodus×43
• Leviticus×9
• Numbers×11
• Deuteronomy×29
• Joshua×27
• Judges×6
• 1 Samuel×62
• 2 Samuel×106
• 1 Kings×76
• 2 Kings×58
• 1 Chronicles×27
• 2 Chronicles×44
• Ezra×5
• Nehemiah×22
• Esther×7
• Job×12
• Psalms×57
• Proverbs×10
• Ecclesiastes×4
• Isaiah×40
• Jeremiah×32
• Lamentations×1
• Ezekiel×8
• Daniel×7
• Joel×1
• Amos×1
• Micah×1
• Haggai×1
• Zechariah×3
• Malachi×2

• Genesis 9:25

  And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves he will be to his brothers.”

• Genesis 9:26

  And he said, “Blessed be YHWH, the Elohim of Shem; and let Canaan be their slave.

• Genesis 9:27

  May Elohim make room for Japheth, and let him live in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be their slave.”

• Genesis 12:16

  He dealt well with Abram because of her, and he had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male slaves, female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

• Genesis 14:15

  He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

• Genesis 18:3

  He said, “Adonai, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant.

• Genesis 18:5

  And I will bring a morsel of bread, and refresh your hearts; after that you may go on, since that is why you have come by your servant.” They said, “Do so, as you have said.”

• Genesis 19:2

  He said, “Look now, my lords, please turn aside to the house of your servant, spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No, we will spend the night in the square.”

• Genesis 19:19

  Look, your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have made great your loyal love that you have shown me by keeping me alive; but I cannot escape to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me and I die.

• Genesis 20:8

  So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their ears; and the men were very afraid.

• Genesis 20:14

  Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle, and male slaves and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and he returned to him Sarah his wife.

• Genesis 21:25

  But Abraham reproached Abimelech about a well of water that the servants of Abimelech had seized.

• Genesis 24:2

  Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who ruled over all that he had, “Put, please, your hand under my thigh,

• Genesis 24:5

  The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to come after me to this land. Must I then take back your son to the land from which you came?”

• Genesis 24:9

  The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord and swore to him concerning this matter.

• Genesis 24:10

  The servant took ten camels from the camels of his lord and went, with all kinds of good things of his lord in his hand. He rose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

• Genesis 24:14

  Let it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your jar so that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ she is the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown loyal love to my lord.”

• Genesis 24:17

  The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.”

• Genesis 24:34

  He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.

• Genesis 24:35

  YHWH has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

• Genesis 24:52

  When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground to YHWH.

• Genesis 24:53

  The servant brought out objects of silver and objects of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and costly gifts he gave to her brother and to her mother.

• Genesis 24:59

  So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.

• Genesis 24:61

  Rebekah and her girls rose and rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went.

• Genesis 24:65

  She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “He is my lord.” So she took the veil and covered herself.

• Genesis 24:66

  The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

• Genesis 26:15

  All the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped up and filled with dust.

• Genesis 26:19

  Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of living water.

• Genesis 26:24

  YHWH appeared to him that night and said, “I am the Elohim of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of Abraham my servant.”

• Genesis 26:25

  He built there an altar and called on the name of YHWH, and pitched his tent there, and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

• Genesis 26:32

  On that day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

• Genesis 27:37

  Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Look, I have made him master over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants, and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. So for you, then, what can I do, my son?”

• Genesis 30:43

  The man increased exceedingly, and he had many flocks, female slaves and male slaves, camels and donkeys.

• Genesis 32:4

  He commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: With Laban I have resided as an alien and stayed until now.

• Genesis 32:5

  I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male slaves, and slave women; and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’”

• Genesis 32:10

  I am too small for all the acts of loyal love and all the faithfulness that you have shown your servant; for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

• Genesis 32:16

  He put them in the hand of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between herd and herd.”

• Genesis 32:18

  then you shall say, ‘They are your servant’s, Jacob’s. It is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau; and look, he too is behind us.’”

• Genesis 32:20

  And you shall say, ‘Also, look, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said to himself, “I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

• Genesis 33:5

  He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children with whom Elohim has favored your servant.”

And 760 more times.