Word

λειτουργέω

leitourgéō · G3008 · Greek · 3 occurrences

See all 3 in Search

Meanings

to serve, service

To serve, with the implication of more formal or regular service

Examples
Acts 13:2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.”
to perform religious duties, to carry out religious rites

To perform religious rites as part of one’s religious duties or as the result of one’s role

Examples
Hebrews 10:11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;

How it’s used In 4 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

3 occurrences in 3 groups

αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 1
Not stated (infinitive) 1
Not stated (participle) 1

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

2 occurrences in 2 groups

κύριοςLord 1
αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 1

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

2 occurrences in 2 groups

ἐνin+ σαρκικόςfleshly, worldly 1
κατάaccording to, against, down+ ἡμέραday 1

What is done to itIt is the object

1 occurrences in 1 groups

ὀφείλωought, to owe 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 3 words

שָׁרַת shârath · H8334 · to attend, to wait on, to serve: λειτουργέω (leitourgéō, G3008) λειτουργέω denotes formal religious/public service (primarily cultic ministry in LXX contexts), while שָׁרַת (shârath, H8334) שָׁרַת covers broader ministerial service including temple/priestly duties but extending to general court/personal service; the overlap centers on liturgical/sacerdotal functions where both describe priestly/Levitical ministry before God.
עָבַד ʻâbad · H5647 · to serve (someone), to make (someone) serve (someone else): עָבַד (ʻâbad, H5647) עָבַד denotes general service/work including cultic service, while λειτουργέω (leitourgéō, G3008) λειτουργέω specifically emphasizes public/religious service functions; the Greek term represents the more specialized liturgical/ministerial subset of the broader Hebrew semantic range.
צָבָא tsâbâʼ · H6635 · work, service, war: צָבָא (tsâbâʼ, H6635) צָבָא denotes organized service or duty (military host, temple service, appointed time), whereas λειτουργέω (leitourgéō, G3008) λειτουργέω specifically denotes the performance of public or religious service as an active verb; the Hebrew term encompasses the body/group performing service while the Greek term focuses on the act of serving itself, with overlap in contexts of Levitical/cultic service where the organized body (צָבָא) performs liturgical functions (λειτουργέω).

Semantic domains 2 entries

To serve, service35.22: λειτουργέω describes performing religious or public service. Acts 13:2 recounts that while the prophets and teachers at Antioch “were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me,’” the λειτουργούντων naming this devoted service during which the Spirit spoke.
To perform religious duties, to carry out religious rites53.13: The verb also denotes formally carrying out the sacred duties of religious office. Hebrews 10:11 contrasts every priest who stands “daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,” the λειτουργῶν naming this recurring priestly duty that Christ's own sacrifice surpassed.

Word family 7 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

λαός laós · G2992 · nation, people, people of God · 142×Λαοδίκεια Laodíkeia · G2993 · Laodicia, a place in Asia Minor · 6×λειτουργία leitourgía · G3009 · to serve, service, ministry · 6×λειτουργός leitourgós · G3011 · servant · 5×λειτουργέωleitourgéō · G3008Λαοδικεύς Laodikeús · G2994 · a Laodicean · 1×λειτουργικός leitourgikós · G3010 · serving · 1×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon participle λειτουργῶν; 1 aorist infinitive λειτουργῆσαι; (from λειτουργός, which see); 1.…

participle λειτουργῶν; 1 aorist infinitive λειτουργῆσαι; (from λειτουργός, which see);
1. in Attic, especially the orators, "to serve the state at one's own cost; to assume an office which must be administered at one's own expense; to discharge a public office at one's own cost; to render public service to the state" (cf. Melanchthon in Apology, Confessions, Augustine, p. 270f (Corpus Reformat. edition Bindseil (post Bretschn.) vol. xxvli., p. 623, and F. Francke, Conf. Luth., Part i., p. 271 note (Lipsius 1846)); Wolf, Demosthenes, Lept., p. 85ff; Böckh, Athen. Staatshaush. i., p. 480ff; Lübker, Reallex. des class. Alterth. (or Smith, Dict. of Greek and Rom. Antiq.) under the word λειτουργία).
2. universally, to do service, to perform a work; Vulg.ministro (A. V. to minister);
a. of the priests and Levites who were busied with the sacred rites in the tabernacle or the temple (so the Sept. often for שֵׁרֵת; as Num 18:2; Ex 28:31, Ex 28:39; Ex 29:30; Joel 1:9, etc.; several times for עָבַד, Num 4:37, Num 4:39; Num 16:9; Num 18:6f; add, Sir. 4:14 (Sirach 45:15; 50:14>; Judith 4:14); 1 Macc. 10:42; (Philo, vit. Moys. 3:18; cf. ὑμῖν λειτουργουσι καί αὐτοί τήν λειτουργίαν τῶν προφητῶν καί διδασκάλων (of bishops and deacons), Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, chapter 15 [ET] (cf. Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 44, 2 [ET] etc.))): Heb 10:11. b.λειτουργουν τῷ κυρίῳ, of Christians serving Christ, whether, by prayer, or by instructing others concerning the way of salvation, or in some other way: Acts 13:2; cf. DeWette at the passage c. of those who aid others with their resources, and relieve their poverty: τίνι ἐν τίνι, Rom 15:27, cf. Sir. 10:25.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 2 entries

Serve2 occurrences Religious Practice1 occurrence

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0