Greek Word Study latreuo (λατρεύω, 3000), primarily “to work for hire” from BDAG, STGHD, MCEDONTW, and VCEDONTW

Greek Strong’s Number: 3000

Greek Word: λατρεύω

Transliteration: latreuō

Phonetic Pronunciation: lat-ryoo’-o

Root: from latris (a hired menial)

Cross Reference: TDNT - 4:58,503

Part of Speech: v

Vine’s Words: Serve, Worship, Worshiping

Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:

    serve 16

    worship 3

    do the service 1

    worshipper 1

    [Total Count: 21]

from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:- serve, do the service, worship (-per).

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament Greek

v Verb Hebrew / Greek

James Strong, “Λατρεύω,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).

λατρεύω fut. λατρεύσω; 1 aor. ἐλάτρευσα (Trag. et al. in var. senses, ‘work for pay, be in servitude, render cultic service’; ins, LXX; ApcMos 13; En, Philo, SibOr 4, 104; Just.) serve, in our lit. only of the carrying out of religious duties, esp. of a cultic nature, by human beings: λ. θεῷ (Eur., Ion 152; Plut., Mor. 405c; 407e; Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 300 ὅλῃ τ. ψυχῇ; cp. En 10:21; Orig., C. Cels. 5, 11, 39 [w. προσκυνέω]) Mt 4:10; Lk 4:8 (both Dt 6:13); 1:74; Ac 7:7 (cp. Ex 3:12); 24:14; 27:23; Hb 9:14; Rv 7:15; 22:3; Pol 2:1. τῷ ὀνόματι (θεοῦ) 1 Cl 45:7; τῷ διαβόλῳ λ. serve the devil (in reality) ISm 9:1. Of the Jews λ. ἀγγέλοις PtK 2 p. 14, 26. Of image-worship (Ex 20:5; 23:24; Ezk 20:32; En 99:7; Just., A I, 53, 6; Theoph. Ant. 2, 34 p. 184, 26; 3, 9 p. 222, 23) Ac 7:42; Ro 1:25; εἰδώλοις AcPl Ha 2, 32.—W. indication of the manner in which the service (τῷ θεῷ) is performed (cp. τὴν ἀληθῆ λαθρείαν λ. τῷ θεῷ Orig., C. Cels. 2, 2, 42) (τῷ θεῷ) ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει serve (God) w. a clear conscience 2 Ti 1:3. (διὰ χάριτος) λ. εὐαρέστως τῷ θεῷ μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ δέους (in thankfulness) serve God acceptably with reverence and awe Hb 12:28. (τῷ θεῷ) λ. ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ I serve (God) with my spirit in the gospel Ro 1:9 (cp. Phil 3:3 v.l.).—Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7. νηστείαις κ. δεήσεσιν λ. νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν serve (God) night and day w. fasting and prayer Lk 2:37. οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες those who worship by the Spirit of God Phil 3:3 (HKoester, NTS 8, ’62, 320f: work as a missionary in the Spirit of God). ὁ λατρεύων the worshiper (who is concerned w. the rituals prescribed by Mosaic ordinance) Hb 9:9; 10:2.—Hb also adds to λ. in the dat. the holy objects by means of which the priest renders service 8:5; 13:10.—WBrandt, Dienst u. Dienen im NT ’31; CCranfield, Interpretation 12, ’58, 387–98; BReicke, NT Studies: TManson memorial vol., ’59, 194–209.—DELG s.v. λάτρον. M-M. EDNT. TW.

fut. fut. = future

aor. aor. = aorist

Trag. Trag. = writer (s) of tragedy

trag. = tragedy, writer (s) of tragedy

et al. et al. = et alii (and others)

var. var. = various(ly)

ins Ins, ins = Inscription, Inschrift, inscription(s). Without a period, esp. in lists, as at the beginning of entries; the capitalized form is used in titles. In conjunction with literary works this abbr. refers to the title or description of contents.

LXX LXX = Septuaginta, ed. ARahlfs, unless otherwise specified—Lists 2, beg.

ApcMos ApcMos = Apocalypse of Moses—List 2

En En = I Enoch—List 2  

Philo Philo = P. of Alexandria, I B.C.–I A.D.—List 5

SibOr SibOr = Oracula Sibyllina, II–III A.D.—List 5

Just Just , II A.D.—List 5

lit. lit. = literal(ly); literature (refererences to [scholarly] literature)

esp. esp. = especially

Eur Eur , V B.C.—List 5

Plut Plut , I–II A.D.—List 5

Philo Philo = P. of Alexandria, I B.C.–I A.D.—List 5

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

En En = I Enoch—List 2  

Orig Orig , var. works, II–III A.D.—List 5

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

Pol Pol = Polycarp to the Philippians—List 1

1 Cl 1 Cl = 1 Clement—List 1

ISm ISm = Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, I–II A.D.—List 1

PtK PtK = Petruskerygma (Preaching of Peter)—List 1

En En = I Enoch—List 2  

Just. Just(in) , II A.D.—List 5

Theoph. Ant. Theoph. Ant. = Theophilus Antiochenus, II A.D.—List 5

AcPl Ha AcPl Ha = Acts of Paul, PHamb—List 1

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

Orig Orig , var. works, II–III A.D.—List 5

w. w. = with

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

v.l. v.l. = varia lectio (variant reading)

dat. dat. = dative

w. w. = with

NTS NTS = New Testament Studies—List 6

w. w. = with

dat. dat. = dative

NT NT = New Testament

NT NT = New Testament

vol. vol. = volume

DELG DELG = PChantraine, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque—List 6

s.v. s.v. = sub voce (under the word, look up the word)

M-M M-M = JMoulton/GMilligan, Vocabulary of Greek Testament—Lists 4, 6

EDNT EDNT = Exegetical Dictionary of the NT—List 6

TW TW = Theologisches Wörterbuch zum NT; tr. GBromiley, Theological Dictionary of the NT—List 6

William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 587.

[3302] λατρεύω latreuō 21× to be a servant, to serve, Acts 27:23; to render religious service and homage, worship, Mt. 4:10; Lk. 1:74; spc. to offer sacrifices, present offerings, Heb. 8:5; 9:9 [3000] See serve; worship.

[ Goodrick-Kohlenberger number

] Goodrick-Kohlenberger number

× the number of times it occurs in the New Testament

[ corresponding Strong’s number

] corresponding Strong’s number

William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 1199.

latreuo (λατρεύω, 3000), primarily “to work for hire” (akin to latris, “a hired servant”), signifies (1) to worship, (2) to “serve”; in the latter sense it is used of service (a) to God, Matt. 4:10; Luke 1:74 (“without fear”);Luke 4:8; Acts 7:7; 24:14, RV, “serve” (KJV, “worship”); Acts 26:7; 27:23; Rom. 1:9 (“with my spirit”); 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 9:14; 12:28, KJV, “we may serve,” RV, “we may offer service”; Rev. 7:15; (b) to God and Christ (“the Lamb”), Rev. 22:3; (c) in the tabernacle, Heb. 8:5, RV; Heb 13:10; (d) to “the host of heaven,” Acts 7:42, RV, “to serve” (KJV, “to worship”); (e) to “the creature,” instead of the Creator, Rom. 1:25, of idolatry: see WORSHIP.

Note: In Luke 2:37 the RV has “worshiping,” for KJV, “served”; in Heb. 9:9, “the worshiper,” for KJV, “that did the service.

W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 563.

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