עבד

Aramaic

Etymology

Belonging to the root ע־ב־ד (`-b-d) pertaining to work. A Central Semitic innovation, cognate with Arabic عَبْد (ʕabd), Phoenician 𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿbd), Ugaritic 𐎓𐎁𐎄 (ʿbd), Hebrew עֶבֶד ('éved), Minaean 𐩲𐩨𐩵 (ʿbd).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕbæd/

Verb

עבד • (transliteration needed)

1. to do, to make
2. to serve, to slave

References

• H5648 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Hebrew

Root
ע־ב־ד (ʿ-b-d)
11 terms

Etymology 1

A Central Semitic innovation, cognate with Arabic عَبْد (ʕabd), Phoenician 𐤏𐤁𐤃 (ʿbd), Ugaritic 𐎓𐎁𐎄 (ʿbd), Classical Syriac ܥܒܕܐ (ʿaḇdā), Minaean 𐩲𐩨𐩵 (ʿbd).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕabd/
• (Rabbinic Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕebed/, [ʕe.βeð]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʕɛ.vɛð/, [ˈʕɛː.vɛð]
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʕeveð/, [ˈʕe.veð]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʕavað/, [ˈʕæ.væð]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈeved/, [ˈe.ved]
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈe͡ived/, [ˈe͡i.vɛɾ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈeved/, [ˈe.ved]

Noun

עֶבֶד • (éved) m (plural indefinite עֲבָדִים, singular construct עֶבֶד־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. A slave, a serf.
2. (archaic) A servant, a worshipper (of God).

Declension

Declension of עֶבֶד

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	עֶבֶד	first	עַבְדִּי		עַבְדֵּנוּ
	definite	הָעֶבֶד	second	עַבְדְּךָ	עַבְדֵּךְ	עַבְדְּכֶם	עַבְדְּכֶן
	construct	עֶבֶד־	third	עַבְדּוֹ	עַבְדָּהּ	עַבְדָּם	עַבְדָּן
plural	indefinite	עֲבָדִים	first	עבדיי / עֲבָדַי		עֲבָדֵינוּ
	definite	הָעֲבָדִים	second	עֲבָדֶיךָ	עבדייך / עֲבָדַיִךְ	עַבְדֵיכֶם	עַבְדֵיכֶן
	construct	עַבְדֵי־	third	עֲבָדָיו	עֲבָדֶיהָ	עַבְדֵיהֶם	עַבְדֵיהֶן

See also

• אָמָה (amá) (female counterpart)
• שִׁפְחָה (shifkhá) (female counterpart)

Further reading

• H5650 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕaˈbad/
• (Rabbinic Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕaˈbad/, [ʕa.ˈβað]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕɔːˈvað/, [ʕɔː.ˈvaː(.a)ð]
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕaˈvað/, [ʕa.ˈvað]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕɔˈvað/, [ʕɔ.ˈvæð]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈvad/, [ˈʔa.ˈvad]
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈɔvad/, [ˈo.vəɾ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈvad/, [(ʔ)a.ˈvad]
• Homophone: אבד

Verb

עָבַד • (avád) (pa'al construction)

1. to work, labor
2. to work, operate, function

   הַטֶּלֶוִיזְיָה הַזּאֹת עוֹבֶדֶת?

   Does this TV work?

3. to work on, convince, improve
4. to worship
5. to dupe, deceive, trick, bullshit, mess with, be played [with עַל (ál) ‘on’]

   אני לא מאמין שהוא עבד עלי

   I can't believe he tricked me

   אני חושבת שהחברים שלך עובדים עלינו.

   I think your friends are messing with us.

Conjugation

Conjugation of עָבַד (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive		לעבוד / לַעֲבֹד
		action noun		עֲבוֹדָה
		passive participle		—
finite forms		singular		plural
		m	f	m	f
past	first	עָבַדְתִּי		עָבַדְנוּ
	second	עָבַדְתָּ	עָבַדְתְּ	עֲבַדְתֶּם1	עֲבַדְתֶּן1
	third	עָבַד	עָבְדָה	עָבְדוּ
present		עוֹבֵד	עוֹבֶדֶת	עוֹבְדִים	עוֹבְדוֹת
future	first	אעבוד / אֶעֱבֹד		נעבוד / נַעֲבֹד
	second	תעבוד / תַּעֲבֹד	תַּעַבְדִי	תַּעַבְדוּ	תעבודנה / תַּעֲבֹדְנָה2
	third	יעבוד / יַעֲבֹד	תעבוד / תַּעֲבֹד	יַעַבְדוּ	תעבודנה / תַּעֲבֹדְנָה2
imperative	positive	עבוד / עֲבֹד	עִבְדִי	עִבְדוּ	עבודנה / עֲבֹדְנָה2
	negative	אַל + Second person future tense

¹ Pronounced עָבַדְתֶּם and עָבַדְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
² Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Verb

עִבֵּד • (ibéd) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of עיבד

References

• H5647 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible