Word Study for G3008 (λειτουργέω)

leitourgéō /li-toorg-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom λειτουργός

Meaningto be a public servant, i.e. (by analogy) to perform religious or charitable functions (worship, obey, relieve)

KJV usageminister.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of leitourgéō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word leitourgéō, represented by G3008, means to be a public servant or to minister. It is derived from λειτουργός and encompasses the performance of religious or charitable functions. This term appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, highlighting its specific application to acts of service.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G3008 is applied in three distinct contexts of service. It describes spiritual worship, as when the leaders at Antioch ministered to the Lord and fasted Acts 13:2. It is also used for the ritualistic duties of the Levitical priesthood, with every priest "daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices" Hebrews 10:11. Finally, it refers to charitable support among believers, where it is the Gentiles' duty to minister to the Jewish saints in "carnal things" Romans 15:27.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of serving and ministering:

G2409 hiereús (priest): This term is explicitly linked to the act of ministering. In Hebrews 10:11, it is the priest who performs the daily ministering.
G3522 nēsteúō (to fast): This action is directly paired with G3008 in Acts 13:2, where the disciples ministered to the Lord and fasted, showing that ministering can be an act of worship.
G3784 opheílō (to be under obligation): This word establishes that the service described in Romans 15:27 is not merely a suggestion but a duty. The Gentiles' "duty is" to minister because they have partaken in spiritual things.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3008 is seen in its application to different forms of sacred service.

Service as Worship: The term is used for actions directed "to the Lord" G2962, such as when the church leaders in Antioch ministered in a context of fasting and seeking divine guidance Acts 13:2.
Priestly Function: It defines the official, ritual work of a priest G2409 under the Old Covenant, specifically the act of offering sacrifices Hebrews 10:11.
Mutual Support as Duty: The word extends to the practical care believers have for one another. The Gentiles were obligated to minister to their brethren in material goods, as it was their "duty is" G3784 after having been "made partakers" G2841 of spiritual blessings Romans 15:27.

Summary

In summary, G3008 defines service in its formal and functional aspects. It is not a general term for helping but rather describes the performance of a specific religious or charitable function. Whether through direct worship offered to God, the ritual duties of a priest, or the obligatory support rendered to fellow saints, leitourgéō consistently refers to acting as a public servant for a sacred purpose.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts, Romans, and Hebrews (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Acts

Romans

Hebrews

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.