Word Study for G4576 (σέβομαι)

sébomai /seb'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, i.e. adore

KJV usagedevout, religious, worship.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sébomai — 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 sébomai, represented by G4576, conveys the concept of reverence and adoration. It appears 10 times in 10 unique verses. The term is defined as to revere or adore, and is translated as "devout," "religious," or "worship." It typically describes an attitude of piety or the act of worship itself.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G4576 is used to identify individuals who revere God, particularly those who are not of Jewish descent but are drawn to the God of Israel. For example, Lydia is described as a woman "which worshipped God" Acts 16:14, and Justus is called "one that worshipped God" Acts 18:7. The term also describes groups, such as the "religious proselytes" Acts 13:43 and the "devout Greeks" Acts 17:4 who responded to the apostles' teaching. However, the word is also used to warn against empty religious practice, stating that it is possible to "worship" in vain by following the commandments of men instead of God (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7). It can even be used for pagan worship, as with those who worshipped the goddess Diana Acts 19:27.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning and context of G4576:

G1321 didáskō (to teach): This word is linked to the concept of vain worship. Worship becomes futile when it is based on teaching the commandments of men Mark 7:7.
G1778 éntalma (commandment): This term defines the basis of worship. True worship is directed toward God, while vain worship is founded on the religious precepts, or commandments, of men Matthew 15:9.
G2316 theós (God): This is the primary object of true worship. Individuals like Lydia and Justus are identified by their reverence for God (Acts 16:14, Acts 18:7).
G4339 prosḗlytos (proselyte): This term describes a convert to Judaism. It is used in conjunction with G4576 to identify "religious proselytes," people who had formally joined the Jewish faith and were known for their piety Acts 13:43.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4576 is significant, particularly in the book of Acts.

The God-Fearers: The term frequently identifies a specific group of Gentiles who, while not necessarily full proselytes, were devout and worshipped the God of Israel. These individuals, such as Lydia, Justus, and the "devout persons" in the synagogues, often proved to be the most receptive audience for the Gospel message (Acts 16:14, Acts 17:17).
Vain vs. True Worship: A crucial distinction is made between reverence for God and religious traditions based on human authority. Worship is rendered void when it consists of teaching human commandments as doctrine, demonstrating that the object and basis of worship are paramount Matthew 15:9.
A Prerequisite for Faith: The reverence described by G4576 often represents a heart prepared to receive truth. The Lord opened Lydia's heart as she was in a posture of worship, allowing her to attend to the things spoken by Paul Acts 16:14. Similarly, devout proselytes were persuaded to continue in the grace of God Acts 13:43.

Summary

In summary, G4576 is a focused term that describes a posture of reverence and adoration. It serves to identify a key group of Gentile "God-fearers" who were instrumental in the early church's expansion. Furthermore, it provides a vital theological contrast between worship that is sincere and directed at God, and worship that is empty because its foundation is in human precepts rather than divine truth.

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 10 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Accusative Plural Feminine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
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 10 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (8 verses); never once in the other 24.

Matthew

Mark

Acts

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.