BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
ʿĂḇāḏîm — Servant in the Bible
ʿĂḇāḏîm (H5650) is the plural of ʿeḇeḏ, a Hebrew noun meaning a servant, slave, or bondservant who works under the authority of another.
Meaning of the word
ʿĂḇāḏîm is the masculine plural of the noun ʿeḇeḏ (Strong's H5650), rendered in English as 'servant,' 'manservant,' or 'bondslaves.' The term describes a person who belongs to or works under the authority of a master, whether in a household, royal court, or national context.
The noun covers a range of relationships, from voluntary household attendants who assist a family with property and livestock (as in Genesis 12:16, where male servants are listed among Abram's possessions), to officials who serve a king and carry out his commands (as in Exodus 14:5, where 'servants' refers to Pharaoh's court).
ʿĂḇāḏîm also denotes people held in slavery. Exodus 20:2 recalls Israel's deliverance from Egypt 'out of the house of bondage,' using the plural to describe the condition of forced servitude. The same Decalogue then regulates how a master treats his 'manservant' and 'maidservant' on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10) and prohibits coveting a neighbor's 'manservant' (Exodus 20:17).
Usage in Scripture
In narrative contexts, ʿĂḇāḏîm appears alongside livestock and goods as part of a household's wealth, indicating that servants were a normal feature of ancient Near Eastern life (Genesis 12:16). When used of a king's retinue, the term points to officials who share responsibility for royal decisions (Exodus 14:5).
The word takes on a theological weight when applied to covenant figures such as Moses, whom Exodus 14:31 calls 'his servant Moses,' and to the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53:11, where the singular form ʿaḇdî is used for the righteous figure who bears the iniquities of many. The plural form itself is also associated with the harshest backdrop of Israel's memory: the bondage in Egypt (Exodus 20:2).
The word in detail
- H5650 ʿĂḇāḏîm is the plural of ʿeḇeḏ (H5650). The singular covers both voluntary servants and those held in bondage, and the term can refer to household attendants, royal officials, or covenant servants such as Moses (Exodus 14:31). The root also underlies the verb ʿāḇaḏ ('to serve, work, enslave').
Example verses
- Genesis 12:16 ʿĂḇāḏîm appears here as part of Abram's possessions, showing that male servants, like livestock, were counted as a measure of a household's wealth in the patriarchal period.
- Exodus 14:5 When used of Pharaoh's court, the term denotes royal officials whose hearts turn against Israel after the departure; they are 'servants' in the political sense of governing under the king.
- Exodus 20:2 The plural here describes the condition of forced servitude in Egypt, recalling 'the house of bondage' from which YHWH delivered Israel.
- Isaiah 53:11 The singular form ʿaḇdî designates the Servant of the Lord, a righteous figure who justifies many by bearing their iniquities, taking the everyday word for 'servant' into the heart of Israel's messianic hope.
Common questions
Is ʿĂḇāḏîm the singular or plural of the word?
It is the masculine plural of ʿeḇeḏ (H5650). The singular covers one servant; the plural covers multiple servants, male slaves, or officials.
Does ʿĂḇāḏîm always mean 'slave' in a negative way?
No. The term covers voluntary household servants, royal officials, and covenant servants like Moses, as well as those held in forced labor. The sense depends on context.
How is ʿĂḇāḏîm connected to Israel's memory of Egypt?
Exodus 20:2 uses the plural to describe Israel's condition 'in the house of bondage,' shaping the biblical memory of Egypt as the place of slavery from which YHWH redeemed his people.