← H8333 H8335 →

שָׁרַת

𐤔𐤓𐤕

shârath

H8334 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To serve, attend to duties, or minister, especially in a formal, official, or cultic capacity; encompassing the act of serving at a sanctuary, carrying out priestly or Levitical tasks, or otherwise assisting an official. While it broadly refers to service, its primary biblical use is for attending to duties in the religious or royal context.

Semantic Range

to serve in an official or cultic capacity, to minister in the sanctuary, to attend or assist persons of rank (e.g., king, priest), to render formal service, to fulfill duties as a Levite or attendant

Root / Etymology

Root שׁ־ר־ת (שָׁרַת), meaning 'to serve' or 'to minister.' The verb is based on the root שׁרת, whose core sense is 'to attend' or 'to serve.' The word שָׁרַת in its denominative Pi‘el form carries the sense of rendering service, especially in a formal or official role, often linked to sanctuary, cultic, or royal duties.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁרַת is most often used to describe the service of Levites, priests, or other attendants in the sanctuary or before a king, focusing on official, ritual, or administrative duties rather than general labor. It does not generally refer to servitude in the sense of forced labor (which is typically עָבַד), but rather formal, dignified service within hierarchically structured institutions such as the tabernacle, temple, or royal court. In later biblical books (post-exilic), its cultic use continues, tied closely to the functioning of the Temple under priestly and Levitical administration. Early English translations sometimes rendered the term as 'minister' or 'serve,' but these may not always capture the word's strong association with official religious/royal service. The distinction between שָׁרַת ('to minister, serve in an official capacity') and עָבַד ('to work, serve, toil') is significant: the former carries connotations of authorized, often privileged duty; the latter, of labor or servitude. The term does not carry specifically religious connotations outside of context.

Translation Consistency

primary "minister" 46 occurrences

Shârath primarily denotes formal or cultic service (Levitical/royal attending); "minister" best captures the official, sanctuary-focused sense while remaining natural English. It is also the most frequent render in the attested P2 forms, ensuring consistency with common usage.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"attendant" (1x) "serve" (1x) "ministering-ones" (1x) "served" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute to; minister (unto), (do) serve(-ant, -ice, -itor), wait on.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שרת (shârath) — to serve, to minister, to attend

Root שרת to serve, to minister, to attend
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8335 שָׁרֵת the ministering service

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8334-03 לְ/שָׁרֵ֞ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister 18
H8334-11 מְשָׁרְתֵ֤י mesharetey HVprmpc ministers of ministering ones of ministering ones of 9
H8334-12 מְשָׁרְתִ֜ים mesharetim HVprmpa ministering ministering attendants ministering attendants 8
H8334-27 יְשָֽׁרְתוּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they minister they will minister they will minister 8
H8334-10 מְשָׁרְתָ֜י/ו mesharetayv HVprmpc/Sp3ms his ministers his ministering-ones his ministering-ones 7
H8334-02 הַ/מְשָׁרְתִ֨ים hamesharetim HTd/Vprmpa who served the ministering-ones the ministering-ones 6
H8334-06 לְ/שָׁרְת֛/וֹ leshareto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to minister to Him to minister to him to minister to him 6
H8334-08 מְשָׁרֵת֙ mesharet HVprmsa servant ministering attendant of ministering attendant of 6
H8334-13 מְשָׁ֣רְת֔/וֹ meshareto HVprmsc/Sp3ms his servant his ministering one his ministering one 4
H8334-05 לְ/שָֽׁרְתֵ֑/נִי leshareteni HR/Vpc/Sp1cs to-serve-me to minister to me to minister to me 3

Occurrences in Scripture

98 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8334-20 Genesis 39:4 וַ/יְשָׁ֣רֶת vayesharet HC/Vpw3ms and served and he ministered and he ministered
H8334-20 Genesis 40:4 וַ/יְשָׁ֣רֶת vayesharet HC/Vpw3ms and he served and he ministered and he ministered
H8334-13 Exodus 24:13 מְשָׁרְת֑/וֹ meshareto HVprmsc/Sp3ms his servant his ministering one his ministering one
H8334-03 Exodus 28:35 לְ/שָׁרֵ֑ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 28:43 לְ/שָׁרֵ֣ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 29:30 לְ/שָׁרֵ֥ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 30:20 לְ/שָׁרֵ֔ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-18 Exodus 33:11 וּ/מְשָׁ֨רְת֜/וֹ umeshareto HC/Vprmsc/Sp3ms his servant and his ministering-one and his attendant
H8334-03 Exodus 35:19 לְ/שָׁרֵ֣ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 39:1 לְ/שָׁרֵ֣ת lesharet HR/Vpc for ministering to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 39:26 לְ/שָׁרֵ֕ת lesharet HR/Vpc to-minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Exodus 39:41 לְ/שָׁרֵ֣ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-28 Numbers 1:50 יְשָׁרְתֻ֑/הוּ yesharetuhu HVpi3mp/Sp3ms shall-minister-to-it they will minister to him they will minister to it
H8334-24 Numbers 3:6 וְ/שֵׁרְת֖וּ vesheretu HC/Vpq3cp and-they-shall-serve and they ministered and they shall minister
H8334-27 Numbers 3:31 יְשָׁרְת֖וּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they minister they will minister they will minister
H8334-27 Numbers 4:9 יְשָׁרְתוּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they minister they will minister they will minister
H8334-27 Numbers 4:12 יְשָֽׁרְתוּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they minister they will minister they minister
H8334-27 Numbers 4:14 יְֽשָׁרְת֧וּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they serve they will minister they minister
H8334-23 Numbers 8:26 וְ/שֵׁרֵ֨ת vesheret HC/Vpq3ms and minister and he ministered and he ministered
H8334-08 Numbers 11:28 מְשָׁרֵ֥ת mesharet HVprmsc servant ministering attendant of ministering attendant of
H8334-04 Numbers 16:9 לְ/שָׁרְתָֽ/ם lesharetam HR/Vpc/Sp3mp to minister to them to minister to them to minister to them
H8334-25 Numbers 18:2 וִֽ/ישָׁרְת֑וּ/ךָ visharetukha HC/Vpi3mp/Sp2ms and serve you they will minister to you and they will minister to you
H8334-06 Deuteronomy 10:8 לְ/שָֽׁרְת/וֹ֙ leshareto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to serve him to minister to him to minister to him
H8334-03 Deuteronomy 17:12 לְ/שָׁ֤רֶת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-03 Deuteronomy 18:5 לְ/שָׁרֵ֧ת lesharet HR/Vpc to minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-23 Deuteronomy 18:7 וְ/שֵׁרֵ֕ת vesheret HC/Vpq3ms and he shall serve and he ministered and he shall serve
H8334-06 Deuteronomy 21:5 לְ/שָׁ֣רְת֔/וֹ leshareto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to serve him to minister to him to minister to him
H8334-08 Joshua 1:1 מְשָׁרֵ֥ת mesharet HVprmsc minister ministering attendant of ministering attendant of
H8334-08 1 Samuel 2:11 מְשָׁרֵת֙ mesharet HVprmsa ministering ministering attendant of ministering
H8334-08 1 Samuel 2:18 מְשָׁרֵ֖ת mesharet HVprmsa was ministering ministering attendant of ministering attendant of
H8334-08 1 Samuel 3:1 מְשָׁרֵ֥ת mesharet HVprmsa was ministering ministering attendant of ministering attendant of
H8334-13 2 Samuel 13:17 מְשָׁ֣רְת֔/וֹ meshareto HVprmsc/Sp3ms who attended him his ministering one his ministering one
H8334-13 2 Samuel 13:18 מְשָֽׁרְת/וֹ֙ meshareto HVprmsc/Sp3ms his-servant his ministering one his ministering one
H8334-19 1 Kings 1:4 וַ/תְּשָׁ֣רְתֵ֔/הוּ vatesharetehu HC/Vpw3fs/Sp3ms and attended him and she ministered to him and she ministered to him
H8334-07 1 Kings 1:15 מְשָׁרַ֖ת mesharat HVprfsa was attending ministering woman ministering woman
H8334-03 1 Kings 8:11 לְ/שָׁרֵ֖ת lesharet HR/Vpc to-minister to render ministering service to minister
H8334-14 1 Kings 10:5 משרת/ו mshrtv HVprmsc/Sp3ms of his ministers his ministering attendant his ministering attendant
H8334-10 1 Kings 10:5 מְשָׁרְתָ֜י/ו mesharetayv HVprmpc/Sp3ms and his ministers his ministering-ones his ministering-ones
H8334-21 1 Kings 19:21 וַ/יְשָׁרְתֵֽ/הוּ vayesharetehu HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms and ministered to him and he ministered to him and he ministered to him
H8334-13 2 Kings 4:43 מְשָׁ֣רְת֔/וֹ meshareto HVprmsc/Sp3ms his servant his ministering one his ministering one
H8334-08 2 Kings 6:15 מְשָׁרֵ֨ת mesharet HVprmsc servant ministering attendant of ministering attendant of
H8334-27 2 Kings 25:14 יְשָֽׁרְתוּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they-served they will minister they served
H8334-06 Isaiah 56:6 לְ/שָׁ֣רְת֔/וֹ leshareto HR/Vpc/Sp3ms to minister to Him to minister to him to minister to him
H8334-29 Isaiah 60:7 יְשָׁרְת֑וּ/נֶךְ yesharetunekhe HVpi3mp/Sp2fs will serve you they will minister to you they will minister to you
H8334-29 Isaiah 60:10 יְשָׁרְת֑וּ/נֶךְ yesharetunekhe HVpi3mp/Sp2fs will-serve-you they will minister to you they will minister to you
H8334-11 Isaiah 61:6 מְשָׁרְתֵ֣י mesharetey HVprmpc ministers ministering ones of ministering ones of
H8334-09 Jeremiah 33:21 מְשָׁרְתָֽ/י mesharetay HVprmpc/Sp1cs my ministers my ministering ones my ministering ones
H8334-11 Jeremiah 33:22 מְשָׁרְתֵ֥י mesharetey HVprmpc who minister ministering ones of ministering ones of
H8334-27 Jeremiah 52:18 יְשָׁרְת֥וּ yesharetu HVpi3mp they-served they will minister they ministered
H8334-03 Ezekiel 20:32 לְ/שָׁרֵ֖ת lesharet HR/Vpc to serve to render ministering service to minister
← H8333 Hebrew Lexicon H8335 →