Hebrew Words for Worship & Work
The word avodah is often mentioned as the Hebrew word for both work and worship. This is used to show that “work is worship.” If we check carefully, we can see that avodah is NEVER translated worship in the ESV and only once in the NIV (Josh 22:27). Avodah is a noun meaning service or work. Its verb form, abad, means to serve or to work. Abad is translated as worship only 4 times in the ESV (6x in the 2020 NASB) out of 290. However, the NIV decided to translate abad as worship (52x), even though serve might be more consistent.
One possible reason is the theological persuasion of the Bible translators. Daniel Block, one of the translators of the NIV, is quite clear in his theology of “work is worship” (see his book “For the Glory of God.”). But Allen Ross, a translator of the NKJV is definite in his distinction between worship and service.
*** The updated NRSVue has changed all their abad to read serve where NIV has worship.
If you’re interested in a Jewish Rabbi’s definition of avodah, check this out: https://osrui.org/2015/07/22/the-real-meaning-of-avodah/
Shachah(vb)
KJV Enhanced Strongs Dictionary
h7812. שָׁחָה šâḥâ; a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God): — bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.
AV (172) - worship 99, bow 31, bow down 18, obeisance 9, reverence 5, fall down 3, themselves 2, stoop 1, crouch 1, misc 3;
NIV Word Study Dictionary
H2556 חָוָה2 ḥāwâ2, v. [170] [Hsh] to bow down low (in worship); prostrate oneself; pay one honor, homage:
Translated these ways in NIV . . .
– worship (38), bow down (33), bowed down (29), worshiped (22), worshiping (7), bowed (6), bowing down (6), pay honor (6), bowed in worship (2), prostrated himself (2), prostrating herself (2), worships (2), bow (1), bow down in worship (1), bow down to worship (1), bowed down and worshiped (1), bowed low (1), bows down (1), fell facedown (1 [+4200, 678]), honor (1), humbly bow (1), paid homage (1), paid honor (1), prostrating (1), prostrating themselves (1), reverence (1), worshiped leaned (1)
Avodah(n)
KJV Enhanced Strongs Dictionary
h5656. עֲבֹדָה ‘ăḇôḏâ; or עֲבוֹדָה ‘abowdah; from 5647; work of any kind: — act, bondage, + bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, x wrought.
AV (141) - service 96, servile 12, work 10, bondage 8, act 2, serve 2, servitude 2, tillage 2, effect 1, labour 1, misc 5;
NIV Word Study Dictionary
H6275 עֲבֹדָה ʽᵃbōdâ, n.f. [145] work, service, labor, task, duty, job; special work and service to God: service, ministry; forced labor: slavery:
Translated these ways in NIV . . .
– work (39), service (24), regular work (12 [+4856]), labor (9), duties (5), serving (5), use (5), ceremony (3), ministering (3), campaign (2), constructing (2), job (2), ministry (2), slavery (2), task (2), various kinds of service (2 [+6275, 2256]), various kinds of service (2 [+2256, 6275]), work (2 [+6268]), as slaves (1 [+6269]), assist (1), by (1), craft (1), cultivate (1), demands (1), doing (1), doing work (1), effect (1), farmed (1), posts (1), regular service (1 [+7372]), required (1), responsible (1), responsible (1 [+4856]), served (1), slaves (1), tasks (1), workers (1 [+1074]), worship (1 [+6268]), NDT (2)
Abad(vb)
.
KJV Enhanced Strong's Dictionary
h5647. עָבַד ‘âḇaḏ; a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.: — x be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,
AV (290) - serve 227, do 15, till 9, servant 5, work 5, worshippers 5, service 4, dress 2, labour 2, ear 2, misc 14;
NIV Word Study Dictionary
H6268 עָבַד ʽābad, v. [291] [Q] to work, serve, labor, do; to worship, minister, work in ministry; [N] to be plowed, be cultivated; [Pu] to be worked; [H] to reduce to servitude, enslave, cause to serve; [Ho] to be caused to serve, worship (a god)
Translated these ways in NIV . . .
– serve (91), worship (37), served (28), work (13), worshiped (12), do (11), serving (8), servants (6), subject to (6), worked (4), worshiping (4), enslave (3), enslaved (3), labor (3), subject (3), work for (3), worked for (3), burdened (2), farm (2), hold in bondage (2), till (2), work (2 [+6275]), workers (2), be cultivated (1), be plowed (1), beenS (1), been plowed (1), been worked (1), cultivate (1), doS (1), do work (1), doing (1), done (1), drove (1), efforts (1), enslaving (1), farmer (1 [+408, 141]), forced (1), fulfilling by doing (1), keep working (1), laborer (1), led (1), made work (1), make slaves (1), make work (1), observe (1), perform (1), profits (1), put to work (1), reduced to servitude (1 [+4200, 6269]), servant (1), serve as slave (1), serve as slaves (1), serves (1), services (1), subjects (1), subjugate (1), submit (1), to subject (1), used (1), worship (1 [+6275]), NDT (3)