4576. sebó

Lexical Summary

sebó: To worship, to revere, to venerate

Original Word: σέβω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sebó
Pronunciation: seh'-bo
Phonetic Spelling: (seb'-om-ahee)
KJV: devout, religious, worship
NASB: worship, God-fearing, worshiper, devout
Word Origin: [middle voice of an apparently primary verb]

1. to reverence
2. (antonym) to irreverence

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

devout, religious

Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, i.e. Adore -- devout, religious, worship.

HELPS Word-studies

4576 sébomai – properly, personally esteem; to hold something (someone) in high respect; showing the reverence or awe (veneration) of someone who is devout.

[4576 (sébomai) always occurs in the Greek middle voice in the NT, accounting for the deep, personal sense of veneration involved.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to worship
NASB Translation
devout (1), God-fearing (3), worship (4), worshiper (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4576: σέβω

σέβω, and (so everywhere in the Scriptures) σέβομαι; from Homer down; to revere, to worship: τινα (a deity), Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Acts 18:13; Acts 19:27 (Wis. 15:18 etc.; for יָרֵא, Joshua 4:24; Joshua 22:25; Jonah 1:9). In the Acts, proselytes of the gate (see προσήλυτος, 2) are called σεβόμενοι τόν Θεόν (`men that worship God'), Acts 16:14; Acts 18:7 (Josephus, Antiquities 14, 7, 2); and simply οἱ σεβόμενοι (A. V. the devout persons), Acts 17:17; σεβόμενοι προσήλυτοι (R. V. devout proselytes), Acts 13:43; σεβομεναι γυναῖκες, Acts 13:50; τῶν ... σεβομένων Ἑλλήνων, (A. V. the devout Greeks), Acts 17:4; in the Latin church,metuentes, verecundi, religiosi, timorati; Vulg. (except Acts 13:50)colentes; cf. Thilo in his Cod. apocr. Nov. Test., p. 521.

Topical Lexicon

Overview of New Testament Usage

Strong’s Greek 4576 appears ten times, always conveying reverential acknowledgment of deity. In the Gospels (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7) the term exposes empty, man-made piety. In Acts it describes genuine reverence among Jews and Gentile “God-fearers,” showing how the early church moved from synagogue to marketplace while confronting both sincere seekers and idolatrous opposition.

True and Vain Worship in the Teaching of Jesus

Quoting Isaiah 29:13, Jesus rebukes religious leaders:
• Matthew 15:9 – “They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.”
• Mark 7:7 – “They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.”

Here worship (“sebomai”) is outwardly correct yet inwardly hollow, warning believers that orthodoxy without heart obedience is futile.

God-Fearers: A Prepared Harvest Field

Luke repeatedly labels Gentiles attached to synagogues as “God-fearing” (sebomenoi). They revered Israel’s God while remaining uncircumcised. Key texts:
• Acts 13:43 – “many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas…”
• Acts 13:50 – “devout women of prominence” are stirred against the missionaries.
• Acts 16:14 – Lydia is “a worshiper of God,” whose opened heart models saving faith.
• Acts 17:4 – “a large number of God-fearing Greeks” believe.
• Acts 17:17 – Paul reasons with “Jews and God-fearing Greeks” in the synagogue.
• Acts 18:7 – Titus Justus is “a worshiper of God,” hosting the Corinthian mission.

These texts reveal:

1. A strategic audience already versed in Scripture and monotheism.
2. Women play a notable role among the devout, both supportive (Lydia) and resistant (Acts 13:50).
3. The title is never used pejoratively; reverence is honored even before full gospel understanding.

Legal Accusations and Pagan Reverence

• Acts 18:13 – Opponents charge Paul with persuading people “to worship God in ways contrary to the law,” illustrating how genuine worship can clash with religious tradition.
• Acts 19:27 – Demetrius fears Artemis “who is worshiped by all Asia” will be discredited if the gospel gains ground. Luke employs the same verb for pagan devotion, highlighting that the act of reverence is universal, but its object must be the true God.

Historical Background

Synagogue inscriptions across the Roman Empire reference “theosebeis” (“God-fearers”), corroborating Acts. Their presence reflects both the attractiveness of Jewish monotheism and Roman disillusionment with polytheism. The gospel’s rapid spread owed much to these seekers, who provided social networks and meeting spaces (e.g., Lydia’s household, Titus Justus’s home).

Theological Significance

1. Worship is defined by truth and heart alignment, not merely ritual (Matthew 15:9).
2. God honors genuine reverence and draws worshipers into fuller revelation (Acts 16:14).
3. Evangelism flourishes where respect for Scripture already exists; Paul’s pattern validates strategic engagement with prepared hearts.
4. Idolatry can cloak itself in respectable cultural norms (Acts 19:27); the gospel unmasks false objects of devotion.

Ministry Implications

• Cultivate relationships with modern “God-fearers”—those who honor biblical morals yet lack saving knowledge of Christ.
• Guard against traditionalism that substitutes human rules for divine commands.
• Anticipate both receptivity and resistance from devout individuals; reverence alone does not guarantee acceptance of the gospel.
• Anchor worship in Scripture to ensure that zeal is according to knowledge and centered on the risen Lord.

Summary

Strong’s 4576 spans the spectrum from empty formality to sincere pursuit of God. Its occurrences trace the movement of the gospel from Jewish roots through God-fearing Gentiles to the broader Greco-Roman world, underscoring that the Father seeks worshipers “in spirit and in truth” and equips His church to call every reverent heart to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

σεβεσθαι σέβεσθαι σεβεται σέβεται σέβησθε σέβομαι σεβομενας σεβομένας σεβομενη σεβομένη σεβομενοις σεβομένοις σεβομενου σεβομένου σεβομενων σεβομένων σεβονται σέβονταί σέβωνται sebesthai sébesthai sebetai sébetai sebomenas seboménas sebomene sebomenē seboméne seboménē sebomenois seboménois sebomenon sebomenōn seboménon seboménōn sebomenou seboménou sebontai sébontaí

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 15:9 V-PIM/P-3P
GRK: μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες
NAS: BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING
KJV: in vain they do worship me,
INT: in vain moreover they worship me teaching [as]

Mark 7:7 V-PIM/P-3P
GRK: μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες
NAS: BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING
KJV: in vain do they worship me,
INT: in vain moreover they worship me teaching

Acts 13:43 V-PPM/P-GMP
GRK: καὶ τῶν σεβομένων προσηλύτων τῷ
NAS: of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes
KJV: and religious proselytes
INT: and of the worshipping converts

Acts 13:50 V-PPM/P-AFP
GRK: παρώτρυναν τὰς σεβομένας γυναῖκας τὰς
NAS: incited the devout women
KJV: stirred up the devout and
INT: incited the worshipping women

Acts 16:14 V-PPM/P-NFS
GRK: πόλεως Θυατείρων σεβομένη τὸν θεόν
NAS: a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God,
KJV: of Thyatira, which worshipped God,
INT: of [the] city of Thyatira who worshipped God

Acts 17:4 V-PPM/P-GMP
GRK: τῶν τε σεβομένων Ἑλλήνων πλῆθος
NAS: number of the God-fearing Greeks
KJV: and of the devout Greeks
INT: of the moreover worshipping Greeks a multitude

Acts 17:17 V-PPM/P-DMP
GRK: καὶ τοῖς σεβομένοις καὶ ἐν
NAS: with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the market place
KJV: and with the devout persons, and
INT: and those who worshipped and in

Acts 18:7 V-PPM/P-GMS
GRK: Τιτίου Ἰούστου σεβομένου τὸν θεόν
NAS: Justus, a worshiper of God,
KJV: Justus, [one] that worshipped God,
INT: Titius Justus who worshipped God

Acts 18:13 V-PNM/P
GRK: τοὺς ἀνθρώπους σέβεσθαι τὸν θεόν
NAS: persuades men to worship God contrary
KJV: men to worship God
INT: men to worship God

Acts 19:27 V-PIM/P-3S
GRK: ἡ οἰκουμένη σέβεται
NAS: and the world worship will even
KJV: and the world worshippeth.
INT: the world worship

Strong's Greek 4576
10 Occurrences

σέβεσθαι — 1 Occ.
σέβεται — 1 Occ.
σεβομένας — 1 Occ.
σεβομένη — 1 Occ.
σεβομένων — 2 Occ.
σεβομένοις — 1 Occ.
σεβομένου — 1 Occ.
σέβονταί — 2 Occ.