σεβάζομαι (sebazomai)
sebazomai
to worship
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb sebazomai means to honor with religious reverence or to worship. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Romans 1:25, where Paul describes people who exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped created things rather than the Creator.
This word carries a sense of awe-inspiring respect, rooted in the idea of standing in fear or deep reverence before something sacred. Unlike terms that might imply casual devotion, sebazomai suggests a profound, almost trembling honor due to divine majesty. Its usage here highlights the seriousness of idolatry: substituting the worship owed to God with reverence for finite things.
Etymologically, it connects to concepts of awe and fear (sebomai), emphasizing that true worship involves a recognition of God’s supreme worthiness. Translators typically render it "worship," though this English word can sometimes feel routine; the Greek retains the intensity of reverential awe.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sebazomai carries a weight that goes beyond simple reverence. It describes a deep, trembling awe before something sacred. In Romans 1:25, Paul uses it to describe those who worship created things instead of the Creator. This highlights how serious idolatry is—not just ignoring God, but giving Him the honor due only to Him to lesser things.
For your faith, this word serves as a gentle reminder to check where you place your ultimate awe. Do you find yourself trembling before success, relationships, or comfort? Or do you reserve that profound reverence for God alone? True worship recognizes His supreme worthiness above all else.
May you find peace in knowing that God alone is worthy of this deep respect. Let your heart rest in the Creator who deserves every ounce of awe you can offer.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they reverenced1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐσεβάσθησαν1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 1:25
who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
This verse uses sebazomai to condemn idolatry by showing that worshipping creation is a direct exchange of truth for a lie, highlighting the gravity of misdirected reverence.