Study
Word study

Word study

Greek

To serve

διακονέωStrong’s G1247

diakoneō

Appears in 32 verses of the New Testament

In short

Diakoneō is the Greek word usually translated “ministering”, “serving” and “serve”. It appears in 32 verses of the New Testament.

“And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.”
1 Timothy 3:10 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “ministering”, “serving” and “serve”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • ministering 4
  • serving 4
  • to serve 3
  • they were ministering 2
  • to be served 2
  • were ministering 2
  • shall serve 2
  • was ministering 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Luke 7
  • Matthew 5
  • Mark 4
  • 2 Corinthians 3
  • 1 Peter 3
  • John 2

12 books in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
All 32 verses, by book
John 2
12:212:26
Acts 2
6:219:22
Romans 1
15:25
2 Corinthians 3
3:38:198:20
1 Timothy 2
3:103:13
2 Timothy 1
1:18
Philemon 1
1:13
Hebrews 1
6:10
1 Peter 3
1:124:104:11
Greek dictionary

διακονέω diakoneō · to serve

διακονέω, ῶ (δίακονος); 1. generally, to minister, serre, wait upon, especially at table, to do one a service, cure for one's needs: absol., Mat.20:28, Mrk.10:45, Luk.10:40 22:26, 27, Jhn.12:2, 1Pe.4:11; ὅσα διηκόνησεν, 2Ti.1:18; with dative of person(s), Mat.4:11 8:15 25:44 27:55, Mrk.1:13, 31 15:41, Luk.4:39 8:3 12:37 17:8, Jhn.12:26, Act.6:2 19:22, Rom.15:25, Phm 13, Heb.6:10. 2. to serve as deacon: 1Ti.3:10, 3:13. 3. C. accusative of thing(s), to minister, supply, supply by ministration: 1Pe.1:12 4:10; pass., 2Co.3:3 8:19, 20.† SYN.: λειτουργέω, which see (Cremer, 179). (AS)

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “serve” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

SERVE, verb transitive

serv. [Latin servio. This verb is supposed to be from the noun servus, a servant or slave, and this from servo, to keep.]

  1. To work for; to bestow the labor of boky and mind in the employment of another.“Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy youngest daughters” Genesis 29:18“No man can serve two masters” Matthew 6:24
  2. To act as the minister of; to perform official duties to; as, a minister serves his prince.
  3. To attend at command; to wait on.
  4. To obey servilely or meanly. be not to wealth a servant.
All definitions and other forms of “serve”
  1. To supply with food; as, to be served in plate.
  2. To be subservient or subordinate to.
  3. To perform the duties required in; as, the curate served two churches.
  4. To obey; to perform duties in the employment of; as, to serve the king or the country in the army or navy.
  5. To be sufficient, or to promote; as, to serve one's turn, end or purpose.
  6. To help by good offices; as, to serve one's country.
  7. To comply with; to submit to.
  8. To be sufficient for; to satisfy; to content.
  9. To be in the place of any thing to one.
  10. To treat; to requite; as, he served me ungratefully; he served me very ill; We say also, he served me a trick, that is he deceived me, or practiced an artifice on me.
  11. In Scripture and theology, to obey and worship; to act in conformity to the law of a superior, and treat him with due reverence.“Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth. As for me and my house, we will serve the lord” Joshua 24:14
  12. In a bad sense, to obey; to yeild compliance or act according to.“Serving divers lusts and treasures” Titus 3:3
  13. To worship; to render homage to; as, to serve idols or false gods.
  14. To be a slave to; to be in bondage to.
  15. To serve one's self of, to use; to make use of; a Gallicism, [se sevir de.]
  16. To use; to manage; to apply.
  17. In seamen's language, to wind something round a rope to prevent friction.

SERVE, verb intransitive

serv.

  1. To be a servant or slave.“The Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve” Isaiah 14:3
  2. To be employed in labor or or other business for another.
  3. To be in subjection.
  4. To wait; to attend; to perform domestic offices to another.
  5. To perform duties, as in the army, navy or in any office.
  6. To answer; to accomplish the end.
  7. To be sufficient for a purpose.
  8. To suit; to be convenient.
  9. To conduce; to be of use.
  10. To officiate or minister; to do the honors of; as, to serve at a public dinner.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.