Some of the lexicons say that this root עֶבֶד _ebed_ means also
_worship_, to _worship_ God, or idols, &c., without any connection
with the idea of slavery. In _Gen._ xxii. 5: “And I and the lad will
go yonder and _worship_;” here, worship is from וְנִ֥שְׁתַּֽחֲוֶ֖ה,
from the root שׁחה _shahah_, which means to bow down. xxiii. 12:
“_And_ Abraham _bowed down himself_ before the people of the Lord,”
_bowed down himself_ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ֙. xlvii. 31: “_And_ Israel bowed
himself upon the bed’s head,” וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ. _Exod._ iv. 31: “Then
they bowed their heads and worshipped,” וַיִּ֥שְׁתַּ֥חֲוֽוּ. This
root, like all others, takes upon itself a change of shape,
according to the condition in which it is used. We will present a
few instances of its application in Hebrew. _Exod._ xi. 8: “And bow
down themselves unto me,” וְהִשְׁתַּ֥חֲווּ. xx. 5: “_Thou shalt not
bow down thyself_ תִּשְׁתַּ֥חֲוֶ֥֣ה _unto them_.” xxxiii. 10: “And
the people rose up and _worshipped_,” וְהִ֥שְׁתַּֽחֲו֔וּ. _Deut._
xxvi. 10: “And _worship_ וְיִִּֽשְׁתַּֽחֲוִ֔יתָ before the Lord thy
God.” _Josh._ v. 14: “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and
did _worship_,” וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔ח֗וּ. 1 _Sam._ xv. 30: “That I may
_worship_ וִהִשְׁתַּ֥חֲוֵ֖יתִי the Lord thy God.” 31: “And Saul
worshipped וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ the Lord.” 2 _Sam._ i. 2: “That he fell
to the earth and did _obeisance_,” וַיִּשְׁתָּ֥חוּ. xiv. 33: “And
_bowed himself_ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ on his face to the ground before the
king.” 1 _Kings_ i. 23: “He _bowed himself_ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ before
the king with his face to the ground.” 2 _Kings_ v. 18: “When my
_master_ goeth into the house of Rimmon to _worship_
לְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲ֙וֹת there, * * * and I bow myself וְהִֽשְׁתַּ֥חֲוֵיתִי
in the house of Rimmon, * * * _when I bow myself down_
בְּהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוָיָתִי in the house of Rimmon.” xviii. 22: “Ye shall
worship תִּשְׁתַּ֥חֲו֖וּ before the altar of Jerusalem.” xix. 37:
“And it came to pass as he was _worshipping_ מִשְׁתַּ֥חֲוֶה in the
house of Nishrosh, his God.” _Job_ i. 20: “Then Job arose and fell
down upon the ground and _worshipped_,” וַיִּשְׁהָֽחוּ. _Ezek._
viii. 16: “And they _worshipped_ מִשְׁהֲוִיהֶ֥ם the sun towards the east.”
Before we close our examples, let us notice how the Hebrews applied this
word in poetry. _Ps._ xlv. 12 (11 of the English text): “Worship
וְהִשְׁתַּ֥חֲוִי thou him,” xcix. 5: “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and
_worship_ וְ֭הִשְׁתַּ֥חֲווּ at his footstool.” cvi. 19: “They made a
calf in Horeb and worshipped הִ֥שְׁתַּ֖חֲווּ the molten image.” xcvii.
7: “Confounded be all they that _serve_ (עֹבְדֵי slave themselves to)
graven images; that boast themselves of idols: _worship_ הִֽשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ
him, all ye gods.” In this instance, the word _serve_ associates with
the idea of slavery, as does the original; but the _worship_ with that
of reverence. Both words occurring in the same sentence, will give us
some idea of their different uses; yet some think this word in such
instances synonymous with the word worship, notwithstanding the Hebrew
writers thought differently; yet true it is, this word is sometimes used
(as it were by figure) to express humility, subserviency, and
devotedness of the true _worshipper_. In the same manner, St. Paul
expresses the idea, when he says, that he is the _doulos_ (δοῦλος,
slave) of Jesus Christ. In an analogous sense, the Arabic words هَلَّ
_hel_ and هَلّلَ _hallel_, Hebrew הַלֵּל _hallal_, are used to mean
worship, &c. _Ps._ cl.: “Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his
sanctuary,” &c., where this word is in frequent use, and from which our
word _hallelujah_ has arisen. Also the Arabic word هَوْدٌ _hōd_, Hebrew
הוֹד _hōd_, is in somewhat similar use: _Ps._ cxxxvi. 1, 2, 3, all
commencing, “O give thanks to the Lord,” meaning glory, majesty, or
dignity to the Lord, as the worship of the Almighty. We trust no one has
ever found the word _ebed_ used in such a sense.
But it is said that עֲבֹדָת _avoda_ means implements, utensils,
appurtenances, (see _Gessenius_,) and _Num._ iii. 26, 31, and 36, is
quoted in proof: “And the hangings of the court and the curtains for the
door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round
about, and the cords of it, for all the _service_ thereof.” _Service_ is
translated from עֲבֹֽדָתוֹ _avodatho_. The word, as here used, means
_slave-labour_, and might well have been translated, “For all the
slave-labour thereof,” _i. e._ of the tabernacle. We cannot perceive
that it means the hanging of the court, or the curtains, or cords. The
other instances quoted are of the same character, and we dismiss their
consideration, asking the passages to be read.
But it is said, to _minister_, to _minister unto_, is sometimes
translated to the word _ebed_. 1 _Kings_ xix. 21: “Then he arose and
went unto Elijah, and _ministered_ וַֽיְשָׁרְתֵֽהוּ unto him.” The
word is from the root שֵׁרֵת _shereth_, and means to wait upon, to
attend to, &c., distinct from the idea of slavery. In _Matt._ iv. 11:
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and _ministered_
(διηκονουν, _diekonoun_) unto him.” This Greek word, we deem, would be
a good translation of this word from Hebrew into Greek. This word is
used in _Num._ iii. 6: “That they may _minister_ unto him.” 31:
“Wherewith they may _minister_ וְשֵֽׁרְת֖וּ unto it.” iv. 12: “And
they shall take all the instruments of ministry וְשֵֽׁרְתוּ wherewith
they _minister_.” 14: “Wherewith they _minister_ about it.” xviii. 2:
“That they may be joined unto thee and _minister_ וִֽישָֽׁרְת֑וּךָ֩
unto thee.” 1 _Kings_ i. 4: “And the damsel was very fair, and
cherished the king and _ministered_ וַתְּשָׁ֣רְתֵ֔הוּ to him.” 15:
“The Shunammite _ministered_ מְשָׁרַ֖ת unto the king.” If the word
_ebed_ had been used, it would have shown that she was a _slave_. The
same word is continued to be used to mean _minister_. In 1 _Sam._ ii.
11: “And the child did _minister_ unto the Lord before Eli.” 18: “But
Samuel _ministered_ מְשָׁרֵת before the Lord, being a child.” iii. 1:
“And the child Samuel _ministered_ מְשָׁ֣רֵ֥ת unto the Lord before
Eli.” 2 _Sam._ xiii. 17: “Then he called his servant (נַֽעֲרוֹ _his
young man_) that _ministered_ מְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ unto him.” Now, had the
_ebed_ been here used instead of this word, as a verb, in the required
mood and tense, &c., it would have been proof that the young man was a
slave. But, in case the word _ebed_, as a noun, had been used, instead
of נער _nar_, then this word might have been used as it is, without
affecting the slave character of the servant. 1 _Kings_ x. 5: “And the
sitting of his servants, (עֲבָדָיו֩ _slaves_,) and the attendance of
his ministers,” מְשָׁרְתָי֜ו.
This passage shows with great distinctness the different use and meaning
of the words _ebed_ and _shereth_, between those who _ministered_ unto
him, and those who did slave-labour, between the minister and the slave
and so we ever find the distinct uses and meanings of these words. See
_Exod._ xxviii. 43: “Or when they come near unto the altar to _minister_
לְשָׁרֵ֣ת in the holy place.” _Deut._ x. 8: “To stand before the Lord to
_minister_ לְשָֽׁרְתוֹ֙ unto him.” xviii. 5: “For the Lord thy God hath
chosen him out of all thy tribes to stand to _minister_ לְשָׁרֵת in the
name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.” 1 _Kings_ viii. 11: “So
that the priests could not stand to _minister_ לְשָׁרֵ֖ת because of the
cloud.” 2 _Kings_ xxv. 14: “And all the vessels of brass wherewith they
_ministered_, יְשָֽׁרְתוּ, took they away.” 2 _Chron._ xxiv. 14: “ Even
vessels to _minister_,” שָׁרֵת. _Neh._ x. 36 (the 27th of the Hebrew
text): “Unto the priests that _minister_ in the house of God.” 39 (the
40th of the Hebrew text): “And the priests that _minister_,”
הַ֥מְשָׁ֣רְתִ֔ים. _Isa._ lx. 7: “The rams of Nebaioth shall _minister_
יְשָֽׁרְת֑וּנֶךְ unto thee.” Let it be noticed that the word _strangers_
is translated from the word נֵכָר _nechar_. The word is of Arabic
derivation from _eker_, and has a privative sense, as _nescivit_,
_abrogavit_, _improbavit_. Hence, the Hebrews used it to mean _strange_,
_foreign_, and sometimes _false_, as in _Deut._ xxxii. 12: “No strange
(_false_) God with him.” _Mal._ ii. 11: “The daughter of a _strange_
(_false_) God.” And this word was used to mean the _strangers_,
idolaters, and rejected people, out of whom the Hebrews were allowed to
make slaves, and therefore it was used in _Gen._ xvii. 12: “Or bought
with thy money of any stranger (נֵכָ֔ר _neker_) which is not of thy
seed.” And therefore the propriety of the use of this word in the
description of those who should be their drudges and slates, is
beautifully expressed by the idea of building up their walls, as here
expressed by the prophet. But the idea of the kings _ministering_, is as
before, from the root, _shereth_. Many more examples of the use of this
word might be quoted; but we trust the foregoing are sufficient to
establish its meaning to be altogether different and distinct from any
use of the word _ebed_. Yet, there are in the received translation of
the holy books, a few instances where this word is translated
erroneously, as though it were a synonyme of the word _ebed_.
In _Num._ xi. 28, “And Joshua the son of Nun, the _servant_ of Moses,”
the word servant is translated from מְשָׁרֵ֥ת, and should have been the
_minister_ of Moses. In _Exod._ xxiv. 13: “Moses rose up and Joshua his
_minister_” מְשָֽׁרְת֑וֹ. In this last quotation, _minister_ is
correctly translated from the word as above, proving the error in
Numbers. A similar error occurs also in _Ezek._ xx. 32; it reads thus:
“And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all that ye say,
We will be as the heathen, as the families of the country to _serve_
לְשָׁרֵ֖ת wood and stone.” Serve is translated from as above, and should
have been _to minister unto wood and stone_. A like error occurs in
_Exod._ xxxiii. 11: “But his _servant_ וּמְשָֽׁרְתוֹ Joshua,” should
have been rendered, “his _minister_ Joshua.” So, also, in _Num._ iv. 47,
the word _ebed_ is translated as a synonyme of _sherath_. The passage
reads thus: “_From thirty years old and upward, even unto fifty years
old_, every one that comes to do the service of the ministry, and the
service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.” In this
passage, the word _ebed_, with affixes, is used four times
consecutively, and immediately followed by the word _massa_, which we
have before seen means _labour_, with the idea of the burden of labour
altogether predominating.
In the translation, it is plain to see that one of these words is
totally left out, which, we suppose, no one will pretend is not an
error. The translation made of these five words at the Theological
College at Andover, is far more correct than the received version. It is
thus: “_to perform the business of the service and the business of the
burden_,” &c. Yet this is not the language of the original, which reads
thus: לַֽעֲבֹ֨ד עֲבֹדַ֧ת עֲבֹדָ֛ה וַֽעֲבֹדַ֥ת מַשָּׂ֖א.
If our proposition is correct, that the word _ebed_ is never used in
Hebrew expression unassociated with the idea of slavery, then this
passage from Numbers should read: “From thirty years old and upwards,
even to fifty years old, every one that comes to slave in the slavery of
the slave labour, and in the _slavery_ of the burdens of the tabernacle
of the congregation.” We agree that the passage is somewhat difficult to
render into English but because we may find some difficulty in making
good English, we are not to translate from other words of different
meaning from the ones used. The holy penmen said what they meant, and
surely meant what they said: there was no double dealing in the spirit
of Jehovah, who dictated to them. But that translators should have, in
some few instances, mistaken or confounded the use of one word, is not
to be thought strange. Taking into view the volume of the holy books, it
is truly wonderful that greater errors were not committed. And we take
occasion here to remark, that, of all the ideas, qualities, and actions,
given in definition of the word _ebed_, unassociated with the idea of
slavery, upon examination of the language, we shall find graphic symbols
representing their phonetic signs, distinct from the idea of _slavery_,
as we have these already examined.
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