verb

leitourgamō

Greekλειτουργέω (leitourgeō)

Strong’sG3008

I minister, serve publicly

stem leitourg-3 times in the New Testamentin 3 of 27 books3 forms occur

Translated as

minister1×ministering1×worshiping1×

What it means

λειτουργέω, -ῶ

(< λειτουργός), [in LXX chiefly for שׁרת pi., also for עבד, צבא, etc.;]

1. in cl., at Athens, to supply public offices at one's own cost, render public service to the State, hence, generally,

2. to serve the State, do a service, serve (of service to the Gods, Diod., i, 21): of the official service of priests and Levites (Ex 29:30, Nu 16:9, Si 4:14, I Mac 10:42, al.; cf. Deiss., BS, 140 f.), He 10:11; of Christians: c. dat. pers. seq. ἐν, Ro 15:27 (cf. Si 10:25); τ. κυρίῳ, Ac 13:2.†

SYN.: λατρεύω (q.v.), prop., to serve for hire, LXX (as sometimes in cl.), always of service to the deity on the part of both priests and people (Ex 4:3, De 10:12, and similarly in NT). λειτουργέω "is the fulfilment of an office: it has a definite representative character, and corresponds with a function to be discharged". It is therefore used of serving in an office or ministry: in LXX always of priests and Levites, in NT, with its cognates (Ro 13:6 15:27, are not really exceptions), of services rendered either to God or man by apostles, prophets, teachers, and other officers of the church (cf. Tr., Syn., § xxxv; ICC on Ro 1:9; Westc., He., 232 ff.).

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G3008 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidli-toorg-eh'-o

to be a public servant, i.e. (by analogy) to perform religious or charitable functions (worship, obey, relieve)

Fromfrom G3011;

King Jamesminister.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Forms in the New Testament

Form and the Greek behind it	What it is	Usually	Times
leitourgaraλειτουργῆσαι	happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive	minister	1×
leitourgarōtosλειτουργῶν	happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine	ministering	1×
leitourgarōtoiuλειτουργούντων	happening now · of, belonging topresent active participle genitive plural masculine	worshiping	1×

Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.

Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses

Statements — indicative mood, no occurrences

Who person	happening now present	was happening imperfect	will happen future	happened aorist	has happened perfect	had happened pluperfect
I 1st person singular	leitourgamō	leitourgame	leitourgami	leitourgama	leitourgamē	leitourgamelē
you 2nd person singular	leitourgasō	leitourgase	leitourgasi	leitourgasa	leitourgasē	leitourgaselē
he/she/it 3rd person singular	leitourgatō	leitourgate	leitourgati	leitourgata	leitourgatē	leitourgatelē
we 1st person plural	leitourganō	leitourgane	leitourgani	leitourgana	leitourganē	leitourganelē
ye 2nd person plural	leitourgavō	leitourgave	leitourgavi	leitourgava	leitourgavē	leitourgavelē
they 3rd person plural	leitourgalō	leitourgale	leitourgali	leitourgala	leitourgalē	leitourgalelē

May, might — subjunctive mood, no occurrences

Who person	happening now present	happened aorist	has happened perfect
I 1st person singular	leitourgameiō	leitourgameia	leitourgameiē
you 2nd person singular	leitourgaseiō	leitourgaseia	leitourgaseiē
he/she/it 3rd person singular	leitourgateiō	leitourgateia	leitourgateiē
we 1st person plural	leitourganeiō	leitourganeia	leitourganeiē
ye 2nd person plural	leitourgaveiō	leitourgaveia	leitourgaveiē
they 3rd person plural	leitourgaleiō	leitourgaleia	leitourgaleiē

Commands — imperative mood, no occurrences

Who person	happening now present	happened aorist	has happened perfect
you 2nd person singular	leitourgasōr	leitourgasar	leitourgasēr
he/she/it 3rd person singular	leitourgatōr	leitourgatar	leitourgatēr
ye 2nd person plural	leitourgavōr	leitourgavar	leitourgavēr
they 3rd person plural	leitourgalōr	leitourgalar	leitourgalēr

Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences

Who person	happening now present	happened aorist
I 1st person singular	leitourgamoiō	leitourgamoia
you 2nd person singular	leitourgasoiō	leitourgasoia
he/she/it 3rd person singular	leitourgatoiō	leitourgatoia
we 1st person plural	leitourganoiō	leitourganoia
ye 2nd person plural	leitourgavoiō	leitourgavoia
they 3rd person plural	leitourgaloiō	leitourgaloia

The “to …” form — infinitive, 1 occurrence

Who is acting voice	happening now present	will happen future	happened aorist	has happened perfect
the subject acts active voice	leitourgarō	leitourgari	leitourgara1×λειτουργῆσαι	leitourgarē

Used as an adjective — participle, 2 occurrences

Who is acting voice	happening now present	will happen future	happened aorist	has happened perfect
the subject acts active voice	leitourgarōtos2×λειτουργῶν	leitourgaritos	leitourgaratos	leitourgarētos

Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.

How every form is built — the slots that make them

leitourgstem+aeiwho is acting voice+mstnvl—who person+—eiroistatement, command, wish mood+ōeiaēelēwhen tense+—tthen it declines+—ogender+—sits job in the sentence case

leitourg is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.

same in every form varies — every value shown

Words built on the same stem

leitourgos — λειτουργός, a minister, servant

Where it appears

3 occurrences, every one of them listed

leitourgara“minister”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive1×

Romans 15:27“minister”eudokala gar, kai ofeiletois alō autoiu; ei gar tei pneumatikei autoiu koinōnala teim ethneim, ofeilalō kai en tei sarkikei leitourgara autoi.They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings.

leitourgarōtos“ministering”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine1×

Hebrews 10:11“ministering”Kai pantos men hierevos histanatē kata hēmeran leitourgarōtos kai tain autain pollakis prosferarōtos thusiain, hotinais oudepote dunelō periairara hamartain.Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

leitourgarōtoiu“worshiping”happening now · of, belonging topresent active participle genitive plural masculine1×

Acts 13:2“worshiping”leitourgarōtoiu de autoiu to kurio kai nēsteuarōtoiu legata tem pneumem tem hagiem; Aforizavar dē mi ton Barnabaon kai Saulon eis tem ergem hem proskalemē autoin.While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”