Hypertext Webster Gateway: "minister"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Minister
one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb.
meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as
to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant
of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also given to attendants
at court (2 Chr. 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jer.
33:21; Ezek. 44:11).
(2.) Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here
used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's
servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Neh. 7:57-60.
(3.) Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and
in this sense applied to magistrates (Rom. 13:6). It is applied
also to our Lord (Heb. 8:2), and to Paul in relation to Christ
(Rom. 15:16).
(4.) Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal
attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the
officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied
also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts
13:5).
(5.) Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or
assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as
to Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21), Epaphras
(Col. 1:7), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom.
15:8).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Minister \Min"is*ter\, n. [OE. ministre, F. ministre, fr. L.
minister, orig. a double comparative from the root of minor
less, and hence meaning, an inferior, a servant. See 1st
{Minor}, and cf. {Master}, {Minstrel}.]
1. A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of
inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.
Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua. --Ex. xxiv.
13.
I chose Camillo for the minister, to poison My
friend Polixenes. --Shak.
2. An officer of justice. [Obs.]
I cry out the on the ministres, quod he, That
shoulde keep and rule this cit['e]. --Chaucer.
3. One to whom the sovereign or executive head of a
government intrusts the management of affairs of state, or
some department of such affairs.
Ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they
are, must be answerable to God and man. --Bacon.
4. A representative of a government, sent to the court, or
seat of government, of a foreign nation to transact
diplomatic business.
Note: Ambassadors are classed (in the diplomatic sense) in
the first rank of public ministers, ministers
plenipotentiary in the second. ``The United States
diplomatic service employs two classes of ministers, --
ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident.''
--Abbott.
5. One who serves at the altar; one who performs sacerdotal
duties; the pastor of a church duly authorized or licensed
to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments.
--Addison.
Syn: Delegate; official; ambassador; clergyman; parson;
priest.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Minister \Min"is*ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ministered}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Ministering}.] [OE. ministren, OF. ministrer, fr.
L. ministrare. See {Minister}, n.]
To furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer.
He that ministereth seed to the sower. --2 Cor. ix.
10.
We minister to God reason to suspect us. --Jer. Taylor.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Minister \Min"is*ter\, v. i.
1. To act as a servant, attendant, or agent; to attend and
serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or
secular.
The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister. --Matt. xx.
28.
2. To supply or to things needful; esp., to supply
consolation or remedies. --Matt. xxv. 44.
Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased? --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
minister
n 1: a person authorized to conduct religious worship [syn: {curate},
{parson}, {pastor}, {rector}]
2: a person appointed to a high office in the government;
"Minister of Finance" [syn: {government minister}]
3: a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks
below ambassador [syn: {diplomatic minister}]
4: (British) the job of a head of a government department
v 1: attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister
to my mother all the time"
2: work as a minister
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.