δύνᾰμαι G1410
To be able, to have power; as a verb 'can/could'; substantivally, 'the powerful one' or 'the mighty.'
Dynamai is the root behind English 'dynamic' and 'dynamite,' and its 210 NT occurrences pulse with questions of capability and power. 'Can these stones become bread?' (Matt 4:3). 'No one can serve two masters' (Matt 6:24). 'With God all things are possible' (Matt 19:26). In a handful of passages, the participle shifts from verbal to substantival, describing someone — often God — as 'the Powerful One' (Rom 15:14; 2 Tim 1:12). Spanish puede, French pouvoir, and German kann all capture the basic modal sense, but the substantival 'mighty one' use reveals the theological depth latent in this everyday verb.
Senses
1. be able, can — Core verbal sense of possessing capability or power to do something — 'to be able,' 'can,' 'could.' Used across all persons, tenses, and moods to express practical, moral, or divine capacity. 'God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham' (Matt 3:9); 'no one can serve two masters' (Matt 6:24); 'if you can do anything, have compassion' (Mark 9:22). Spanish puede, French pouvoir, and German kann/können mirror this modal auxiliary function. The 197 occurrences make it one of the most frequent verbs in the NT. 197×
AR["تَسْتَطيعُ", "تَقدِرُ", "تَقْدِرُ", "يَسْتَطيعُ", "يَسْتَطِيعُ", "يَقدِرُ", "يَقْدِرُ", "يُمْكِنُ"]·ben["পারে", "পারে-না", "পারে⇔", "সমর্থ"]·DE["kann", "koennen"]·EN["he-is-able", "is-able"]·FR["pouvoir"]·heb["יָכֹל", "יָכוֹל", "יוּכַל", "תוּכַל"]·HI["कोई-नहीं", "खड़े-रहना", "परन्तु", "सकत-है", "सकता", "सकता-है", "सकती", "सकती-है", "सक्त-है", "समर्थ-है"]·ID["Dia-dapat", "dapat", "ia-dapat"]·IT["potere"]·jav["bisa", "ingkang-saged", "kuwaos", "mboten-saged", "saged"]·KO["-할-수", "-할-수-있다", "구원받을-수-있느냐", "못한다", "수-없다", "수-있느냐", "수-있다", "할-수", "할-수-있겠느냐", "할-수-있느냐", "할-수-있는가", "할-수-있다"]·PT["pode", "é-possível"]·RU["может", "не-может"]·ES["puede"]·SW["anaweza", "anayeweza", "aweza", "haiwezekani", "haiwezi", "hau-wezi", "hawezi", "kinaweza", "kuokoka", "kuweza", "wezi"]·TR["edemez", "gücü-var", "gücü-yeter", "gücü-yetmez", "güç-yetiremez", "güç-yetirir", "olamaz", "yapabilir", "yapabiliyor", "yapamaz"]·urd["سکتا", "سکتا-ہے", "سکتی", "سکتی-ہے", "قادر-ہے", "ہو-سکتا", "ہو-سکتا-ہے"]
Matt 3:9, Matt 5:14, Matt 6:24, Matt 6:27, Matt 7:18, Matt 12:29, Matt 19:25, Matt 26:42, Matt 27:42, Mark 2:7, Mark 3:23, Mark 3:24 (+38 more)
2. the powerful / mighty one — Substantival or attributive participial use where dynamenos functions as a noun or adjective meaning 'the powerful one,' 'the mighty,' or 'one who is able.' God is described as 'the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna' (Matt 10:28), and Paul trusts 'the one who is able to guard what I have entrusted' (2 Tim 1:12). Spanish es poderoso and German Vermögenden shift from modal verb to quality-of-being language. These 13 occurrences reveal how Greek grammar allows a common verb to crystallize into a divine title (cf. Rom 15:14; Acts 20:32). 13×
amh["ለሚችለው"]·AR["القادر", "القادِرَةَ", "القادِرُ", "القادِرِ", "القَادِرُ", "القَادِرِ", "القَادِرِينَ", "الْقَادِرَةِ", "الْقَادِرِ", "قادِرَ", "قَادِرٌ", "قَادِرٍ", "قَادِرُونَ"]·ben["পারিতদেরকে", "পারে-যে", "যিনি-পারতেন", "যিনি-পারেন", "যিনি-সমর্থ", "সক্ষম", "সমর্থ"]·ces["mocnému"]·dan["som-formår"]·DE["Vermögenden", "kann", "koennen"]·ell["δυναμένω"]·EN["able", "being-able"]·FR["pouvant", "pouvoir"]·guj["સમર્થ"]·hat["kapab"]·hau["mai-ikon"]·heb["הַ-יָכוֹל", "הַיָּכוֹל", "היכול", "יְכוֹלִים", "יָכוֹל"]·HI["सकने-वल", "सकनेवाले-को", "सकनेवालोंको", "समरथ", "समर्थ", "समर्थ-को", "समर्थ-है"]·hun["képesnek"]·ID["dapat", "mampu", "sanggup", "yang-berkuasa", "yang-dapat", "yang-mampu"]·IT["potere", "può"]·jav["ingkang-kuwaos", "ingkang-saged", "kang-saged", "saged"]·JA["できる方"]·KO["능하나니", "능하신", "능하신-분-에게", "능한", "능한-자는", "할-수-있는", "할-수-있는-분에게", "할-수-있는-이를", "할-수-있는-이에게", "할-수-있는-자들이", "할-수-있는-자이니"]·mar["समर्थ-असलेल्या"]·mya["တတ်နိုင်သော"]·nld["kunnende"]·nor["som-kan"]·pnb["ہو-سکن-والے"]·pol["mogącemu"]·PT["podendo", "puder", "que-pode", "que-podia", "que-podiam", "sendo-capaz", "é-poderoso"]·ron["în-stare"]·RU["Могущего", "Могущему", "Могущий", "вас", "и-", "могущего", "могущее", "могущему", "могущий", "могущим"]·ES["es-poderoso", "pudiendo", "que-podía", "que-podían", "que-puede"]·SW["a-wezaye", "akiweza", "awezaye", "kupokea", "linaweza", "liwezalo", "mkiweza", "wanaoweza", "weza"]·swe["mäktige"]·tam["வல்லவருக்கு"]·tel["సమర్థునికి"]·tgl["makapag-iingat"]·TH["สามารถ"]·TR["alabilen", "gücü-olan", "gücü-yeten", "güçlü", "güçlü-Olana", "güçlü-olan", "koruyabilene", "muktedir-olana", "yapabilenlerin"]·ukr["Могутньому"]·urd["سکنے-والا", "سکنے-والوں", "سکنے-والے", "قادر", "قادر-ہونے-والے", "قادر-ہے", "قادر-ہے-جو", "قبول-کر-سکتا-ہو"]·VI["có-thể"]·yor["tí-ó-lè"]·yue["能夠"]·ZH["能"]
Matt 10:28, Matt 19:12, Acts 20:32, Acts 27:43, Rom 15:14, Rom 16:25, Eph 3:20, Heb 4:15, Heb 5:2, Heb 5:7, Jas 1:21, Jas 4:12 (+1 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δύνᾰμαι [ῠ], 2nd pers. singular δύνασαι Refs 8th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect and Doric dialect δύνᾳ Refs 7th c.BC+; δύνῃ is subjunctive, Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural δυνέαται Refs 5th c.BC+; subjunctive δύνωμαι, Ionic dialect 2nd pers. singular δύνηαι Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect 2nd pers. singular ἐδύνω Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural ἐδυνέατο Refs 5th c.BC+: future…