ἰσχῡρός G2478
Strong, mighty, powerful; in the comparative, stronger or mightier; of forces or conditions, severe or intense
An adjective rooted in ischys (strength), describing robust physical or spiritual power. Jesus uses it memorably in his parable of the strong man whose house cannot be plundered unless 'one stronger' binds him first (Matt 12:29) -- a picture of the kingdom overcoming Satan's grip. John the Baptist declares that the Coming One is 'mightier than I' (Matt 3:11), and Paul paradoxically insists that 'the weakness of God is stronger than men' (1 Cor 1:25). In a lone metaphorical extension, Luke describes the famine in the far country as 'severe' (Luke 15:14), showing how the word can stretch from persons to impersonal forces. Spanish 'fuerte' and German 'stark' serve as direct equivalents across all three senses.
3. severe, violent, intense — A metaphorical extension to impersonal forces or conditions, meaning severe, violent, or intense. Luke 15:14 describes a 'severe famine' that overtook the land where the prodigal son had squandered his inheritance. This usage, though rare in the NT, is well attested in classical Greek for strong tastes, hard ground, and intense conditions (cf. LSJ). Spanish 'severa' captures this transferred sense. 1×
AR["شَدِيدَةٌ"]·ben["প্রবল"]·DE["stark"]·EN["severe"]·FR["fort"]·heb["קָשֶׁה"]·HI["भयानक"]·ID["berat"]·IT["forte"]·jav["ageng"]·KO["심한"]·PT["severa"]·RU["сильный"]·ES["severa"]·SW["kubwa"]·TR["şiddetli"]·urd["شدید"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. strong, mighty, powerful — Possessing great strength, might, or power in the positive degree, used of persons or abstract forces. Jesus speaks of the 'strong man' who guards his house (Matt 12:29, Mark 3:27), and the wind is described as 'strong' in Matt 14:30. Revelation uses it of a 'mighty angel' (Rev 5:2, 10:1, 18:21). Spanish 'fuerte' and French 'fort' both render this straightforwardly as robust physical or spiritual power. 22×
AR["أقوياءُ","أَقْوِياءُ","أَقْوِيَاء","الأَقْوِياءَ","الشَّدِيدَةَ","القَوِيَّ","القَوِيَّةُ","القَوِيِّ","الْقَوِيُّ","شَديدٍ","قَوِيًّا","قَوِيٌّ","قَوِيٍّ","قَوِيَّ","قَوِيَّةً","قَوِيَّةٌ","قَوِيَّةٍ","قَوِيِّ"]·ben["প্রবল","বলবান","শক্তিশালী","শক্তিশালী!","শক্তিশালী,","শক্তিশালী;","শক্তিশালীকে","শক্তিশালীদের;","শক্তিশালীর","শক্তিশালীর,"]·DE["stark"]·EN["a-strong","mighty","powerful","strong","strong-man","strong-one"]·FR["fort"]·heb["גִּבּוֹר","גִּבּוֹרִים","הֶחָזָק","הַחֲזָקָה","חֲזָקִים","חֲזָקָה","חֲזָקוֹת","חָזָק","עַזָּה"]·HI["उसकी","तेज़","दृढ़","बलवअन-के","बलवअन-को","बलवान","बलवानों-को","शक्तिशाली","शक्तिशाली,","शक्तिशालीने","सामर्थी"]·ID["dahsyat","kuat","kuat,","orang-kuat","orang-kuat,","perkasa","yang-kuat","yang-kuat,"]·IT["forte"]·jav["ingkang-kiyat","kenceng","kenceng,","kiyat","kiyat;","kuwat","tiyang-kiyat","tiyang-kiyat?","wong-kuwat","wong-kuwat,"]·KO["강하다","강하시다","강한","강한-것들-을","강한-자가","강한-자들","강한-자들로","강한-자를","강한-자의"]·PT["forte","forte!","forte,","fortes","poderosos"]·RU["сильного","сильного,","сильное","сильном","сильны","сильные","сильный","сильным","сильными","сильных","силён"]·ES["fuerte","fuerte?","fuertes","fuertes,","poderosa","poderoso","poderosos"]·SW["hodari","kikubwa","mkali","mwenye-nguvu","mwenye-nguvu,","mwenye-nguvu?","nguvu","wenye-nguvu","wenye-nguvu!","wenye-nguvu;","zenye-nguvu,"]·TR["güçlü","güçlü-olanı","güçlü-olanın,","güçlüdür","güçlünün","güçlüyü"]·urd["بلند","زبردست","زوردار","طاقتور","طاقتور-کو","طاقتور-کے","طاقتوروں-کو","مضبوط"]
Matt 12:29, Matt 12:29, Matt 14:30, Mark 3:27, Mark 3:27, Luke 11:21, 1 Cor 1:27, 1 Cor 4:10, 2 Cor 10:10, Heb 5:7, Heb 6:18, Heb 11:34 (+10 more)
2. stronger, mightier (comparative) — The comparative degree -- stronger or mightier than another -- often substantivized as 'the stronger one.' John the Baptist's confession 'one mightier than I comes' (Matt 3:11, Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16) is the paradigmatic instance. In the parable, 'when one stronger than he attacks' overcomes the strong man (Luke 11:22). Paul's paradox that God's foolishness is 'stronger than men' (1 Cor 1:25) inverts all human categories of power. 6×
AR["أقوى","أَقْوى","أَقْوَى-مِنِّي","الأَقْوى","الأَقْوَى"]·ben["বলবান","শক্তিশালী-আমার-থেকে","শক্তিশালী-চেয়ে","শক্তিশালীতর"]·DE["stark"]·EN["a-stronger-one","mightier","stronger","stronger-than"]·FR["fort"]·heb["חֲזָקִים-יוֹתֵר","חָזָק","חָזָק-יוֹתֵר","חָזָק-מִמֶּנִּי"]·HI["अधिक-बलवान","अधिक-शक्तिशाली","बलवंत","शक्तिशाली","सामर्थी"]·ID["lebih-berkuasa","lebih-kuat","yang-lebih-kuat"]·IT["forte"]·jav["ingkang-langkung-kiyat","langkung-kiyat","langkung-kuwaos","langkung-kuwat"]·KO["더-강하다","더-강한-이가","더-강한-이가-나보다","더-강한-자-이다","더-강한-자가","더-강한-자들이"]·PT["mais-forte","mais-fortes-do-que-ele","mais-poderoso","mais-poderoso-que"]·RU["Сильнейший","сильнее","сильнейший"]·ES["más-fuerte","más-fuertes","más-poderoso","uno-más-fuerte"]·SW["ana-nguvu-kuliko","mwenye-nguvu-zaidi","tuna-nguvu-zaidi","una-nguvu-zaidi-kuliko"]·TR["benden-güçlü-olan","daha güçlü","daha-güçlü","o-"]·urd["زور-آور","زیادہ-تاقتور","زیادہ-طاقتور","زیادہ-طاقتور-ہے","طاقتور-تر"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἰσχῡρός, ά, όν, (ἰσχύς) strong, especially of personal strength, Refs 5th c.BC+; of things, ἰ. βέλος Refs 7th c.BC+; ἰ. χθών hard, Refs 4th c.BC+; of food, indigestible, Refs 5th c.BC+; of taste, strong, Refs 4th c.BC+; of armies, ἰσχυροτέρα φάλαγξ Refs 5th c.BC+; of places, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἰ., opposed to τὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἰ., Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ ἰσχυρότατα your strongest points, Refs…