ἰσχ-ύω G2480
To be strong, have power, or be able; of things, to have force or validity; to prevail against opposition
Rooted in the noun ἰσχύς (strength), this verb spans from raw physical capability to abstract effectiveness. At its most common, it simply means 'to be able'—the disciples could not stay awake (Matt 26:40), no one could bind the demoniac (Mark 5:4). But it also describes the validity of things: faith working through love 'avails' something (Gal 5:6), and a testament is 'in force' only after death (Heb 9:17). In dramatic contexts it means to prevail outright, as when the demonized man overpowered seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:16). Spanish consistently renders the core sense as 'poder' (to be able), while the validity sense draws out 'tener fuerza' (to have force).
Senses
1. be able, have ability — The general sense of having the power, ability, or capacity to accomplish something. This is the most frequent usage across the New Testament, covering situations from inability to watch one hour in Gethsemane (Matt 26:40) to the failure of chains to restrain a demoniac (Mark 5:4). Spanish 'poder' and French 'pouvoir' render this straightforwardly as capability. German 'vermögen' carries the same force of possessing sufficient strength for a task. 19×
AR["أَسْتَطيعُ", "أَقْدِرُ", "اسْتَطَعْنَا", "تَقدِر", "تَقْدِرُوا", "قَدَرنا", "قَدَرُوا", "قَدَرْتَ", "يَسْتَطِيعُوا", "يَقدِر", "يَقدِروا", "يَقدِرُ", "يَقْدِرونَ", "يَقْدِرُ", "يَقْدِرُوا", "يَقْدِرْ"]·ben["পারছিল", "পারছিলেন,", "পারবে", "পারল", "পারলে", "পারার", "পারি", "পারিল", "পারিলাম", "পেরেছ", "পেরেছি", "পেরেছিল", "শক্তি-রাখত", "শক্তিশালী-হয়", "সক্ষম-হল"]·DE["vermag", "vermoegen"]·EN["I-am-able", "I-am-strong-for", "being-able", "they-were-able", "to-be-strong", "was-able", "was-strong-enough", "we-were-able", "were-able", "were-you-able", "will-be-able"]·FR["pouvoir", "être-fort"]·heb["הִצְלַחְנוּ", "יְכָלְתֶּם", "יָכְלָה", "יָכְלוּ", "יָכֹל", "יָכֹל,", "יָכֹלְתָּ", "יָכוֹל", "יוּכְלוּ", "לָשֵׂאת"]·HI["उसे", "मैन-समरथ-हुन,", "सकता", "सकता-था", "सकते-थे", "सकतेथे", "सका", "सकी", "सके", "सकेंगे।", "समर्थ-हुआ", "समर्थ-हुए", "समर्थ-होते-हुए", "हमसके"]·ID["aku bisa", "aku-mampu", "dapat", "engkau-sanggup", "kamu-sanggup", "mampu", "mereka-mampu", "mereka-sanggup", "sanggup"]·IT["essere-forte", "prevalere"]·jav["kita-saged", "kula-saged", "kuwat", "kuwawi", "kuwawi;", "panjenengan-kuwawi", "saged", "saged-nyanggi", "sami-saged"]·KO["-할-수", "낥할-수-없었다", "능하노라,", "능하지-못했다", "수-있도록", "이길-수-있었다", "할-수", "할-수-없었다", "할-수-있었느냐", "할-수-있었다", "힘이-없었다"]·PT["conseguiam", "conseguimos", "conseguirão", "podendo", "podia", "podiam", "posso", "pudemos", "puderam", "pudeste", "pudestes", "pôde", "tinha-força"]·RU["в-силах", "мог", "могли", "могу", "могущего", "не-смогли", "смог", "смогла", "смогли", "смогли-вы", "смогут"]·ES["poder", "podrán", "podían", "pudiendo", "pudieron", "pudimos", "pudiste", "pudisteis", "pudo", "puedo", "tenía-fuerza"]·SW["akiweza", "hakuweza", "haukuweza", "hawakuweza", "hawataweza", "hawezekani", "hukuweza", "naweza", "nguvu", "tuliweza", "walishindwa", "waliweza", "waweze", "weza"]·TR["gücü-yetti", "gücü-yoktu", "gücüm-yeter", "gücün-yetti", "güç-yetirdiler", "güçleri-yetiyordu", "güçlü-değildi", "karşı-koyabiliyorlardı", "yapabildi", "yapabildik", "yapabilecekler", "yapabilip", "yapabilirim", "yapabiliyorlardı"]·urd["بنے-ہونے", "سکا", "سکتا", "سکتا-تھا", "سکتے-تھے", "سکے", "طاقت-رکھتا-تھا", "طاقت-رکھتے-تھے", "قابو-پا-سکے", "وہ-سکتے-تھے", "کر-سکا", "کر-سکتا-ہوں", "ہو-سکی", "ہو-سکیں-گے", "ہونے-کے-باعث"]
Matt 8:28, Matt 26:40, Mark 5:4, Mark 9:18, Mark 14:37, Luke 6:48, Luke 8:43, Luke 13:24, Luke 14:6, Luke 14:29, Luke 14:30, Luke 16:3 (+7 more)
2. have force, be valid — Applied to non-personal subjects—laws, prayers, principles—meaning to have force, validity, or effectiveness. Salt that has lost its savor 'is no longer good for anything' (Matt 5:13), circumcision nor uncircumcision 'avails' anything but faith working through love (Gal 5:6), and a covenant 'is in force' after death (Heb 9:17). James 5:16 affirms that the prayer of a righteous person 'has great power.' Spanish distinguishes this with 'tiene fuerza' rather than the personal 'puede.' 4×
AR["تَصِحُّ", "تَقدِرُ", "يَصْلُحُ", "يَنفَعُ"]·ben["কার্যকর", "শক্তিমান", "শক্তিশালী,", "সক্ষম"]·DE["vermag", "vermoegen"]·EN["avails", "it-has-strength", "it-is-in-force", "prevails"]·FR["être-fort"]·heb["יְכוֹלָה", "יָכוֹל", "יוֹעִיל", "תָּקֵף"]·HI["शक्ति-रखत,", "शक्ति-रखता-है", "शक्तिशाली-है", "शक्तिशाली-है,"]·ID["berarti", "berkuasa", "itu-berlaku", "kuat"]·IT["essere-forte", "prevalere"]·jav["kuwat", "migunani", "migunani,", "rosa"]·KO["강하다", "쓸-모-없다", "효력이-있느니라", "힘-있지,"]·PT["serve", "tem-força", "vale"]·RU["годна", "может", "сильно"]·ES["puede", "tiene-fuerza", "tiene-poder"]·SW["haifai", "hakuna-nguvu", "halina-nguvu", "inafanya-kazi"]·TR["etkilidir", "gücü-yetmez", "güçlü", "güçlüdür"]·urd["تاقت-رکھتا-ہے", "طاقت-رکھتا", "طاقتور-ہے", "نافذ-ہوتی-ہے"]
3. prevail, overpower — To prevail, overcome, or gain the upper hand against an adversary. Acts 19:16 provides the most vivid example: the man with the evil spirit 'prevailed against' the seven sons of Sceva, overpowering them physically. Acts 19:20 uses it of the word of the Lord 'prevailing' as it spread, and Revelation 12:8 describes the dragon who 'did not prevail' in heaven. Spanish 'prevalecer' and the context of combat or contest mark this sense apart from mere capability. 3×
AR["تَقْوَى", "وَقَوِيَ", "يَقدِروا"]·ben["জিতল", "শক্তিশালী-হচ্ছিল", "সে-জিতল"]·DE["vermag", "vermoegen"]·EN["he-prevailed", "prevailed", "was-prevailing"]·FR["pouvoir", "être-fort"]·heb["גָּבַר", "הִתְחַזֵּק"]·HI["जीता", "प्रबल-होता-था", "बलवन्त-हुआ"]·ID["bertambah-kuat", "ia-berkuasa,", "menaklukkan"]·IT["essere-forte"]·jav["kiyat", "saged-menang"]·KO["강하여", "강해졌다", "이겼으니"]·PT["prevaleceu", "prevalecia."]·RU["имел-силу", "укреплялось.", "устоял,"]·ES["prevaleció", "prevalecía"]·SW["aliweza", "hawakushinda,", "liliweza"]·TR["gücü-yetti", "güç-yetti", "güçleniyordu"]·urd["طاقت-رکھا", "غالب-آتا-تھا", "غالب-آیا"]
4. be strong, be healthy — To be physically strong, well, or healthy, contrasted with being sick. Jesus' saying 'Those who are strong have no need of a physician' (Matt 9:12 / Mark 2:17) uses ἰσχύω to denote bodily health and robustness. Spanish 'fuertes' (strong ones) captures the adjectival-participial force, distinguishing this medical or physical sense from the broader notion of general ability. 2×
AR["-الأَصِحّاءِ", "أَصِحّاءُ"]·ben["সুস্থদের"]·DE["vermag", "vermoegen"]·EN["ones-being-strong", "strong"]·FR["être-fort"]·heb["חֲזָקִים"]·HI["तन्दुरस्त", "बलवानों-को"]·ID["orang-sehat", "yang-sehat"]·IT["prevalere"]·jav["sami-kuwat", "sehat"]·KO["강한-자들", "건강한-자들이"]·PT["que-são-fortes", "que-têm-saúde"]·RU["здоровые"]·ES["fuertes"]·SW["wenye-nguvu"]·TR["sağlıklı-olanların"]·urd["تندرست"]
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
ἰσχ-ύω (ἰσχύς), Refs: imperfect ἴσχυον Refs 5th c.BC+: future ἰσχύσω Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἴσχῡσα Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἴσχῡκα Refs 4th c.BC+:—passive, aorist κατ-ισχύθην Refs 1st c.BC+: (ἰσχύς):—to be strong in body, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἴσχυόν τ᾽ αὐτὸς ἐμαυτοῦ, i.e. I had all my strength, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἰ. ἐκ νόσου to be recovering, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 to be powerful, prevail, μηδὲν μεῖον ἰ. Διός…