μεγᾰλύνω G3170
To magnify, glorify, praise; to make large or enlarge — declaring greatness or increasing extent
The verb μεγαλύνω, built on the root μέγας ('great'), can move in two directions: making someone great by word — praising, extolling, magnifying — or making something great in size or extent. Mary's Magnificat opens with the defining instance: 'My soul magnifies the Lord' (Luke 1:46), where μεγαλύνει means to declare God's greatness in praise. The rarer physical sense appears when Jesus accuses the scribes of making their phylacteries 'broad' (Matt 23:5), and Paul hopes his ministry may be 'enlarged' (2 Cor 10:15).
Senses
1. magnify, glorify, exalt — To magnify, glorify, praise, or extol — declaring the greatness of God or holding someone in high honor. This is the dominant NT sense (6 of 8 occurrences), anchored by Mary's song in Luke 1:46: 'My soul magnifies the Lord.' In Acts 10:46 the household of Cornelius was heard 'magnifying God,' and in Acts 19:17 the name of the Lord Jesus 'was being magnified.' Spanish 'engrandece/engrandeció' and French 'magnifier' both convey verbal exaltation. The word operates in the domain of praise and worship, where the greatness being attributed is already real — the speaker is declaring it, not creating it. 6×
AR["تُعَظِّمُ", "سَيَتَعَظَّمُ", "عَظَّمَ", "كَانَ-يُعَظَّمُ", "كَانَ-يُعَظِّمُهُمْ", "مُعَظِّمِينَ"]·ben["বড়-করছিল", "বড়-করেছেন", "মহিমা-করতে", "মহিমান্বিত-করে", "মহিমান্বিত-হবে", "মহিমান্বিত-হল"]·DE["gross-machen", "Μεγαλύνει", "μεγαλυνόντων", "ἐμεγάλυνεν", "ἐμεγαλύνετο"]·EN["Magnifies", "magnified", "magnifying", "was-being-magnified", "was-magnifying", "will-be-magnified"]·FR["magnifier"]·heb["הִגְדִּיל", "יִתְגַּדַּל", "מְגַדְּלִים", "מְגַדֶּלֶת", "נִתְגַּדֵּל"]·HI["-लोग", "बड़ाई-करते", "बड़ी-की", "महअन-किय-जयेग", "महिमा-करती-है", "महिमा-पाता-था"]·ID["Jiwaku", "akan dimuliakan", "dimuliakan", "memuliakan", "telah-membesarkan"]·IT["emegalunen", "magnificare", "megalunei", "megalunthēsetai"]·jav["Ngluhuraken", "badhé-diagungaken", "dipun-agungaken", "memuji", "ngluhurakén", "sampun-ngedahaken"]·KO["높여졌다", "높여지리라", "높이는-것-을", "높인다", "영화롭게했다", "크게-하셨다"]·PT["Engrandece", "engrandeceu", "era-magnificado", "será-engrandecido"]·RU["Величит", "величающих", "возвеличивалось", "возвеличил", "возвеличится", "прославлял"]·ES["Engrandece", "engrandeció", "engrandecía", "era-magnificado", "magnificando", "será-engrandecido"]·SW["Humtukuza", "amemtukuza", "atatukuzwa", "lilitukuzwa", "wakimtukuza", "waliwatukuza"]·TR["Yüceltir", "büyüttü", "yuceltilecek", "yücelten", "yüceltiliyordu", "yüceltiyordu"]·urd["بڑا-کیا", "بڑائی-دیا-جائے-گا", "بڑائی-کرتی-ہے", "بڑائی-کرتے-تھے", "بڑائی-کرتے-ہوئے", "بڑائی-گیا"]
2. make large, enlarge — To make large, enlarge, or increase in physical or figurative extent. In Matt 23:5, Jesus criticizes those who 'enlarge' their phylacteries — literally making the leather boxes wider as a show of piety. In 2 Cor 10:15, Paul expresses hope that as the Corinthians' faith grows, his sphere of ministry will 'be enlarged.' Spanish shifts from 'engrandece' (praise, sense 1) to 'agrandan' (they make larger), and English from 'magnifies' to 'they lengthen' and 'to be enlarged,' signaling the concrete, dimensional meaning distinct from verbal praise. 2×
AR["نَكبُرَ", "يُكَبِّرونَ"]·ben["বড়-করে", "বৃহৎ-হতে"]·DE["gross-machen", "μεγαλύνουσιν"]·EN["they-lengthen", "to-be-enlarged"]·FR["magnifier"]·heb["לְהִתְגַּדֵּל", "מַגְדִּילִים"]·HI["बड़ा-करते-हैं", "बड़े-होना"]·ID["dibesarkan", "membesarkan"]·IT["magnificare", "megalunousin"]·jav["dipunagungaken", "ngagengaken"]·KO["키운다", "확대되기를"]·PT["ser-engrandecidos"]·RU["возвеличиться", "увеличивают"]·ES["agrandan", "ser-engrandecidos"]·SW["-", "kupanuliwa"]·TR["büyütmek", "büyütüyorlar"]·urd["بڑے-کرتے-ہیں", "بڑے-ہونا"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μεγᾰλύνω, future μεγαλῠνῶ LXXaorist ἐμεγάλυναLXX:—passive, future -υνθήσομαιLXX: aorist -ύνθηνLXX: perfect participle μεμεγαλυμμένος LXX+2nd c.AD+: (μέγας):—make great or powerful, exalt, τοὺς πολεμίους Refs 5th c.BC+ —passive, μεγαλύνεσθαι ἐκτῶν συμβαινόντων gain great glory by.., NT+5th c.BC+ __II make great by word, extol, magnify, τὸ ὄνομά τινος LXX+5th c.BC+, [same places]:—middle, boast…