μέγᾰς G3173
Great, large; of physical size, rank, intensity, or degree; comparative 'greater' and superlative 'greatest.'
Megas is the standard Greek adjective for 'great' in virtually every dimension — size, sound, importance, and intensity. A 'great city,' a 'loud voice,' a 'great commandment,' and 'great fear' all employ the same word. What makes its New Testament usage theologically interesting is how often physical magnitude bleeds into spiritual significance: the 'great light' of Matt 4:16 is both luminous and salvific, and the 'great joy' of the magi (Matt 2:10) is more than emotional volume. The comparative and superlative forms carry particular weight in Jesus' teaching about greatness in the kingdom, deliberately inverting worldly hierarchies of rank and power.
1. great in size or extent — Great in physical size, spatial extent, or general magnitude — the dominant sense at 176 occurrences. Covers great cities (Rev 11:8), large crowds (Matt 14:14), great lights (Matt 4:16), loud voices (Rev 1:10), great storms (Matt 8:24), and great joy (Matt 2:10). Spanish gran/grande, German groß, and French grand all map cleanly here. The breadth of this cluster reflects megas's role as the unmarked, default 'big/great' adjective in Koine Greek. 176×
AR["العَظيمَةُ","الْعَظِيمِ","عَظيمًا","عَظيمٌ","عَظيمٍ","عَظيمَةً","عَظيمَةٌ","عَظِيمًا","عَظِيمٌ","عَظِيمٍ","كَبِيرًا"]·ben["জোরে,","বড়","মহান","মহান,"]·DE["gross","groß"]·EN["great","loud"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גְּדוֹלָה","גְּדוֹלוֹת","גְדוֹלָה","גָּדוֹל"]·HI["बड़ा","बड़ी","बड़े","बद"]·ID["agung","besar","besar,","dahsyat","keras","keras,","yang-dahsyat"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng","ageng,","ageng;","sora,"]·KO["큰","큰-자가"]·PT["alta,","grande"]·RU["большой","велика","великая","великие","великим","великого","великое","великой","громким"]·ES["gran","grande","grandes"]·SW["ambayo","katika","kubwa","kubwa,","kubwa.","kuwa","mkubwa","mkubwa.","na"]·TR["büyük","yüksek","yüksek,"]·urd["بلند","بڑا","بڑی","بڑے"]
Matt 2:10, Matt 4:16, Matt 5:19, Matt 5:35, Matt 7:27, Matt 8:24, Matt 8:26, Matt 15:28, Matt 20:26, Matt 22:36, Matt 22:38, Matt 24:21 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
2. greater or greatest (comparative/superlative) — Comparative and superlative forms — 49 occurrences of meizon ('greater') and megistos ('greatest'). Central to Jesus' kingdom-reversal teaching: 'the greatest among you shall be your servant' (Matt 23:11); 'among those born of women none is greater than John' (Matt 11:11). Korean uses 더 큰 (comparative) and 가장 큰 (superlative), while Spanish mayor serves for both. The theological freight of these forms in the Gospels makes them a distinct usage cluster. 49×
AR["أَعظَمُ","أَعْظَمَ","أَعْظَمُ","أَكبَرُ","أَكْبَرَ","أَكْبَرُ","الأَعْظَمَ","الأَعْظَمُ","الأَكبَرُ"]·ben["বড়"]·DE["gross","groß"]·EN["Greater","greater","greater-than","greatest","is-greater"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גְּדוֹלָה","גָּדוֹל","גָּדוֹל-מִ-","גָּדוֹל-מִכָּל","גָּדוֹל-מִמֶּנּוּ","הַגָּדוֹל"]·HI["बड़ा","बड़ी","बद","शाखाएँ"]·ID["lebih-besar","terbesar","yang-lebih-besar","yang-terbesar"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ingkang-langkung-ageng","ingkang-langkung-ageng,","ingkang-langkung-ageng.","langkung-ageng","paling-gedhe"]·KO["가장-큰-것이","가장-큰-자","가장-큰-자는","더-크냐","더-크다","더-큰","더-큰-가","더-큰-이가","더-큰-자가","더-큰-자는","더-큰가"]·PT["maior"]·RU["больше","большее","большей","больший","большим"]·ES["mayor"]·SW["-","kubwa-kuliko","kubwa-zaidi","mkubwa","mkubwa-kuliko","mkubwa-zaidi","ni-mkubwa-zaidi","wenu"]·TR["büyük","büyüktür","daha-büyük","daha-büyüktür","en-büyük","en-büyüğü"]·urd["بڑا","بڑی","تُو"]
Matt 11:11, Matt 11:11, Matt 12:6, Matt 13:32, Matt 18:1, Matt 18:4, Matt 20:31, Matt 23:11, Matt 23:17, Matt 23:19, Mark 4:32, Mark 9:34 (+37 more)
3. great in importance or status — Great in importance, rank, or social status — 10 occurrences where megas is used substantively or attributively of persons of high position. In Matt 20:25 'the great ones' exercise authority; in Acts 26:22 Paul testifies to 'great and small.' This overlaps with sense 2 but focuses on social hierarchy rather than degree comparison. Swahili wakuu ('important ones') and Korean 높은 사람들 ('elevated persons') both select status-specific vocabulary. 10×
AR["الكِبارَ","الكِبارُ","عَظيمًا","عُظَمَاؤُهُمْ","كَبيرَةً","كِبارٍ","لِلكَبِيرِ"]·ben["বড়","বড়,","বড়কে","বড়রা","মহান","মহানদের"]·DE["gross","groß"]·EN["great","great-ones","of-great"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גְּדוֹלִים","גָּדוֹל","הַגְּדוֹלִים","לְגָדוֹל"]·HI["बड़े","बड़ेको","बड़ों","बदे","बसेरा-करना"]·ID["besar","besar,","besar;","orang-besar","pembesar-pembesar"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng","ageng,","agung-agung","gedhe,","ingkang-ageng","tiyang-ageng"]·KO["큰","큰-자들","큰-자들과","큰-자들을","큰-자들의","큰-자들이","큰-자들이여","큰-자에게","큼-자들-이"]·PT["a-grande,","grande,","grandes","grandes,"]·RU["большие","великие","великим","великим,","великих","великих;","великому"]·ES["a-grande","de-grandes.","grande","grandes","grandes!"]·SW["kubwa,","kwa-wakubwa","makubwa,","wakubwa","wakubwa!","wakubwa,","wakubwa.","wakuu","wanawatumia-mamlaka"]·TR["büyük,","büyükler","büyüklere","büyükleri","büyüklerin","büyüğe"]·urd["بڑا","بڑو","بڑوں","بڑوں-کا","بڑی","بڑے","بڑے-کو"]
4. great in intensity (loud, severe) — Great in intensity — 4 occurrences where the emphasis falls on severity or volume rather than physical size. A 'great fever' (Luke 4:38), Paul crying out 'with a loud voice' (Acts 14:10; 16:28), Festus declaring Paul's 'great learning' has driven him mad (Acts 26:24). The intensifying function is cross-linguistically marked: Hindi uses bari ('intense/severe') rather than bada ('physically big'), confirming a real semantic distinction. 4×
AR["بِعَالِيَةِ","شَديدَةٍ","عَظيمٍ","عَظيمَةٍ"]·ben["জোরে","বড়","মহান"]·DE["groß"]·EN["great","with-a-loud","with-loud"]·FR["grand"]·heb["בְּקוֹל","בְּקוֹל-גָּדוֹל","בְּקוֹל־גָּדוֹל","גָּבֹהַּ"]·HI["तेज","बड़ी"]·ID["dengan-","dengan-keras","itu","keras"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng","ageng;","seru","sora"]·KO["높은","큰"]·PT["em-alta","em-grande"]·RU["великим","громким","сильной;"]·ES["a-gran","con-grande","grande"]·SW["kuu","kwa-kubwa","kwa-sauti-kubwa"]·TR["büyük"]·urd["بڑی","تیز؛"]
5. great deeds or things — Great deeds or things — 3 occurrences where megas is used substantively in the neuter to mean 'great things' or 'mighty works.' Mary's Magnificat: 'the Mighty One has done great things for me' (Luke 1:49); James warns that the tongue 'boasts great things' (Jas 3:5); the beast 'speaks great things' (Rev 13:5). Spanish grandes cosas and Korean 큰 일 both nominalize the adjective into 'remarkable deeds.' 3×
AR["بِعَظائِمَ","عَظيمَةً","عَظَائِمَ"]·ben["বড়","মহান","মহান-কাজ"]·DE["gross","groß"]·EN["great-things"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גְּדוֹלוֹת"]·HI["बड़ी-बड़ी","बड़ी-बातें","बड़े-काम"]·ID["besar-besar","besar-besaran","hal-hal-besar"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng","ageng-ageng","perkawis-ageng"]·KO["큰-것들과","큰-것을","큰-일들-을"]·PT["grandes-coisas"]·RU["великим","великое"]·ES["grandes-cosas"]·SW["makubwa","makuu","mambo-makubwa"]·TR["büyük","büyük-şeyler"]·urd["بڑا","بڑی-باتیں","بڑے-کام"]
6. great in quantity (much) — Great in quantity — a single occurrence at Acts 26:29 where Paul wishes 'in a great [measure]' that all who hear him would become Christians. Here megas means 'much' or 'to a large degree' rather than physical size or status. German groß and Spanish mucho both shift toward quantitative vocabulary. A marginal but real sense at the boundary of the adjective's semantic range. 1×
AR["كَثِيرٍ"]·ben["মহতে"]·DE["groß"]·EN["much"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גָּדוֹל"]·HI["बहुतमें"]·ID["banyak,"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng,"]·KO["큰-것으로"]·PT["muito,"]·RU["многом"]·ES["mucho"]·SW["kubwa"]·TR["çok"]·urd["بہت"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μέγᾰς, μεγάλη [ᾰ], μέγα [ᾰ], genitive μεγάλου, ης, ου, dative μεγάλῳ, ῃ, ῳ, accusative μέγᾰν, μεγάλην, μέγα [ᾰ]; dual μεγάλω, α, w; plural μεγάλοι, μεγάλαι, μεγάλα, etc.: the stem μεγάλο- is never used in singular nominative and accusative masculine and neuter, and only once in vocative masculine, __A ὦ μεγάλε Ζεῦ Refs 4th c.BC+ __A.I big, of bodily size: frequently of stature, εἶδος.. μ. ἦν…