στερεό-ω G4732
to strengthen, make firm or solid; to establish securely, to make stable and strong
A verb meaning to make strong, firm, or solid—to strengthen and establish. In Acts it appears twice in the healing of the lame man: his feet and ankles were 'made strong' (3:7), and it was faith that 'strengthened' him (3:16). Acts 16:5 reports that the churches 'were strengthened' in the faith daily. The word conveys both physical restoration (weak limbs made strong) and spiritual fortification (faith established and confirmed). Classical uses include solidifying structures, firming foundations, and confirming decisions or judgments.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Languages vary slightly: English 'strengthened/were strengthened', Spanish 'fortaleció/fueron fortalecidas', French 'affermir' (to make firm), German uses Greek forms. The Acts narrative moves from physical (the lame man's ankles strengthened) to spiritual (churches strengthened in faith). Both senses share the core idea: what was weak, unstable, or broken becomes solid, firm, and able to stand. 3×
AR["تَقَوَّتْ", "قَوَّاهُ", "كانَت-تَتَثَبَّتُ"]·ben["শক্ত-করেছে", "শক্ত-হল", "শক্তিশালী-হচ্ছিল"]·DE["ἐστερέωσεν", "ἐστερεοῦντο", "ἐστερεώθησαν"]·EN["strengthened", "were-being-strengthened", "were-strengthened"]·FR["affermir"]·heb["הִתְחַזְּקוּ", "הֻחַזְקוּ", "חִזֵּק"]·HI["-पैर", "उसके", "दृढ़-होती-थीं"]·ID["dikuatkan", "dikuatkan;"]·IT["confermare"]·jav["dipun-kuataken", "santosa", "santosa-aken;"]·KO["굳게-했으니", "굳세졌다", "굳어졌다"]·PT["eram-fortalecidas", "foram-fortalecidos", "fortaleceu"]·RU["укрепились", "укрепило;", "утверждались"]·ES["eran-fortalecidas", "fortaleció", "fueron-fortalecidas"]·SW["ilimtia-nguvu", "yaliimarishwa", "ziliimarishwa"]·TR["güçlendi", "güçlendirdi", "güçleniyorlardı"]·urd["مضبوط-کیا", "مضبوط-ہو-گئے", "مضبوط-ہوتی-تھیں"]
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
στερεό-ω, make firm or solid, τοὺς πόδας LXX+5th c.BC+; τὸν οὐρανόνLXX:—passive, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 strengthen, τοῦτον NT; confirm, κρίσιν LXX:—passive, to be made strong, NT+5th c.BC+: metaphorically, to be firmly established, confirmed, LXX+1st c.BC+