H0047 H0047
Mighty, powerful; used of warriors, strong animals (bulls, stallions), the obstinate-hearted, or a chief/leader
Rooted in the idea of raw strength and force, this adjective appears almost exclusively in poetry and always functions as a substantive — 'a mighty one.' It can describe human warriors whom God crushes (Job 34:20), powerful bulls like those of Bashan (Ps 22:13), or swift stallions thundering into battle (Jer 8:16). In Isaiah 46:12 it takes on a moral edge, labeling the 'stout-hearted' who stubbornly resist God's purposes. The Spanish 'poderosos' and 'corceles' neatly capture the split between human and animal referents that English sometimes blurs.
4. chief, leader — A chief or principal person, emphasizing rank and social authority rather than physical strength. This rare usage appears in 1 Samuel 21:8, where Doeg the Edomite is described as the 'chief' of Saul's shepherds. The multilingual evidence (English, Spanish, French all rendering 'chief/jefe') confirms this is a distinct administrative sense, though textual emendations have been proposed (cf. BDB's note on alternative readings). 1×
AR["رَئِيسُ"]·ben["প্রধান"]·DE["chief"]·EN["chief"]·FR["chief"]·heb["אביר"]·HI["प्रधन"]·ID["kepala"]·IT["capo"]·jav["pangageng"]·KO["우두머리"]·PT["chefe-de"]·RU["главный"]·ES["jefe-de"]·SW["mkuu"]·TR["başı"]·urd["سردار"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. mighty one, warrior — Denotes a mighty person, warrior, or heavenly being — someone possessing extraordinary power or valor. In Psalm 78:25 it refers to angels ('bread of the mighty ones'), while in Job 24:22 and Jeremiah 46:15 it describes violent oppressors or powerful fighters whom God brings low. The Spanish 'poderosos' and French 'puissant' converge on the idea of raw might wielded by a personal agent. Used substantively in construct with possessive suffixes (Judg 5:22; Ps 22:12–13). 8×
AR["أَبْطَالُكَ","أَقْوِيائِهِ","أَقْوِيَاءُ","الأَقْوِيَاءِ","الْأَقْوِيَاءَ","جَبَابِرَتِي","عَظيماً","كَـ-الْجَبَّارِ"]·ben["আমার-বীরদের","তার-বীরদের","তোমার-বলবানরা","বলবানদের","শক্তিমানদের","শক্তিশালী","শক্তিশালীর-মতো"]·DE["[אביר]","[אבירי]","[אביריך]","[אבירים]","[כאביר]","der-mächtig","sein-maechtig-die","stark-Leute-von"]·EN["his-mighty-ones","like-mighty-one","mighty-ones","my-mighty-ones","strong-ones-of","the-mighty","your-mighty-one"]·FR["puissant","son-puissant-les","אביר","אבירים"]·heb["אביר","אבירי","אביריו","אביריי","אביריך","אבירים","כ-אביר"]·HI["जैसे-शूरवीर","तेरे-बलवान","बलवन्तों-ने","बलवानों-के-उसके","मेरे-वीरों-को","शक्तिशालियों-की","शक्तिशाली","शक्तिशाली-को"]·ID["kuda-gagahnya","orang-orang-kuat","pahlawan-pahlawan-mu","pahlawan-pahlawanku","seperti-yang-perkasa","yang perkasa","yang-perkasa"]·IT["il-mighty","mighty-ones","potente","suo-potente-ones"]·jav["ingkang-kuwasa","jaran-prakosa-piyambakipun","kados-gagah","malaikan","para-prajuritipun","prajurit-perkosa-kawula","sapi-lanang-kiyat","tiyang-kuwat"]·KO["강한-소들-이","강한-자-같이","강한-자들-그의-의","강한-자들-의","강한-자들을","강한-자를","내-용사들-을","네-힘센-자들이"]·PT["como-poderoso","dos-poderosos","fortes-de","meus-valentes","os-poderosos","poderoso","seus-poderosos","teu-poderoso"]·RU["как-сильный","сильного","сильные","сильные-твои","сильных","сильных-его","сильных-моих"]·ES["a-los-poderosos","como-valiente","fuertes-de","mis-valientes","poderoso","poderosos","sus-poderosos","tu-poderoso"]·SW["kama-shujaa","kwa-mashujaa-wake","malaika","mashujaa-wako","mashujaa-wangu","wenye-nguvu","wenye-nguvu-wa"]·TR["guclu-gibi","güçlü","güçlüler-benim","güçlüleri","güçlülerin","güçlülerinin"]·urd["اُس-کے-زوراوروں-کا","بہادر-تیرا","زبردست-کی-طرح","زورآوروں-کی","طاقتور","طاقتور کو","طاقتوروں-کو","میرے-بہادر"]
2. mighty bull or stallion — A strong, vigorous animal — typically a bull or a stallion. The 'bulls of Bashan' (Ps 22:13) are fierce enemies pictured as powerful beasts; in Psalm 50:13 God dismisses the flesh of 'mighty ones' (bulls) as unnecessary sacrifice. Spanish distinguishes cleanly: 'bueyes/toros' for bovines versus 'corceles' for war-horses (Jer 8:16; 47:3). Isaiah 34:7 uses it of wild oxen in Edom's judgment. The animal sense extends the root metaphor of brute physical power into the non-human realm. 6×
AR["أَبْطَالِهِ","أَقْوِيَائِهِ","الأقْوياءِ-","الأقْوِياء","الْأَقْوِيَاءِ","كَالْجِيَادِ"]·ben["ঘোড়াগুলোর-মতো","তার-বীরদের","তার-শক্তিশালীদের","বলবানদের","শক্তিশালীদের","ষাঁড়দের"]·DE["Stiere","[אביריו]","[אבירים]","[כאברים]"]·EN["bulls","his-stallions","like-stallions","mighty-bulls"]·FR["puissant"]·heb["אביריו","אבירים","כ-אבירים"]·HI["उसके-बलवानों","घोड़ों-की-तरह","बलवान-उसके-की","बलवानों","सांड़ों-का"]·ID["kuda-kuda-jantan-gagahnya","kuda-kudanya-yang-perkasa","lembu-lembu-jantan","seperti-kuda-jantan","yang-kuat"]·IT["potente"]·jav["daging","kados-jaran-lanang","kapal-kakungé","kapalipun","lembu-lembu-jaler","sapi-sapi-lanang"]·KO["강한-것들-의","강한-것들과","그의-강한-것들의","그의-힘센-말들의","수말들처럼","황소-들-의"]·PT["como-garanhões","seus-cavalos","seus-garanhões","touros"]·RU["быков","жеребцов-его","как-жеребцы","коней-его-сильных","могучими"]·ES["bueyes","como-corceles","sus-corceles","sus-sementales","toros"]·SW["farasi-wake-wenye-nguvu","farasi-zake-wenye-nguvu","kama-farasi-wenye-nguvu","la-ng'ombe-dume","ng'ombe","wenye-nguvu"]·TR["-gibi-aygırlar","aygirlarinin","aygyrlarının","boğaların","etini","guclulerin"]·urd["بیلوں-کا","جنگی-گھوڑوں-اُس-کے-کی","زور-آوروں-کے","سانڈوں-کا","سورماؤں-اُس-کے","گھوڑوں-کی-طرح"]
3. stout-hearted, obstinate — In the fixed phrase 'abbire lev' (mighty of heart), the word shifts from physical power to moral obstinacy — those who are defiant and unyielding before God. Isaiah 46:12 addresses the 'stout-hearted who are far from righteousness,' and Psalm 76:6 describes warriors so stubborn that their courage becomes their undoing. Spanish 'valientes de corazón' and English 'stouthearted' both capture this negative connotation of hardened resistance rather than admirable bravery. 2×
AR["أَقْوِيَاءَ","أَقْوِيَاءُ"]·ben["সাহসী-","হে-কঠিন-হৃদয়েরা"]·DE["[אבירי]","der-stouthearted"]·EN["mighty-ones-of","the-stouthearted"]·FR["puissant"]·heb["אבירי"]·HI["अब्बीरे","कठोर-हृदय-वालो"]·ID["orang-orang-yang-keras-hati","orang-orang-yang-perkasa"]·IT["potente"]·jav["ingkang-wangkot","tiyang-tiyang-kendel"]·KO["강한-자들아","용감한-자들-이"]·PT["obstinados-de","os-valentes"]·RU["сильные","храбрые"]·ES["fuertes-de","valientes-de"]·SW["wenye-mioyo-migumu","wenye-nguvu-wa"]·TR["inatcilari-","yürekli"]·urd["بہادر","سخت-دل"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אַבִּיר adj. mighty, valiant—א׳ Jb 34:20 + Is 10:13 Kt (Qr כַּבִּיר; cstr. id. 1 S 21:8; pl. אַבִּירִים Jb 24:22 +;—mighty (alw. = subst. & poet. exc.1 S 21:8). 1. men Jb 24:22(= violent) 34:20 Je 46:15 1 S 21:8 (read א׳ הָרָצִים Gr Dr, cf. 22:17; but LagProbebibel אֹבִיל הָעֲיָרִים v. Id. BN 45; Klo גִּבּוֹר), La 1:15; אַבִּירֵי לֵב stout of heart Is 46:12 (= obstinate) ψ 76:6. 2. angels ψ…