גִּבּוֹר159 H1368
Mighty, strong; a warrior or mighty man of valor; as a divine title: the Mighty One.
An adjective of raw power that moves across three distinct registers in the Hebrew Bible. Most frequently it names the גִּבּוֹר—the warrior, the mighty man of valor who fights Israel's battles, from Nimrod the 'mighty hunter' (Gen 10:9) to David's elite champions (2 Sam 23). As a general attribute it describes anyone or anything possessing formidable strength—the lion as 'mightiest among beasts' (Prov 30:30). At its highest register, it becomes a divine epithet: אֵל גִּבּוֹר, 'Mighty God,' the messianic title of Isaiah 9:6 and the attribute of the God who keeps covenant (Deut 10:17, Neh 9:32). Arabic جَبَّار, a cognate, carries the same spectrum from tyrant to mighty lord.
Senses
1. warrior, mighty man of valor — A warrior, mighty man of valor, or champion—the substantival use for human fighters. This is the overwhelming majority of occurrences, designating soldiers, military heroes, and valiant men: David's mighty men (2 Sam 10:7, 23:8), warriors of various armies (Josh 10:2, Judg 6:12), and Nimrod the 'mighty hunter' (Gen 10:9). Spanish valientes ('valiant ones'), French vaillants, and German Helden ('heroes') consistently render this martial sense. Plural construct גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל is the classic 'mighty men of valor.' 148×
AR["أَبطالُ", "أَبطالِ", "جَبَابِرَة", "جَبَابِرَةَ-", "جَبَابِرَةُ", "جَبّارو"]·ben["বীর", "বীরদের", "বীরেরা", "বীরেরা-"]·DE["Held", "Helden-von"]·EN["mighty-men-of", "mighty-of", "mighty-ones-of", "warriors-of"]·FR["vaillant", "vaillants-de"]·heb["גיבור"]·HI["-योद्धा", "बलवान", "बलवान-", "योद्धा", "वीर", "वीरों-के", "शूरवीर"]·ID["-pahlawan-pahlawan", "pahlawan-", "pahlawan-pahlawan"]·IT["valorosi-di", "valoroso"]·jav["prajurit-prawira", "prawira-prawira", "priya-prakosa", "priyagung-kang-gagah-prakosa", "priyagung-kang-gagah-prakosa-"]·KO["용사들", "용사들-의"]·PT["guerreiros-de", "heróis-de", "valentes-de", "valorosos-de"]·RU["героев", "герои", "герои-", "сильные", "сильных"]·ES["jefes-de", "poderosos-de", "valientes-de"]·SW["mashujaa", "mashujaa-", "mashujaa-wa"]·TR["kahramanları-", "yiğitler", "yiğitler-", "yiğitleri"]·urd["بہادر", "سورماؤں"]
2 Sam 10:7, 2 Sam 16:6, 2 Sam 20:7, 2 Sam 23:8, 2 Sam 23:16, 2 Sam 23:17, 2 Sam 23:22, 1 Kgs 1:10, 1 Chr 5:24, 1 Chr 7:2, 1 Chr 7:5, 1 Chr 7:7 (+38 more)
2. mighty, strong (attributive) — The attributive adjective 'mighty, strong, powerful,' describing inherent strength or capability without specific warrior connotation. The lion is 'mightiest among beasts' (Prov 30:30), a man may be 'mighty in the land' (Ps 112:2), and the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong (Eccl 9:11). Ruth 2:1 uses it of Boaz as a 'man of standing' or 'mighty man of wealth.' German mächtig and Spanish poderoso capture this broader attributive force. 6×
AR["جَبَّارٌ", "جَبَّارُ", "جَبّارًا", "جَبّارٌ", "لَ-جِّبُّورِيم", "وَالْجَبَّارُ"]·ben["এবং-বীর", "বীর", "বীরদের-জন্য"]·DE["Held", "mächtig", "und-mächtig"]·EN["and-mighty", "mighty", "mighty-of", "to-the-mighty"]·FR["et-héros", "fort", "héros", "puissant-de"]·heb["גיבור", "ו-גיבור", "ל-גיבורים"]·HI["और-पराक्रमी", "वीर", "वीरों-को", "शक्तिशाली"]·ID["bagi-yang-kuat", "gagah", "perkasa"]·IT["al-eroe", "e-forte", "eroe", "forte", "potente-di"]·jav["Kiyat", "ingkang-kiyat", "kanggé-tiyang-gagah", "kiyat", "prawira", "saha-prakosa"]·KO["강장이다", "강하리라", "강한", "강한-자들-에게", "그리고-용맹한"]·PT["Poderosa", "e-poderoso", "para-os-fortes", "poderoso"]·RU["Сильным", "и-могущественный", "могучий", "сильный", "сильным"]·ES["Poderosa", "a-los-fuertes", "poderoso", "poderoso-de", "valiente", "y-poderoso"]·SW["itakuwa-na-nguvu", "kwa-mashujaa", "na-shujaa", "shujaa"]·TR["gucluere", "güçlü", "ve-kahraman"]·urd["اور-طاقتور", "طاقتور", "طاقتور-ہو-گی", "کے-لیے-بہادروں"]
3. Mighty One, divine epithet — A divine epithet: 'the Mighty One' or 'Mighty God.' In Isaiah 9:6, the messianic child is called אֵל גִּבּוֹר ('Mighty God'). In Deuteronomy 10:17 and Nehemiah 9:32, God himself is הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבּוֹר ('the great and mighty God'). Korean honorific forms and Swahili mwenye nguvu ('possessor of power') signal the transcendent register. This sense elevates the word from human valor to divine omnipotence, a theological intensification unique to these contexts. 6×
AR["ال-جَبَّارُ", "الأبْطال", "الْجَبَّارُ", "الْجَبَّارِ", "جَبَّارًا"]·ben["-পরাক্রমী", "পরাক্রমশালী", "পরাক্রমী", "বীর", "শক্তিশালীদের"]·DE["Held", "der-maechtig"]·EN["Mighty", "the-mighty"]·FR["der-vaillant", "héros", "le-héros", "le-puissant", "vaillant"]·heb["גיבור", "ה-גיבור"]·HI["पराक्रमी", "शक्तिशाली"]·ID["Perkasa", "Yang-Perkasa", "yang-perkasa"]·IT["eroe", "il-potente", "il-valoroso", "valoroso"]·jav["Kawasa", "gagah", "ingkang-kwasa", "kang-kiyat", "kiyat"]·KO["강한", "그-강하신", "그-강한", "그-능하시고", "용사신", "하나님이라"]·PT["Guerreiro", "o-poderoso", "os-poderosos"]·RU["-сильный", "Гиббор", "Гиббору", "могущественными", "сильный"]·ES["Gibor", "el-poderoso", "los-poderosos", "poderoso"]·SW["Mwenye-nguvu", "Shujaa", "mwenye-nguvu", "wenye-nguvu"]·TR["Gibbor", "guclulerin", "güçlü"]·urd["ال-طاقتور", "طاقتور", "قادر"]
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
גִּבּוֹר159 adj. strong, mighty (cf. Arabic جَبَّارٌ one who magnifies himself, behaves proudly, a tyrant, who is bold, audacious)—Gn 10:9 + 58 times; גִּבֹּר Gn 10:8 + 2 times; גִּבּוֹרָם 1 S 17:51; pl. גִּבּוֹרִים Je 46:9 + 27 times; גִּבֹּרִים Jos 10:2 + 21 times; cstr. גִּבּוֹרֵי 1 Ch 11:27 + 29 times; גִּבֹּרֵי 1 Ch 9:26 + 4 times; sf. גִּבּוֹרֶיךָ Ho 10:13 + (var. sfs. 11 times);— 1. adj.…