גָּדוֹל522 H1419a
Great, large; of size, importance, rank, or age; substantivized as 'great ones/nobles' or 'great deeds/wonders'
Gadol is Hebrew's primary adjective for greatness in all its dimensions -- physical size, social importance, emotional intensity, and moral weight. A great city, a great nation, a great God: the word stretches effortlessly across the concrete and the abstract. When substantivized in the masculine plural it denotes 'great ones' or 'nobles,' and in the feminine plural 'great things' or 'wonders.' It also serves as a comparative for 'elder' in birth-order contexts, and occasionally appears in verbal-progressive constructions meaning 'becoming great.' Its sheer frequency (527 occurrences) makes it a cornerstone of Hebrew descriptive vocabulary.
5. sense 5 — A cluster of contextually distinct uses including 'loud' (of voice, as in Isa 36:13 and Gen 39:14), 'great' in the phrase 'in Judahite/Hebrew' (language designation in Isa 36:13), and intensive degree markers. These share the root sense of magnitude applied to sound volume or emphatic degree (Ezra 10:12; Prov 27:14). 5×
AR["عالٍ","عَالٍ","عَظِيمٍ"]·ben["উচ্চ","বড়","বৃহৎ"]·DE["Stimme","gross"]·EN["in-Yehudite","loud","sound"]·FR["grand","loud"]·heb["גדול"]·HI["ऊँची","बड़ी"]·ID["keras","yang-besar","yang-keras"]·IT["grande","loud"]·jav["ageng","ing-basa-Yehudi","ingkang-ageng","seru","sora"]·KO["큰"]·PT["alta","grande"]·RU["великим","громким"]·ES["alta","grande"]·SW["kubwa"]·TR["buyuk","yüksek"]·urd["بلند","بڑی"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. great, large (general quality) — The core adjectival sense: great, large, or significant in size, extent, importance, or intensity. Arabic عظيم (ʿaẓiim) and كبير (kabiir), Spanish grande, and German groß all converge here. Covers physical magnitude ('great sea,' Num 34:6), emotional intensity ('great fear,' Gen 15:12), and theological weight ('great nation,' Gen 12:2). 486×
AR["الْكَبِيرِ","عَظيماً","عَظيمَةً","عَظِيمًا","عَظِيمٌ","عَظِيمَةً","عَظِيمَةٍ","كَبِيرٌ","كَبِيرَةٌ","كَثِيرَةٍ"]·ben["বড়","বৃহত্","মহা","মহান"]·DE["Großen","gross","groß","große","großen","großer","großes","war-groß","zu-groß"]·EN["great"]·FR["grand"]·heb["גדול","גדולים"]·HI["बड़ा","बड़ी","बड़े","बद","बदि"]·ID["besar","terlalu-besar"]·IT["grande"]·jav["ageng","agung"]·KO["컸다","크고","크다","큰","큰-자"]·PT["grande","grandes"]·RU["большой","великая","великий","великим","великими","велико","великого","великое"]·ES["grande","grandes"]·SW["kikubwa","kubwa","kukubwa","kwa-karibuni","kwake","makubwa","mkubwa","mzee","nyingi"]·TR["büyük","büyüğe"]·urd["بڑا","بڑی","بڑے"]
2. nobles, great ones (persons of rank) — Substantivized masculine plural or construct denoting 'nobles, great ones, leaders' -- persons of high rank or authority. Arabic عُظَماء (ʿuẓamāʾ) and Korean 귀인들 both employ dedicated terms for dignitaries, revealing the lexical shift from quality to social status. See Jonah 3:7 (Nineveh's nobles) and 2 Kgs 10:6, 11 (the great men of Jezreel). 15×
AR["العُظَماءِ","الـ-عُظَمَاءِ","الكِبار","الكِبَارُ","الكِبَارِ","الْعُظَماءِ","الْعِظَامِ","عُظَماءَ","عُظَمَاءِ","عُظَمَائِهَا","عُظَمَائِهِ","كَبِيرِهِمْ","مِنْ-كَبِيرِهِمْ","وَ-عُظَمَائِهِ"]·ben["এবং-তার-মহানদের","তাঁর-বড়দের","তাদের-বড়-থেকে","তার-মহানদের","বড়দের","বড়রা","বৃহত্তমের","মহত্তম-তাদের","মহানদের"]·DE["[הגדולים]","der-gross","der-gross-die","gross","gross-die-von","sein-gross-die","und-gross"]·EN["and-his-nobles","from-their-greatest","great-ones","great-ones-of","greatest-of-them","her-great-ones","his-great-ones","the-great","the-great-ones","their-greatest"]·FR["depuis-les-grands","et-ses-grands","grand","grand-ceux-de","le-grand","le-grand-ceux","ses-grands","son-grand-ceux"]·heb["גדולי","גדוליה","גדוליו","גדולים","גדולם","ה-גדול","ה-גדולים","ו-גדוליו","מ-גדולם"]·HI["उसके-बड़े","और-उस-के-प्रधानों-के","गदोलाव","गदोले","बड़े-उनके","बड़े-से","बड़ों-का","बड़ों-की","बड़ों-के","बधे"]·ID["-pembesar-pembesar","-pembesar-pembesarnya","dan-para-pembesarnya","dari-yang-terbesar","orang-orang-besar","pembesar-pembesarnya","yang-besar","yang-paling-besar","yang-sulung","yang-terbesar-mereka"]·IT["e-grande","grande","grande-quelli-di","il-grande","il-grande-quelli","suo-grande-quelli"]·jav["-ageng","-ingkang-ageng","ageng","ageng-piyambakipun","ingkang-ageng","ingkang-agung","lan-para-punggawanipun","para-tiyang-agung","para-tiyang-agungipun","saking-ingkang-ageng","tiyang-ageng","tiyang-agung","tiyang-agunganipun"]·KO["그-큰","그-큰-자들","그-큰-자들의","그-큰이들은","그녀의-큰-자들-이","그들의-큰-자까지","그들의-큰-자에게","그리고-그의-귀족들-의","그의-큰-자들","높은-자들","높은-자들-의","부터-그들의-큰-자","큰-자들","큰-자들-과-함께","큰-자들에게"]·PT["do-grande-deles","dos-grandes","e-grandes-dele","grande-deles","grandes","grandes-de","maiores","os-grandes","os-maiores","os-seus-grandes","seus-grandes"]·RU["-великих","·-великих","большого-их","великим","великими","великих","великого-из-них","вельмож-его","вельможами","вельможи-её","и-вельмож-его","от-великого-их","старших"]·ES["desde-grande-de-ellos","el-mayor-de-ellos","grandes","grandes-de","grandes-de-ella","grandes-de-él","los-grandes","los-mayores","su-grande","y-sus-grandes"]·SW["kutoka-mkubwa-wao","la-wakubwa","mkubwa-wao","na-wakuu-wake","wakubwa","wakubwa-hao","wakubwa-wa","wakubwa-wake","wakubwa-wao","wakuu","wakuu-wake"]·TR["büyük","büyükler","büyüklere","büyükleri","büyüklerin","büyüklerinden-onların","büyüklerini-onun","büyüklerinin-onun","büyüküne-onların","büyüğüne","ve-büyüklerinin-onun"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-بزرگوں-کے","اُس-کے-بڑوں","اُس-کے-بڑوں-کو","بڑوں-سے","بڑوں-کا","بڑوں-کی","بڑوں-کے","بڑے","بڑے-ان-کے","بڑے-تک-اُن-کے"]
1 Sam 17:13, 1 Sam 17:14, 2 Sam 7:9, 2 Kgs 10:6, 2 Kgs 10:11, 1 Chr 17:8, Ps 115:13, Prov 18:16, Prov 25:6, Jer 5:5, Jer 6:13, Jer 31:34 (+3 more)
3. great things (substantivized deeds) — Substantivized feminine plural (גְּדֹלוֹת) meaning 'great things, great deeds, wonders.' Arabic عظائم (ʿaẓāʾim) parallels the abstract-plural formation. Occurs in doxological contexts celebrating God's incomprehensible acts (Job 5:9; 9:10; 37:5) and in Deuteronomy's recollection of mighty deeds (Deut 10:21). 11×
AR["الْعَظائِمِ","الْعَظَائِمَ","بِـ-عَظَائِمَ","عَظائِمَ","عَظَائِمَ"]·ben["বড়-কথা","বড়-কাজ","বড়-কাজগুলো","বড়-বিষয়ে","মহত্কার্য","মহান","মহান-কাজ","মহান-বিষয়","মহৎ-কাজ","মহৎ-কাজগুলি","মহৎ-বিষয়"]·DE["der-gross-Dinge","der-gross-Sachen","gross","gross-things","in-great-things"]·EN["great-things","in-great-things","the-great-things"]·FR["dans-grand","grand","le-grand-choses"]·heb["ב-גדולות","גדולות","ה-גדולות"]·HI["बड़ी-चीज़ें","बड़ी-बड़ी","बड़ी-बड़ी-बातें","बड़ी-बातें","बड़े-काम","बड़े-कामों","बड़े-कामों-में","बड़े-कार्य","महान-कार्यों-को","हगदोलोत"]·ID["-perkara-besar","dalam-hal-hal-besar","dengan-kesombongan","hal-hal besar","hal-hal-besar","perbuatan-perbuatan-besar","perkara-perkara-besar"]·IT["grande","il-grande-cose"]·jav["ageng","bab-ageng","ing-prakawis-agung","pakaryan-agung","prakawis-ageng","prakawis-agung","prakawis-prakawis-ageng","prekawis-ageng"]·KO["그-크고","크고","큰-것들-을","큰-것들을","큰-일들-에서","큰-일들-을","큰-일들을"]·PT["as-grandes-coisas","coisas-grandes","em-coisas-grandes","grandes-coisas","grandezas"]·RU["-великие","в-великом","великие-дела","великого","великое","надменно"]·ES["cosas-grandes","en-cosas-grandes","grandes-cosas","grandezas","las-grandes-cosas"]·SW["katika-mambo-makubwa","makubwa","makuu","mambo-makubwa","mambo-makuu"]·TR["buyukluk","büyük-işler","büyük-işleri","büyük-şeyler","büyükler-o","büyüklerde"]·urd["بڑائیاں","بڑی-باتیں","بڑی-بڑی-باتیں","بڑے کام","بڑے-معاملوں-میں","بڑے-کام","بڑے-کاموں"]
4. elder, older (of age/seniority) — Comparative sense for 'elder, older' in birth-order or seniority contexts -- the 'greater' child versus the younger. Arabic الكُبرَى (al-kubrā) specifically marks the elder sibling, as does Spanish el mayor. Prominent in the patriarchal narratives: Esau as the elder son (Gen 27:1, 15, 42) and Leah as the older daughter (Gen 29:16). 7×
AR["الأَكْبَرُ","الكَبيرَ","الكَبيرِ","الكَبِيرَةُ","الْ-أَكْبَرِ","الْكُبْرَى"]·ben["-বড়","বড়","বড়ের"]·DE["den-Großen","der-Großen","der-older","des-Großen","des-großen"]·EN["the-older"]·FR["le-older"]·heb["ה-גדול","ה-גדולה"]·HI["बड़ा","बड़ी-का","बड़े-के","बड़े-को","बदे","बधि"]·ID["yang sulung-","yang-lebih-tua","yang-sulung"]·IT["il-older"]·jav["-ingkang-ageng","ingkang-ageng","ingkang-sepuh","kang-langkung-sepuh"]·KO["그-큰","그-큰의","큰"]·PT["a-maior","o-grande","o-maior"]·RU["старшая","старшего","старшей","старший"]·ES["el-mayor","la-grande","la-mayor"]·SW["mkubwa","na-kwa-Abiathari"]·TR["-büyük","-büyüğün","büyük"]·urd["بڑا","بڑی","بڑی-کا","بڑے","بڑے-کا"]
6. becoming great (verbal/progressive) — Verbal-progressive or infinitive-absolute use expressing the process of becoming great or growing in magnitude and status. Arabic وتعاظمًا (wa-taʿāẓuman) captures the progressive aspect. Attested in descriptions of David's increasing greatness (2 Sam 5:10; 1 Chr 11:9) and Mordecai's rising influence (Esth 9:4). 3×
AR["وَتَعاظُمًا","وَيَعْظَمُ","وَ‒عَظِيمٌ"]·ben["আর-মহান","এবং-বড়-হতে","ও-মহান-হচ্ছিল"]·DE["und-greater","und-gross"]·EN["and-becoming-great","and-greater"]·FR["et-grand","et-greater"]·heb["ו-גדול"]·HI["और-बड़ा-होता","और-बढ़ता","और-महान"]·ID["besar","dan-besar","dan-menjadi-besar"]·IT["e-grande","e-maggiore"]·jav["lan-ageng","lan-agung"]·KO["그리고-위대하며","그리고-커지는","그리고-커지며"]·PT["e-crescendo","e-grande"]·RU["и-возвышающийся","и-возрастая","и-рос"]·ES["y-creciendo","y-crecía"]·SW["na-akienda-kubwa","na-kukua","na-kuwa-mkubwa"]·TR["ve-büyü-yordu","ve-büyüyerek","ve-büyüüyor"]·urd["اور-بڑا","اور-بڑتا-ہوا","اور-بڑھتا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
גָּדוֹל522 adj. great—ג׳ Gn 4:13 + 279 times; גָּדֹל Dt 26:8 + 22 times; cstr. גְּדוֹל Ex 15:16 belongs rather sub גֹּ֫דֶל Ez 17:3, 7, גְּדֹל Ex 15:16 Je 32:19, גְּדָל־ Pr 19:19, גְּדָו֯ל־ ψ 145:8 Na 1:3; sf. גְּדוֹלָם Je 6:13 + 2 times; pl. גְּדוֹלִים Ex 7:4 + 11 times, גְּדֹלִים Gn 12:17 + 22 times; cstr. גְּדֹלֵי ψ 79:11 2 K 10:6; sf. גְּדֹלָיו 2 K 10:11 Jon 3:7; גְּדוֹלָיהָ Na 3:10; f.…