H2394 H2394
strength, force, violence; (as infinitive) to strengthen, repair
A feminine noun meaning strength or force, almost always appearing in the fixed prepositional phrase be-chozqah, 'with force.' It describes the kind of power that coerces and oppresses: Jabin crushing Israel 'forcefully' (Judg 4:3), the priests seizing meat 'by force' (1 Sam 2:16), shepherds ruling 'with harshness' (Ezek 34:4). Yet in Jonah 3:8, the same phrase describes crying out to God 'mightily,' showing that raw intensity can serve either cruelty or repentance. One occurrence in 2 Kings 12:12 is actually an infinitive of the verb chazaq, meaning 'to repair' the Temple.
Senses
1. strength, force, violence — Physical or coercive force exerted upon others, typically oppressive. The phrase be-chozqah appears in contexts of domination (Judg 4:3, Ezek 34:4), forcible seizure (1 Sam 2:16), and sharp rebuke (Judg 8:1). In Jonah 3:8 the same force is redirected toward urgent prayer. English 'by force,' Spanish 'con fuerza,' and French 'avec force' all render the same instrumental sense consistently across languages. 5×
AR["بِ-شِدَّةٍ", "بِ-قُوَّةٍ", "بِـ-الـ-قُوَّةِ", "بِـ-شِدَّة", "وَبِعُنْفٍ"]·ben["আর-কঠোরতায়", "জোরে", "বলে", "শক্তিতে"]·DE["[בחזקה]", "[ובחזקה]", "bei-force", "mit-Staerke", "mit-force"]·EN["and-with-harshness", "by-force", "mightily", "with-force", "with-strength"]·FR["avec-force", "dans-forte", "et-dans-forte", "par-force"]·heb["ב-חוזקה", "ו-ב-חוזקה"]·HI["जबरदस्ती-से", "ज़ोरसे", "बल-से"]·ID["dan-dengan-kekerasan", "dengan-keras", "dengan-kuat;", "dengan-paksa"]·IT["[בחזקה]", "[ובחזקה]", "con-force", "con-forza", "da-force"]·jav["kalayan-kekiyatan", "kalayan-keras", "kanthi-peksan", "lan-kanthi-kakiyatan", "mawi-rosa"]·KO["-에-힘", "강하게", "그리고-강함으로"]·PT["com-força", "e-com-força", "à-força"]·RU["но-силой", "силой", "сильно"]·ES["con-fuerza", "por-fuerza", "y-con-fuerza"]·SW["kwa-nguvu", "lakini-kwa-nguvu"]·TR["de-güçle", "güçle", "ve-zorlukla", "zorla"]·urd["اور-سختی-سے", "زبردستی", "زور-سے", "سختی-سے"]
2. to strengthen, repair — A verbal infinitive construct (le-chozqah) from the root chazaq, meaning 'to strengthen' or 'to repair,' functioning as a purpose clause in 2 Kgs 12:12 regarding Temple restoration. English 'to strengthen it' and Spanish 'para reforzar' capture the constructive intent, standing in stark contrast to the coercive force of sense 1. 1×
AR["لِتَقْوِيَتِهِ"]·ben["মেরামতের-জন্য"]·DE["zu-strengthen-es"]·EN["to-strengthen-it"]·FR["à-fortifie-cela"]·heb["ל-חזקה"]·HI["लमजबूत-करने-को-उसकी"]·ID["untuk-memperbaikinya"]·IT["a-fortifica-esso"]·jav["kangge-ndandosi"]·KO["강하게-하기-위해"]·PT["para-reparar"]·RU["для-укрепления"]·ES["para-reforzar"]·SW["kwa-kutengeneza"]·TR["onarmak-için-onu"]·urd["مرمت-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H???? 1. (4670×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָזְקָה n.f. strength, force, violence, always בְּחָזְקָה, with strength, force, etc.;— 1. of oppression Ju 4:3 forcibly, violently; capture by force 1 S 2:16; Ez 34:4 of ruling בְּח׳ וּבְפָ֑רֶךְ with force and with rigour. 2. rebuke severely, sharply Ju 8:1; cry mightily, insistently Jon 3:8.—לְחָזְקָה 2 K 12:13 v. חָזַק" dir="rtl" >חָזַק Qal Inf.