עָצוּם31 H6099
Mighty, powerful; numerous, vast — describing nations, armies, or peoples of great strength or number
An adjective conveying formidable power or impressive numbers, frequently paired with gadol ('great') and rav ('many') to describe entire nations. When God promises Abraham that his descendants will become a goy gadol ve-atsum (Gen 18:18), the word captures both military might and demographic explosion. It also describes the overwhelming force of invading waters (Isa 8:7) and the terrifying locust army (Joel 2:2). Spanish distinguishes fuerte (strong) from numeroso (numerous), highlighting the adjective's double register.
Senses
1. mighty, powerful, strong — Mighty, powerful, or strong — describing peoples, nations, kings, or forces that possess formidable military or political power. Pharaoh admits Israel is atsum mimmenu ('mightier than we,' Exod 1:9), and God promises to dispossess nations gedolim va-atsumim (Deut 4:38). The substantivized form in Ps 135:10 designates 'mighty kings.' Spanish fuerte and German mächtig consistently render this sense of raw power, while French puissant underscores the authority dimension. 28×
AR["أَقْوَى", "عَزيزٌ", "عَظِيمَةً", "عَظِيمَةٌ", "عَظِيمَةٍ", "قَوِيٌّ", "قَوِيٍّ", "قَوِيَّةً", "قَوِيَّةٍ", "وَ-أَعْظَمُ", "وَ-أَكْثَرَ", "وَ-قَوِيٌّ", "وَ-قَوِيٍّ", "وَ-قَوِيَّةً", "وَ-قَوِيَّةٍ", "وَأَقْوَى"]·ben["এবং-শক্তিশালী", "ও-শক্তিশালী", "শক্তিশালী"]·DE["[ועצום]", "maechtig", "mightier", "und-maechtig", "und-mightier", "und-mächtigen"]·EN["and-mightier", "and-mighty", "mightier", "mighty", "strong"]·FR["et-mightier", "et-puissant", "mightier", "puissant", "עצום"]·heb["ו-עָצוּם", "ו-עצום", "ו-עצומים", "עָצוּם", "עצום", "עצומים"]·HI["और-बलवान", "और-शक्तिशलि", "और-शक्तिशाली", "शक्तिशाली"]·ID["dan-kuat", "dan-kuat,", "dan-lebih-kuat", "dan-perkasa", "dan-sangat-kuat", "dan-yang-kuat", "dan-yang-lebih-kuat", "kuat", "perkasa", "yang-kuat"]·IT["e-mightier", "e-potente", "mightier", "mighty", "potente"]·jav["kiyat", "lan-kiyat", "lan-kuwat", "lan-rosa"]·KO["강하고", "강한", "강함-이라", "그리고-강하다", "그리고-강한", "힘센"]·PT["e-forte", "e-mais-fortes", "e-poderosa", "e-poderosas", "e-poderoso", "poderosa", "poderosas", "poderoso"]·RU["-сильным", "и-многочисленный", "и-могучим", "и-могущественные", "и-могущественный", "и-сильнейшие", "и-сильнейшими", "и-сильнейших", "и-сильные", "и-сильный", "и-силён", "могучий", "могучим", "сильнее", "сильные", "сильный", "сильным", "силён"]·ES["fuerte", "más-fuerte", "poderosa", "poderosas", "poderoso", "y-fuerte", "y-fuertes", "y-más-fuertes", "y-poderosa", "y-poderoso"]·SW["lenye-nguvu", "na-lenye-nguvu", "na-wenye-nguvu", "na-yenye-nguvu", "nguvu", "wenye-nguvu", "yenye-nguvu"]·TR["güçlü", "güçlüdür", "ve-güçlü", "ve-güçlüdür"]·urd["اور-زبردست", "اور-طاقتور", "طاقتور", "طاقتور-ہے"]
2. numerous, vast, great — Numerous, vast, or great in extent — emphasizing sheer quantity rather than strength. Amos 5:12 condemns Israel's atsumin ('numerous') transgressions, and Ps 35:18 envisions praise among an am atsum ('vast people'). The overlap with sense 1 is natural since large numbers imply power, but here the focus falls on magnitude. Spanish numeroso and the parallel with rav ('many') in these contexts confirm the quantitative reading. 3×
AR["عَظيمٍ", "عَظِيمَةٌ", "وَ-عَظيمَةٌ"]·ben["ও-মহৎ", "শক্তিশালী"]·DE["maechtig", "mächtig", "und-maechtig"]·EN["and-mighty", "mighty"]·FR["et-puissant", "puissant"]·heb["ו-עצוּמים", "עצום"]·HI["अनगिनत", "और-बड़े", "बहुत"]·ID["dan-besar", "sangat"]·IT["e-potente", "forte", "potente"]·jav["ageng", "kathah", "lan-ageng"]·KO["강한", "그리고-크다", "많은"]·PT["e-numerosos", "numeroso", "poderoso"]·RU["и-велики", "многочисленное", "многочисленном"]·ES["muy-grande", "numeroso", "y-numerosos"]·SW["imara", "na-makubwa", "wengi"]·TR["büyük", "kalabalık", "ve-büyük"]·urd["اور-بڑے", "بھاری", "طاقتور"]
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
עָצוּם31 31 adj. mighty, numerous;—ע׳ Gn 18:18 +, pl. עֲצוּמִים Is 8:7 +, עֲצֻמִים Mi 4:3 +; sf. עֲצוּמָין ψ 10:10;— 1. mighty, especially of people, strong in numbers (often ‖ רַב, גָּדוֹל) Gn 18:18; Ex 1:9; Nu 14:12; 22:6 JE; Dt 4:38 + 6 times D, Mi 4:3, 7 Zc 8:22; Is 60:22 (opp. צָעִיר), of locusts Jo 1:6; 2:2, 5, cf. v 11; so of חַיִל Dn 11:25; עַם לֹא עָצוּם, i.e. feeble Pr 30:26 (of the…