H6105a H6105a
Be mighty, strong, or numerous; in Piel, to break bones; in Hifil, to make strong
A root that straddles two semantic poles: raw physical power and sheer numerical abundance. When Pharaoh saw that the Israelites 'grew mighty' (Exod 1:7, 20), both strength and multiplying numbers were in view — Spanish captures this duality with 'se fortalecerá' (grew strong) alongside 'se multiplicaron' (multiplied). The psalmist marvels that God's thoughts are more numerous than sand (Ps 139:17), while Daniel's visions use the same verb for empires growing powerful (Dan 8:8, 24). A fascinating denominative Piel from עֶצֶם (bone) appears once: Nebuchadnezzar 'gnawed Israel's bones' (Jer 50:17), vividly connecting the root back to its etymological core.
Senses
1. be strong, mighty (Qal) — To be or become strong, mighty, powerful in the Qal stem — describing inherent strength or a growth in power. Isaac tells Abimelech 'you have become too mighty for us' (Gen 26:16), and Daniel's visions use this repeatedly of empires waxing great (Dan 8:8, 24; 11:23). French 'crût puissant' and Spanish 'son poderosos' consistently mark this as personal or national might rather than mere numbers. 9×
AR["أَقْوِياءُ", "أَقْوِيَاءُ", "اشْتَدّوا", "صِرتَ", "وَ-عَظُمُوا", "وَ-كَـ-قُوَّتِهِ", "وَ-يَعْظُمُ", "وَ-يَقْوَى"]·ben["এবং-যখন-এর-শক্তিশালী-হল", "এবং-শক্তিশালী-হবে", "ও-অতি-শক্তিশালী-হল", "ও-অতিশয়-শক্তিশালী-হল", "ও-শক্তিশালী-হবে", "তারা-শক্তিশালী", "শক্তিশালী", "শক্তিশালী-হয়েছ-", "শক্তিশালী-হয়েছে"]·DE["[וכעצמו]", "du-bist-zu-mächtig-geworden-", "sie-sind-maechtig", "sind-mächtig", "und-Knochen", "und-wuchs-maechtig"]·EN["and-become-strong", "and-grew-mighty", "and-shall-be-mighty", "and-when-it-was-strong", "are-mighty", "mighty", "you-are-mightier"]·FR["[וכעצמו]", "[ועצם]", "et-crût-puissant", "tu-sont-mightier", "être-fort", "être-puissant"]·heb["ו-יעצמו", "ו-כ-עוצמו", "ו-עצם", "ו-עצמו", "עצמו", "עצמת"]·HI["और-जब-शक्तिशाली-हुआ", "और-बलवान-हुए", "और-शक्तिशाली-होगा", "और-शक्तिशाली-होगी", "बलवान-हैं", "बलवान-हो-गया-", "शक्तिशाली-हैं"]·ID["Dan-menjadi-kuat", "dan-dia-akan-menjadi-kuat", "dan-ketika-ia-menjadi-kuat", "dan-menjadi-sangat-kuat", "engkau-menjadi-lebih-kuat", "kuat"]·IT["[וכעצמו]", "e-crebbe-potente", "e-osso", "essere-forte", "fu-forte", "tu-sono-mightier"]·jav["kiyat", "kiyat-sanget", "lan-dados-kiyat", "lan-kiyat-sanget", "lan-nalika-piyambak-ipun-kiyat", "lan-sami-kiyat", "panjenengan-sampun-langkung-kiyat-"]·KO["강하다", "강하도다", "강해졌다-너는", "그리고-강하여지리라", "그리고-강해졌다", "그리고-강해지리라", "그리고-강해지매", "그리고-심히-강해졌다"]·PT["E-fortalecerá", "e-fortaleceram-se", "e-quando-estava-forte", "e-se-fortalecerá", "fortaleceste-te", "são-fortes", "são-muito"]·RU["и-когда-усилился-он", "и-усиливались", "и-усилились", "и-усилится", "сильны", "усиливаются", "усилились", "усилился-ты"]·ES["Y-se-fortalecerá", "son-fuertes", "son-poderosos", "te-hiciste-poderoso", "y-cuando-se-fortaleció", "y-se-fortalecieron", "y-se-hará-fuerte"]·SW["Na-itakuwa-na-nguvu", "na-alipokuwa-na-nguvu", "na-kuwa-na-nguvu", "na-wakawa-wenye-nguvu", "ni-wenye-nguvu", "umekuwa-na-nguvu", "wamekuwa-wengi", "wengi"]·TR["gucludurler", "güçlendi", "güçlendin", "güçlüler", "ve-güçlendiler", "ve-güçlendiğinde", "ve-güçlenecek"]·urd["اور-بڑھے-گی", "اور-جب-طاقتور-ہوا", "اور-زور-آور-ہوئی", "اور-طاقتور-ہو-گا", "اور-طاقتور-ہوئے", "زور-آور-ہیں", "طاقتور-ہو-گیا-تُو", "طاقتور-ہوئے", "طاقتور-ہیں"]
2. be numerous, vast (Qal) — To be or become numerous, vast, great in quantity — the Qal stem expressing abundance rather than strength. The psalmist exclaims that his enemies 'are more than the hairs of my head' (Ps 69:4) and that God's thoughts outnumber the sand (Ps 139:17). Spanish distinguishes this sense clearly with 'se multiplicaron' and 'fueron numerosos,' while Jeremiah uses it of transgressions multiplying (Jer 5:6) and widows becoming more numerous than sand (Jer 15:8). 7×
AR["عَظُمَتْ", "كَثُرَتْ", "كَثُرَتْ-"]·ben["বড়-হয়েছে", "বিশাল", "বৃদ্ধি-পেয়েছে", "বৃদ্ধি-পেল-", "শক্তিশালী"]·DE["sie-sind-maechtig", "sie-sind-mehr", "vast"]·EN["More-numerous-became-", "have-been-numerous", "numerous", "they-are-more", "vast", "were-numerous"]·FR["être-fort", "être-puissant"]·heb["עצמו"]·HI["बढ़-गईं-", "बढ़-गए", "बहुत-हैं", "वे-बढ़-गए"]·ID["bertambah", "bertambah-banyak-", "besar"]·IT["essere-forte", "fu-forte"]·jav["Kathah-", "ageng", "akèh", "sampun-kathah-sanget", "sampun-langkung-kathah"]·KO["강하다", "강하도다", "강하였도다", "강해졌다", "많아졌다", "많은지"]·PT["Aumentaram-se-para-Mim", "aumentaram", "fortaleceram-se", "são-mais", "vastas-são"]·RU["велико", "умножились", "умножились-", "усилились"]·ES["Se-multiplicaron", "aumentaron", "fueron-numerosos", "son-más", "vastas"]·SW["Zimeongezeka-", "ni-mengi", "yalivyokuwa-mengi", "zimekuwa-nyingi", "zimeongezeka"]·TR["büyük", "güçlendi", "çoğaldı", "çoğaldı-", "çoğaldılar"]·urd["بڑھ-گئیں-", "بڑھ-گئے", "بڑھ-گئے-ہیں", "بڑے-ہیں", "بہت-ہیں", "زیادہ-ہیں"]
3. break bones (Piel) — A denominative Piel meaning to break or gnaw bones, derived from the noun עֶצֶם (bone). Appearing only in Jeremiah 50:17, it describes Nebuchadnezzar 'breaking the bones' of Israel — a vivid metaphor of devouring a conquered people. English 'gnawed his bones' and Spanish 'sus huesos' foreground the skeletal imagery that ties this sense etymologically to the root's physical core. 1×
AR["عِظَامَهُ"]·ben["তার-হাড়"]·DE["sie-sind-maechtig"]·EN["gnawed-his-bones"]·FR["être-fort"]·heb["עצמו"]·HI["तोड़े-उसकी-हड्डियां"]·ID["meremukkan-tulang-tulangnya"]·IT["essere-forte"]·jav["ngrèmèhaken-piyambakipun"]·KO["부수었다-그를"]·PT["seus-ossos"]·RU["кости-его-глодает"]·ES["sus-huesos"]·SW["amemvunja-mifupa"]·TR["kemiklerini-kırdı"]·urd["ہڈیاں-توڑیں-اُس-کی"]
4. make strong (Hifil) — The Hifil causative: to make strong, to cause to become mighty. In Psalm 105:24, God 'made his people stronger than their adversaries,' an act of divine empowerment. Spanish 'lo hizo más fuerte' and English 'He made them stronger' clearly mark the causative agency — it is not the people's own growing but God actively strengthening them. 1×
AR["وَ-أَقواهُ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-শক্তিশালী-করলেন"]·DE["und-er-gemacht-ihnen-stronger"]·EN["and-He-made-them-stronger"]·FR["et-être-puissant"]·heb["ו-יעצימהו"]·HI["और-उसने-शक्तिशाली-बनाया-उन्हें"]·ID["dan-Ia-membuat-lebih-kuat"]·IT["e-fu-forte"]·jav["lan-dipunkiyataken"]·KO["그리고-강하게-하셨도다-그들-을"]·PT["e-o-fez-mais-forte"]·RU["и-усилил-его"]·ES["y-lo-hizo-más-fuerte"]·SW["na-akawafanya-wengi-kuliko"]·TR["ve-güçlü-kıldı-onu"]·urd["اور-اُسے-طاقتور-بنایا"]
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
† I. [עָצֹם cf. LagBN 31] , עָצַם vb. be vast, mighty, numerous (NH Nithp. contend strenuously, and in deriv.; Ph. in עצמת mighty deeds, עצמם bones; Arabic عَظُمَ be great in bone, or anything, عَظُمٌ bones; Ethiopic ዐፅም id.; Aramaic עִטְמָא, ܥܰܛܡܳܐ thigh);—Qal Pf. 3 ms. וְעָצַם consec. Dn 8:24; 11:23; 2 ms. עָצַמְתָּ Gn 26:16; 3 pl. עָֽצְמוּ Is 31:1 +, עָצֵ֑מוּ ψ 38:20; Impf. 3 mpl. וַיַּעַצְמוּ…