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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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…