Bible Dictionaries
Might, Mighty, Mightily, Mightier

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"power," (a) used relatively, denotes "inherent ability, capability, ability to perform anything," e.g., Matthew 25:15 , "ability;" Acts 3:12 , "power;" 2 Thessalonians 1:7 , RV, "(angels) of His power" (AV, "mighty"); Hebrews 11:11 , RV, "power" (AV, "strength"); see ABILITY; (b) used absolutely, denotes (1) "power to work, to carry something into effect," e.g., Luke 24:49; (2) "power in action," e.g., Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18; it is translated "might" in the AV of Ephesians 1:21 (RV, "power"); so Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11 (1st clause); 2 Peter 2:11; in Romans 15:19 , AV, this noun is rendered "mighty;" RV, "(in the) power of signs." The RV consistently avoids the rendering "might" for dunamis; the usual rendering is "power." Under this heading comes the rendering "mighty works," e.g., Matthew 7:22 , RV (AV, "wonderful works"); 11:20-23; singular number in Mark 6:5; in Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:14 the RV has "powers;" in 2 Corinthians 12:12 , RV, "mighty works" (AV, "mighty deeds"). See MIRACLE , especially POWER.

Note: Dunamis, "power," is to be distinguished from exousia, "the right to exercise power." See DOMINION , Note.

denotes "might, strength, power," (a) inherent and in action as used of God, Ephesians 1:19 , RV, "(the strength, kratos, of His) might" AV, "(His mighty) power," i.e., power (over external things) exercised by strength; Ephesians 6:10 , "of His might;" 2 Thessalonians 1:9 , RV, "(from the glory) of His might" (AV "power"); Revelation 5:12 , RV, "might" (AV, "strength"); Revelation 7:12 , "might;" (b) as an endowment, said (1) of angles, 2 Peter 2:11; here the order is No. 2 and No. 1, RV, "might and power," which better expresses the distinction than the AV, "power and might;" in some mss. in Revelation 18:2 it is said of the voice of an angle [see E, (c)]; the most authentic mss. have the adjective ischuros, "mighty;" (2) of men, Mark 12:30,33; Luke 10:27 (RV and AV, "strength," in all three verses); 1 Peter 4:11 , RV, "strength" (AV, "ability:" this belongs rather to No. 1). Either "strength" or "might" expresses the true significance of ischus. See ABILITY , POWER , STRENGTH.

Notes: (1) In Luke 9:43 , AV, megaleiotes, "greatness, majesty," is translated "mighty power" (RV, "majesty"). (2) Cp. kratos (see POWER).

"powerful, mighty" (akin to A, No. 1), is used, with that significance, (1) of God, Luke 1:49 , "mighty;" Romans 9:22 , "power" (here the neuter of the adjective is used with the article, as a noun, equivalent to dunamis); frequently with the meaning "able" (see ABLE , C, No. 1); (2) of Christ, regarded as a prophet, Luke 24:19 ("in deed and word"); (3) of men: Moses, Acts 7:22 ("in his words and works"); Apollos, Acts 18:24 , "in the Scriptures;" of those possessed of natural power, 1 Corinthians 1:26; of those possessed of spiritual power, 2 Corinthians 10:4 . For the shades of meaning in the translation "strong," see Romans 15:1; 2 Corinthians 12:10; 13:9 . For Revelation 6:15 , see No. 2, below; see STRONG. See also POSSIBLE.

"strong, mighty" (akin to A, No. 2, and with corresponding adjectival significance), is usually translated "strong;" "mighty" in Luke 15:14 (of a famine); Revelation 19:6 (of thunders); 19:18 (of men): in the following, where the AV has "mighty," the RV substitutes "strong," 1 Corinthians 1:27; Revelation 6:15 (AV, "might men"); 18:10,21; Hebrews 11:34 , RV, "(waxed) mighty" (AV, "valiant"). See BOISTEROUS , POWERFUL , STRONG (where the word is analyzed).

"stronger, mightier," the comparative degree of No. 2, is translated "mightier" in Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; "stronger" in Luke 11:22; 1 Corinthians 1:25; 10:22 . See STRONG.

"violent" (from bia, "force, violence, strength," found in Acts 5:26; 21:35; 24:7; 27:41 ), occurs in Acts 2:2 , of wind.

"strong, mighty" (akin to kratos, "strength," relative and manifested power: see MIGHTILY , below), is found in 1 Peter 5:6 , of the "mighty" hand of God.

is rendered "mighty" in Acts 2:11 , RV See WONDERFUL , Note (2).

Notes: (1) In Luke 1:52 , AV, dunastes, "a potentate, prince," is translated "mighty" (RV, "princes"). (2) In Revelation 6:13 , AV, megas, "great," is translated "mighty" (RV, "great"), of a wind. (3) In Revelation 16:18 , AV, telikoutos, "so great" (when said of things), is translated "so mighty" (RV, "so great"), of an earthquake.

"to be powerful" (akin to A, No. 1 and B, No. 1), is found in the most authentic mss. in Romans 14:4 (some have dunatos, B, No. 1), RV "(the Lord) hath power," AV, "(God) is able;" similarly, as regard mss., in 2 Corinthians 9:8 , where the RV and AV have "(God) is able;" in 2 Corinthians 13:3 , AV, "is mighty," RV, "is powerful" (according to the general significance of dunamis).

Note: In Galatians 2:8 , AV, energeo, "to work, work in" (en, "in," ergon, "work"), is first translated "wrought effectually," then "was mighty in" (RV, "wrought for," in both places; the probable meaning is "in me"). See EFFECTUAL , WORK.

"vigorously, vehemently" (eu, "well," teino, "to stetch"), is translated "mightily" in Acts 18:28 , AV, of the power of Apollos in "confuting" the Jews (RV, "powerfully"); in Luke 23:10 it is rendered "vehemently." See POWERFUL , VEHEMENTLY. In the Sept., Joshua 6:7 , "(let them sound) loudly."

* The following phrases signify "mightily:" (a) en dunamei, Colossians 1:29 , of the inward power of God's working, lit., "in power," as RV marg. (en, "in," and A, No. 1); (b) kata kratos, Acts 19:20 , of the increase of the word of the Lord in a place, lit, "according to might;" (c) in Revelation 18:2 some mss. have en ischui, lit., "in strength" (en, "in," and A, No. 2), of the voice of an angel.