the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Dictionaries
Strong, to Be
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words
or A. Verb.
Châzaq (חָזַק, Strong's #2388), “to be strong, strengthen, harden, take hold of” This verb is found 290 times in the Old Testament. The root also exists in Aramaic and Arabic.
The word first occurs in Gen. 41:56: “… And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt” (NASB, NIV, “was severe”). The strong form of the verb is used in Exod. 4:21: “… I will harden his [Pharaoh’s] heart.…” This statement is found 8 times. Four times we read: “Pharaoh’s heart was hard” (Exod. 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:35, NIV; KJV, RSV, NASB, was hardened”). In Exod. 9:34 Pharaoh’s responsibility is made clear by the statement “he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart.…”
In the sense of personal strength châzaq is first used in Deut. 11:8 in the context of the covenant: “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land.…” Moses was commanded to “charge Joshua, and encourage him” (Deut. 3:28). The covenant promise accompanies the injunction to “be strong and of a good courage”: “… For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deut. 31:6). The same encouragement was given to the returned captives as they renewed the work of rebuilding the temple (Zech. 8:9; 13; cf. Hag. 2:4).
If in the above examples there is moral strength combined with physical, the latter is the sense of Judg. 1:28: “And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to [forced labor].…” Israel sinned and the Lord “strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel” (Judg. 3:12). The word is used in reference to a building: “… The priests had not repaired the breaches of the house” (2 Kings 12:6), or to a city: “Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem … and fortified them” (2 Chron. 26:9). In battle châzaq means: “So David prevailed over the Philistine …” (1 Sam. 17:50).
As the prophet said, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them [NASB, “to strongly support them”] whose heart is perfect toward him” (2 Chron. 16:9). To His Servant, the Messiah, God said: “I … will hold thine hand …” (Isa. 42:6); and to Cyrus He said: “… Whose right hand I have holden …” (Isa. 45:1). Other noteworthy uses of the word are: “… Thou shalt relieve him [a poor Israelite] …” (Lev. 25:35); and “… [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent” (1 Sam. 15:27).
In summary, this word group describes the physical and moral strength of man and society. God communicates strength to men, even to the enemies of His people as chastisement for His own. Men may turn their strength into stubbornness against God.
B. Adjective.
Châzâq (חָזָק, Strong's #2389), “strong; mighty; heavy; severe; firm; hard.” This adjective occurs about 56 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew.
First, the word means “firm” or “hard” in the sense that something is impenetrable. In Ezek. 3:8-9 the prophet’s face is compared to rock; God has made him determined to his task just as Israel is determined not to listen to him: “Behold, I have made thy face [hard] against their faces, and thy forehead [hard] against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead.…” Job 37:18 uses châzâq of molten solidified metal.
Second, this word means “strong.” In its basic meaning it refers to physical strength. God’s hand (an anthropomorphism; cf. Deut. 4:15, 19) as a symbol of His effecting His will among men is “strong”: “And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand” (Exod. 3:19—the first biblical occurrence). This word modifies a noun, specifying that it is the opposite of weak, or unable to effect anything (Num. 13:18). Isaiah speaks of God’s “sore and great and strong sword” (27:1). When Ezekiel wrote of “fat and strong” animals, he probably meant that they were well fed and healthy (34:16).
Third, châzâq means “heavy.” When applied to a battle or war, it describes the event(s) as severe (1 Sam. 14:52). The word is also used to indicate a severe sickness (1 Kings 17:17) and famine (1 Kings 18:2).
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Strong, to Be'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/vot/s/strong-to-be.html. 1940.
