Lexical Summary gebar: Man, strong man, warrior Original Word: גְּבַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance man From gabar; the same as geber; a person -- man. see HEBREW gabar see HEBREW geber NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as geber, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs גְּבַר21 noun masculine man (Biblical Hebrew); — absolute ׳נ Daniel 2:25; Daniel 5:11; plural absolute גֻּבְרִין (K§ 54, 3 e) Daniel 3:24,25, also, = certain ones, Daniel 3:8; Daniel 3:12; Daniel 3:20; emphatic גֻּבְרַיָּא Ezra 4:21; Ezra 5:4,10; Ezra 6:8; Daniel 3:12 9t. Daniel. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Context גְּבַר appears only once in the Old Testament (Psalm 18:25) and denotes a “man” distinguished by vigor and capability. In David’s psalm of deliverance it is paired with תָּמִים (“blameless”), underscoring moral solidity rather than mere physical might: “To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless man You show Yourself blameless” (Psalm 18:25). Thus the term funnels the idea of strength into the arena of integrity, identifying a person whose inner character is as sturdy as his outward resilience. Biblical Usage Because גְּבַר occurs in a poetic parallelism, its significance is revealed by comparison: David is testifying that God’s dealings are proportionate to the spiritual quality of those before Him; a person who stands firm in wholehearted devotion experiences the Lord’s corresponding wholeness. The noun therefore functions rhetorically, reminding Israel that genuine strength expresses itself in covenant faithfulness. Theological Themes 1. Divine Reciprocity: Scripture consistently teaches that God “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). גְּבַר in Psalm 18:25 supports this theme by portraying God as reflecting His own purity toward the one whose life is characterized by upright strength. Historical Background Psalm 18 is David’s retrospective celebration of deliverance “from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (Superscription). Ancient Near Eastern kings routinely boasted of military achievements, but David attributes victory to moral alignment with the Lord. Using גְּבַר, he turns the cultural concept of the heroic champion into a picture of the God-fearing believer whose greatest weapon is integrity. Practical Ministry Implications • Discipleship: Pastors and teachers can draw on גְּבַר to encourage believers that true masculinity—and by extension true humanity—finds its apex in uprightness. Christological and New Testament Echoes Jesus Messiah embodies the ultimate גְּבַר תָּמִים. He could say, “The ruler of this world has no claim on Me” (John 14:30), and Peter confirms, “He committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). In Him the ideal of Psalm 18:25 reaches perfection, and through union with Christ believers receive both the standing and the power to walk in blameless strength (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 6:10). Application for Believers Today Standing firm amid cultural volatility requires the very trait Psalm 18:25 extols. The church’s calling is to cultivate believers who are spiritually rugged—men and women whose moral fiber is unyielding because it is rooted in the character of God. Such people experience the promise of reciprocal grace: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Forms and Transliterations גְּבַ֥ר גבר gə·ḇar gəḇar geVarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 18:25 HEB: תִּתְחַסָּ֑ד עִם־ גְּבַ֥ר תָּ֝מִ֗ים תִּתַּמָּֽם׃ KJV: with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; INT: show with man the blameless show |
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