Lexical Summary adar: To be glorious, to be majestic, to be noble Original Word: אָדַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance become glorious, honorable A primitive root; to expand, i.e. Be great or (figuratively) magnificent -- (become) glorious, honourable. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition wide, great NASB Translation glorious (1), majestic (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אָדַר] verb (poetry) wide, great, (thence) high, noble (? Assyrian adâru DlW) — Niph`al Participle majestic, glorious, of ׳י, נֶאְדָּר Exodus 15:11; construct נֶאְדָּרִי Exodus 15:6 (see Di); Hiph`il Imperfect יַאְדִּיר make glorious the teaching Isaiah 42:21 (׳י subject) Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Nuances אָדַר portrays weightiness, splendor, and magnificence. In usage it never refers to human achievement alone but reserves its strongest force for the unrivaled majesty of the LORD and the radiant glory He bestows. The verb may be rendered “majestic,” “glorious,” or “magnify,” stressing either an inherent quality in God or the elevation of something by God. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Exodus 15:6 – the “Song of the Sea” celebrates God’s right hand as “majestic in power.” These three settings—Israel’s earliest corporate worship song and Isaiah’s Servant section—frame ‘adar as a word of worship and covenant faithfulness. Divine Majesty in the Song of Moses (Exodus 15) The Red Sea victory established Israel’s national memory around the LORD’s supremacy. “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power” (Exodus 15:6) links ‘adar to the arm of salvation that crushes evil. Verse 11 raises the theme to the realm of holiness: “Who is like You, majestic in holiness… performing wonders?” The repetition shapes Israel’s theology: the more God acts in history, the more His inherent splendor is perceived. No other deity rivals His moral purity or saving strength. Yahweh’s Magnification of the Torah (Isaiah 42:21) Centuries later Isaiah anchors hope in the same majesty. “The LORD was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify His law and make it glorious”. Here ‘adar shifts from describing God’s inherent glory to His action of elevating the Torah. The covenant instruction is not merely preserved; it is showcased. By exalting His law, God safeguards His righteousness and prepares the way for the Servant who will embody that law perfectly (Isaiah 42:1–4). Theological Trajectories 1. Inherent vs. Ascribed Glory: In Exodus 15, glory is innate to God; in Isaiah 42, it is conferred upon the law. Both uses affirm that true glory originates with God and flows outward to what He chooses to exalt. Witness to Messiah Isaiah 42 belongs to the Servant Songs that New Testament writers apply to Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:18–21). By magnifying the Torah, the Father sets the stage for the Messiah who fulfills it (Matthew 5:17). Christ is both the embodiment of majesty and the One through whom the law’s glory is revealed to the nations. Implications for Worship and Ministry • Praise grounded in history: Congregational worship should rehearse God’s mighty acts, as Israel did at the sea. Intertextual Links Psalms frequently echo the ‘adar theme (for example, “O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty,” Psalm 104:1), while Hebrews 1:3 identifies the Son as “the radiance of God’s glory,” completing the canonical arc from Exodus to Isaiah to the New Covenant. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 142 presents a concentrated testimony: God is incomparable in majesty, and He joyfully extends that majesty to His redemptive acts and to His revealed Word. From the shores of the Red Sea to the promise of the Servant, אָדַר invites every generation to stand in awe and to proclaim the excellence of the LORD and of His Word. Forms and Transliterations וְיַאְדִּֽיר׃ ויאדיר׃ נֶאְדָּ֣ר נֶאְדָּרִ֖י נאדר נאדרי ne’·dā·rî ne’·dār ne’dār ne’dārî neDar nedaRi veyaDir wə·ya’·dîr wəya’dîrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:6 HEB: יְמִֽינְךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה נֶאְדָּרִ֖י בַּכֹּ֑חַ יְמִֽינְךָ֥ NAS: O LORD, is majestic in power, KJV: O LORD, is become glorious in power: INT: your right LORD is majestic power hand Exodus 15:11 Isaiah 42:21 3 Occurrences |