Lexical Summary kabbir: Mighty, powerful, great Original Word: כַּבִּיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance feeble, mighty, most, much, strong, valiant From kabar; vast, whether in extent (figuratively, of power, mighty; of time, aged), or in number, many -- + feeble, mighty, most, much, strong, valiant. see HEBREW kabar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kabar Definition great, mighty, much NASB Translation impotent* (1), mighty (6), mighty men (1), mighty one (1), much (1), older* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs כַּבִּיר adjective great, mighty, much only in poetry, and only Job, Isa1: — Isaiah 10:13 Qr (but read as Kt כְּאַבִּיר), Isaiah 17:12; and Isaiah 28:2 מים כבירים (usually מַיִם רַבִּים), Job 8:2 ורוח כביר אמרי פיך a mighty wind, Job 15:10 כביר מאביך ימים (Ges§ 131, R 5a) = aged: of God, Job 34:17 כַּבִּיר צַדִּיק the just mighty one, Job 36:5 a, vb כֹּחַ לֵב ׳כ mighty in strength of understanding; Job 34:24 כבירים mighty men; of quantity = much, Isaiah 16:14 שְׁאָר מְעַט מִזְעָר לוֺא כַבִּיר, Job 31:25 וכי כביר מצאה ידי had gotten much. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuance The word designates greatness that is both quantitative and qualitative: vastness of size, force, wealth, number, age, or power. It appears almost exclusively in poetry and prophetic oracles, where vivid imagery is required to portray overwhelming magnitude. Distribution in Scripture Ten occurrences cluster into two books: Job (six times) and Isaiah (four times). In Job it colors the debate about divine justice; in Isaiah it strengthens warning oracles against nations: • Job 8:2 – “the words of your mouth [are] a great wind.” Divine Supremacy Highlighted Job 34:17 challenges anyone to condemn “the Mighty and Righteous One,” and Job 36:5 affirms, “Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding”. Here the term underscores God’s limitless authority joined to moral perfection. Even when “He shatters the mighty” (Job 34:24), His actions are never arbitrary; they flow from omniscience. Human Pretension Exposed Job’s friends misuse the concept of greatness. Eliphaz boasts of elders “much older” (Job 15:10), while Job denies that “great wealth” (Job 31:25) secures righteousness. In each setting greatness proves inadequate without fear of the Lord. The text repeatedly contrasts transient human importance with the Lord’s enduring mastery. Prophetic Imagery of Judgment Isaiah uses the word to depict unstoppable forces employed by God. Nations roar “like the roaring of mighty waters” (Isaiah 17:12), and the Lord wields “a strong and mighty wind” and “mighty waters overflowing” (Isaiah 28:2). The same vastness that evokes awe in nature becomes a metaphor for His sweeping judgments on prideful kingdoms such as Moab (Isaiah 16:14). Pastoral and Devotional Implications 1. Humility: Any earthly greatness—age, wealth, influence—crumbles before the Lord who “shatters the mighty.” Intercanonical Echoes New Testament writers pick up the theme of surpassing divine greatness. Paul describes God as “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15), while Revelation pictures “a loud voice like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1:15), echoing Isaiah’s imagery. The term therefore contributes to a continuous biblical testimony: from Job’s debates to Isaiah’s visions to the climactic revelation of Jesus Christ, true greatness belongs to God alone, compelling faith, humility, and obedience. Forms and Transliterations כַ֝בִּ֗יר כַּ֝בִּ֗יר כַּ֝בִּיר כַּ֭בִּיר כַּבִּ֖יר כַּבִּ֣יר כַּבִּירִ֖ים כַּבִּירִ֣ים כַּבִּירִ֥ים כַבִּֽיר׃ כביר כביר׃ כבירים chabBir kab·bî·rîm kab·bîr ḵab·bîr Kabbir kabbîr ḵabbîr kabbiRim kabbîrîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 8:2 HEB: אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּיר אִמְרֵי־ פִֽיךָ׃ NAS: of your mouth be a mighty wind? KJV: of thy mouth [be like] a strong wind? INT: these air mighty and the words of your mouth Job 15:10 Job 31:25 Job 34:17 Job 34:24 Job 36:5 Job 36:5 Isaiah 16:14 Isaiah 17:12 Isaiah 28:2 10 Occurrences |
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