Lexical Summary meod: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly Original Word: מְאֹד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance diligently, especially, exceedingly, far, fast, good, greatly, louder and louder, From the same as 'uwd; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated) -- diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well. see HEBREW 'uwd NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition muchness, force, abundance NASB Translation abundantly (1), all (1), almost (1), badly (3), carefully (1), closely (1), diligent (1), diligently (3), enough (1), especially (1), exceeding (1), exceedingly (14), exceedingly* (3), excessive (1), extremely* (1), far (1), firmly (1), fully (1), great (16), great abundance (1), greatly (52), greatly* (1), hard (1), harder* (1), highly (4), immense (1), louder (1), measure (2), might (2), more (2), more* (1), most (1), much* (1), quickly (1), richly (1), serious* (1), severely (1), so (2), so much (1), sorely (1), strongly (1), swiftly (1), too (2), utterly (1), utterly* (3), very (139), very well (1), very* (2), violently (1), violently* (1), well (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְאֹד noun masculine muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly (compare Assyrian mu'du, abundance, HomZMG 1878, 711 ('treasures ana mu'di, in abundance') DlHWB 399): — 1 force, might, Deuteronomy 6:5 וּבְכָלמְֿאֹדֶ֑ךָ and with all thy might; hence 2 Kings 23:25. 2 in different idioms (298 t.) to express the idea of exceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree): a. (so mostly) as adverb accusative, qualifying both adjectives and obs., Genesis 1:31 טוֺב מְאֹד good exceedingly, Genesis 4:5 וַיִּחַד לְקַיִן מְאֹד and Cain was wroth exceedingly, Genesis 7:18 מְאֹד וַיִּרְבּוּ הַמַּיִם וַיִּגְבְּרוּ, Genesis 12:14; Genesis 13:2 בַּמִּקְנֶה מְאֹד כָּבֵד וְאַבְרָם, Genesis 13:13 מאד ׳חַטָּאִים לי, Genesis 18:20; Genesis 19:3,9; Genesis 21:11; Genesis 24:16,35, + often, Psalm 46:2 נִמְצָא מְאֹד עֶזְרָה בְצָרוֺת as a help in troubles, to be found (= present) exceedingly; with an infinitive Isaiah 47:9 בְּעָצְמַת חֲבָרַיִח מְאֹד despite of thy spells being very numerous, Joshua 9:13 מֵרֹב הַדֶּרֶךְ מְאֹד, 1 Kings 7:47; הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד Genesis 15:1; Genesis 41:49; Deuteronomy 3:5 +, for which in the later language is found לָרֹב מְאֹד Zechariah 14:14; 2Chronicles 4:18; 9:9 (in 1 Kings 10:10 הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד); 2 Chronicles 24:24; 30:13, and even לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹד2Chronicles 11:12; 16:8. מְאֹד is not usually separated from the word it qualifies by more than one or two words (as Genesis 20:8 האנשׁים מאד וייראו, Numbers 11:10 מאד ׳ויחר אף י); see, however, Deuteronomy 30:14; Judges 12:2; 2 Samuel 12:5; 1 Kings 11:19; Psalm 31:12. It precedes its verb, Psalm 47:10 מְאֹד נַעֲלָה (hence Psalm 97:9), Psalm 92:6. b. עַדמְֿאֹד up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly, Genesis 27:33 חֲדָדָה גְּדֹלָה ׳עַדמֿ, Genesis 27:34; 1 Samuel 11:15 ׳וישׂמח ֗֗֗ עד מ, 1 Samuel 25:36 וְהוּא ׳שִׁכֹּר עַדמֿ, 2 Samuel 2:17; 1 Kings 1:4; Isaiah 64:8 (compare Lamentations 5:22), Lamentations 5:11; Psalm 38:7; Psalm 38:9; Psalm 119:8; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:51; Psalm 119:107; Daniel 8:8; Daniel 11:25. c. עַדלִֿמְאֹד (see עַד לְ) 2 Chronicles 16:14. d. duplicated (Ges§ 113k), Genesis 7:19 ׳מ ׳וְהַמַּיִם גָָּֽבְרוּ מ, Genesis 30:43; Numbers 14:7; 1 Kings 7:47; 2 Kings 10:4; Ezekiel 37:10. e. בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד literally with muchness, muchness, Genesis 17:2,6,20; Exodus 1:7 (all P), Ezekiel 9:9; Ezekiel 16:13. Topical Lexicon Summary of Meaning and Function The Hebrew word translated most often as “very,” “much,” or “exceedingly” serves as Scripture’s primary intensifier. It amplifies qualities, actions, emotions, quantities, and commands. Because it can stand alone as an adverb or function substantivally (“abundance,” “might,” “strength”), it is remarkably versatile, shaping nearly every genre of the Old Testament. Frequency and Distribution in Scripture Appearing close to three hundred times, the term is woven through the Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Genesis and Deuteronomy contain the heaviest concentration, yet no major section is without it, underscoring its importance to biblical expression. Key Semantic Domains 1. Degree or Quality: “very good” (Genesis 1:31) Usage in the Pentateuch • Creation praise—Genesis 1:31 presents the seventh-day appraisal: “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” The intensified goodness anticipates the harmony of Eden and the tragedy of the Fall. Usage in the Historical Books • Valor and fear—Joshua 10:2 notes the Gibeonites were “greatly afraid.” The intensifier sharpens the narrative tension. Usage in Poetry and Wisdom Literature • Praise and wonder—Psalm 139:14: “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know this very well.” Usage in the Prophets • Eschatological hope—Isaiah 60:2 proclaims that darkness will cover the earth, “but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will appear over you.” The glory will be “great,” underscoring future restoration. Theological and Devotional Insights 1. God’s superlative goodness: The first use in Genesis 1:31 establishes a baseline of perfection. Ministry Applications • Preaching on wholehearted love: Use Deuteronomy 6:5 to urge congregations to surrender every faculty to Christ. Related Words and Concepts • “Strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) links to heart and soul, forming a triad for comprehensive devotion. Christological Implications Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 as the foremost command (Mark 12:30), confirming that loving God “very much” encompasses every sphere of life. His “very great sorrow” in Gethsemane (using the equivalent Greek intensifier in Matthew 26:38) reveals perfect obedience amid extreme agony. The resurrection manifests God’s “incomparably great power” (Ephesians 1:19), the New Testament fulfillment of Old Testament superlatives. Conclusion Whether magnifying the goodness of creation, the depth of covenant love, or the severity of judgment, this Hebrew intensifier functions as Scripture’s exclamation point. It calls believers to wholehearted devotion, honest emotion, and confident hope, magnifying the greatness of the Lord from Genesis to Malachi and finding its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations בִּמְאֹ֣ד בִּמְאֹ֥ד במאד לִמְאֹֽד׃ למאד׃ מְ֝אֹ֗ד מְ֭אֹד מְּאֹ֑ד מְאֹ֑ד מְאֹ֔ד מְאֹ֖ד מְאֹ֗ד מְאֹ֛ד מְאֹ֜ד מְאֹ֡ד מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֤ד מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ מְאֹד֒ מְאֹד֔וֹ מְאֹד֙ מְאֹד֮ מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ מְאֹד־ מאד מאד־ מאד׃ מאדו מאדך׃ bim’ōḏ bim·’ōḏ bimOd lim’ōḏ lim·’ōḏ limOd mə’ōḏ mə’ōḏ- mə’ōḏeḵā mə’ōḏōw mə·’ō·ḏe·ḵā mə·’ō·ḏōw mə·’ōḏ mə·’ōḏ- meOd meoDecha meoDoLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 1:31 HEB: וְהִנֵּה־ ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־ עֶ֥רֶב NAS: and behold, it was very good. KJV: he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. INT: and behold good very and there was evening Genesis 4:5 Genesis 7:18 Genesis 7:19 Genesis 7:19 Genesis 12:14 Genesis 13:2 Genesis 13:13 Genesis 15:1 Genesis 17:2 Genesis 17:2 Genesis 17:6 Genesis 17:6 Genesis 17:20 Genesis 17:20 Genesis 18:20 Genesis 19:3 Genesis 19:9 Genesis 20:8 Genesis 21:11 Genesis 24:16 Genesis 24:35 Genesis 26:13 Genesis 26:16 Genesis 27:33 300 Occurrences |