Lexical Summary abbir: stallions, bulls, angels Original Word: אַבִּיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance angel, bull, chiefest, mighty one, stouthearted, strong one, valiant For 'abiyr; --angel, bull, chiefest, mighty (one), stout(-hearted), strong (one), valiant. see HEBREW 'abiyr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as abar Definition mighty, valiant NASB Translation angels (1), bulls (2), chief (1), man (1), mighty (1), mighty ones (1), stallions (3), stouthearted* (1), strong (1), strong men (1), strong ones (1), stubborn-minded* (1), valiant (1), valiant steeds (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַבִּיר adjective mighty, valiant — ׳א Job 34:20 + Isaiah 10:13 Kt (Qr כַּבִּיר); construct id. 1 Samuel 21:8; plural אַכִּירִים Job 24:22 +; — mighty (always = substantive & in poetry except 1 Samuel 21:8). 1 men Job 24:22 (= violent) Job 34:20; 1 Samuel 21:8 (read הָרָצִים ׳א Gr Dr, compare 1 Samuel 22:17; but LagProbebibel אֹבִיל הָעֲיָרִים see Id.BN 45; Klo גִּבּוֺר), Lamentations 1:15; אַבִּירֵי לֵב stout of heart Isaiah 46:12 (= obstinate) Psalm 76:6. 2 angels Psalm Psalm 78:25 (compare Psalm 103:20). 3 animals; bull, simile of king of Assyrian Isaiah 10:13 (read כְּאַבִּיר & see Di); elsewhere plural; metaphor for enemies אַבִּירֵי בָשָׁן) Psalm 22:13 ("" מּרים); for princes Psalm 68:31; for Edomites Isaiah 34:7; hence even as sacrificial Psalm 50:13 ("" עַתּוּדִים); of horses Jeremiah 8:16; Jeremiah 47:3; Jeremiah 50:11. **Judges 5:22; Jeremiah 46:15 (but Jeremiah 46:15 many MSS. ᵐ5 Aq Symm Theod ᵑ9 many moderns read אַבִּירֶ֑ךָ thy bull, i.e. Apis). אַבְרָהָם see אַבְרָם below II. אבה. Topical Lexicon Overview אַבִּיר appears seventeen times, almost exclusively in poetry or highly figurative prose. Whether denoting bulls, stallions, warriors, officials, or stout-hearted rebels, the term concentrates the idea of raw, imposing strength. Scripture repeatedly sets that strength beside the Lord’s sovereignty, turning the word into a foil that magnifies divine power and exposes human or creaturely limits. Animal Imagery: Bulls and War-Horses 1. Bulls – Psalms draw on the brute force of well-fed cattle. “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me” (Psalm 22:12). In worship the sacrificial bull was Israel’s costliest offering, yet Psalm 50:13 reminds that God is never dependent on such strength: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls?” These images convey military menace and untamed vigor, but each scene ends with the animals subdued, slain, or commandeered—signifying the Lord’s mastery over nature and nations alike (Psalm 68:30; Isaiah 34:7). Human Might: Warriors, Officials, and Hardened Hearts Job’s wisdom literature uses אַבִּיר for powerful people suddenly cut down: “They die in an instant… the mighty are removed without hand” (Job 34:20; cf. 24:22). Lamentations 1:15 mourns Judah’s defeat: “The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst.” Even a high-ranking shepherd like Doeg is labeled אַבִּיר in 1 Samuel 21:8, stressing influence rather than mere physical prowess. Isaiah broadens the term to inner resolve: “Listen to Me, you stubborn of heart” (Isaiah 46:12). Here the “strong-hearted” stand opposed to righteousness; iron wills prove powerless against the Creator’s plan. Poetic Contrasts and Theological Emphases • Transience of Strength – Judges 5:22 celebrates Sisera’s war-horses, yet the same poem ends with his death, underscoring the fleeting nature of human force. Prophetic Warnings and Hope Isaiah 10:13 quotes Assyria boasting, “By the strength of my hand I have done this,” calling himself an אַבִּיר who subdues kings. The chapter proceeds to announce God’s judgment on that arrogance. Conversely, the same prophets envision future peace when war-horses are silenced and the Lord alone is exalted (implicit contrast in Isaiah 34:7). Ministry Applications 1. Reliance – Passages featuring אַבִּיר warn against trusting charisma, resources, or political power. Believers are directed to the Lord, not the “strong bulls” or “stallions” of contemporary culture. Christological Echoes Psalm 22’s “strong bulls of Bashan” surround the suffering Messiah, highlighting the contrast between brute force and sacrificial obedience. The resurrection vindicates Christ and exposes the impotence of every earthly אַבִּיר. Summary אַבִּיר gathers up the Old Testament’s reflections on strength—animal, military, political, and personal—and sets them beneath the unassailable authority of the Lord. Every appearance deepens the biblical conviction that “power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11), not to the most formidable bulls, horses, or men. Forms and Transliterations אַ֝בִּ֗יר אַ֭בִּירִים אַבִּ֣ירֵי אַבִּ֥יר אַבִּירִ֑ים אַבִּירִ֣ים אַבִּירִ֨ים ׀ אַבִּירֵ֖י אַבִּירֶ֑יךָ אַבִּירַ֤י ׀ אַבִּירָ֔יו אַבִּירָֽיו׃ אביר אבירי אביריו אביריו׃ אביריך אבירים כַּאבִּ֖יר כָּאֲבִּרִֽים׃ כאביר כאברים׃ ’ab·bî·rāw ’ab·bî·ray ’ab·bî·rê ’ab·bî·re·ḵā ’ab·bî·rîm ’ab·bîr ’abbîr ’abbîrāw ’abbîray ’abbîrê ’abbîreḵā ’abbîrîm abBir abbiRai abbiRav abbiRei abbiReicha abbiRim kā’ăbbirîm kā·’ăb·bi·rîm ka·bîr kaabbiRim kaBir kabîrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 5:22 HEB: מִֽדַּהֲר֖וֹת דַּהֲר֥וֹת אַבִּירָֽיו׃ NAS: the dashing of his valiant steeds. KJV: the pransings of their mighty ones. INT: the dashing the dashing of his valiant 1 Samuel 21:8 Job 24:22 Job 34:20 Psalm 22:12 Psalm 50:13 Psalm 68:30 Psalm 76:5 Psalm 78:25 Isaiah 10:13 Isaiah 34:7 Isaiah 46:12 Jeremiah 8:16 Jeremiah 46:15 Jeremiah 47:3 Jeremiah 50:11 Lamentations 1:15 17 Occurrences |
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