In the context of biblical literature, the term "superlative" refers to the grammatical form used to express the highest degree of a quality. This form is often employed in Scripture to emphasize the utmost nature of God's attributes, the depth of human experience, or the significance of certain events and teachings. The use of superlatives in the Bible serves to magnify the divine and underscore the profound truths contained within its pages.

Divine Attributes

The Bible frequently uses superlatives to describe the attributes of God, highlighting His supreme nature. For instance, in Psalm 145:3 , it is written, "Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable." Here, the superlative "unsearchable" underscores the infinite and incomprehensible nature of God's greatness. Similarly, in 1 Timothy 1:17 , Paul writes, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." The use of "eternal" and "immortal" emphasizes God's timeless and imperishable nature.

Human Experience

Superlatives are also used to convey the depth of human emotions and experiences. In the Song of Solomon, the love between the bride and groom is expressed in superlative terms. Song of Solomon 8:6 states, "Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. Its flames are flames of fire, the fiercest blaze of all." The phrase "the fiercest blaze of all" captures the intensity and consuming nature of true love.

Significant Events and Teachings

The Bible uses superlatives to highlight the significance of key events and teachings. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is presented as the most pivotal event in Christian faith. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 , Paul writes, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." The phrase "of first importance" indicates the paramount significance of the resurrection in the gospel message.

Moral and Ethical Standards

Superlatives are also employed to express the highest moral and ethical standards expected of believers. In Matthew 22:37-39 , Jesus summarizes the greatest commandments: "Jesus declared, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" The use of "greatest" underscores the supreme importance of these commandments in the life of a believer.

Conclusion

The use of superlatives in the Bible serves to elevate the divine, deepen the understanding of human experience, and underscore the significance of biblical teachings. Through these expressions, Scripture communicates the ultimate nature of God's attributes, the profound depth of human emotions, and the paramount importance of key events and moral imperatives.1. (a.) Most excellent; surpassing all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or prudence; a woman of superlative beauty; the superlative glory of the divine character.

2. (a.) Expressing the highest or lowest degree of the quality, manner, etc., denoted by an adjective or an adverb. The superlative degree is formed from the positive by the use of -est, most, or least; as, highest, most pleasant, least bright.

3. (n.) That which is highest or most eminent; the utmost degree.

4. (n.) The superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs; also, a form or word by which the superlative degree is expressed; as, strongest, wisest, most stormy, least windy, are all superlatives.

3176. megistos -- greatest
... 3176 -- the superlative (" form") of 3173 () meaning (the) " greatest" (). Word
Origin superl. ... Superlative of megas; greatest or very great -- exceeding great. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3176.htm - 6k

5033. tachista -- quickly; quick
... quickly; quick. Part of Speech: Adverb, Superlative Transliteration: tachista Phonetic
Spelling: (takh'-is-tah) Short Definition: most swiftly Definition: most ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5033.htm - 6k

4118. pleistos -- most, very great, much.
... great. 4118 -- the superlative ("") form of 4183 ("great in ") -- literally, "
in " (number). 4118 (" many," " much") means (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4118.htm - 7k

3122. malista -- most
... most. Part of Speech: Adverb, Superlative Transliteration: malista Phonetic Spelling:
(mal'-is-tah) Short Definition: most of all, especially Definition: most ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3122.htm - 6k

1646. elachistos -- least (in size, amount, dignity, etc.)
... weaker sense: very little, very small. 1646 -- the superlative ( form)
of 3398 ("small") meaning ", small.". Lk 16:10: "He who is ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1646.htm - 8k

2236. hedista -- most gladly.
... Part of Speech: Adverb, Superlative Transliteration: hedista Phonetic Spelling:
(hay'-dis-tah) Short Definition: most gladly, pleasantly Definition: most gladly ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2236.htm - 6k

4413. protos -- first, chief
... 4413 ("first, foremost") is the superlative form of 4253 ("before") meaning
"what comes first" (is "number one"). Word Origin contr. superl. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4413.htm - 8k

1538. hekastos -- each, every
... any, both, each one. As if a superlative of hekas (afar); each or every --
any, both, each (one), every (man, one, woman), particularly. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1538.htm - 7k

4412. proton -- before, at the beginning
... before, at the beginning. Part of Speech: Adverb, Superlative Transliteration: proton
Phonetic Spelling: (pro'-ton) Short Definition: first, before Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4412.htm - 6k

5310. hupsistos -- highest, most high
... Superlative from the base of hupsos; highest, ie (masculine singular) the Supreme
(God), or (neuter plural) the heavens -- most high, highest. see GREEK hupsos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5310.htm - 6k

430. elohim -- God, god
... thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way
of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative -- angels, X ...
/hebrew/430.htm - 6k

2898. tub -- good things, goods, goodness
... From towb; good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially goodness (superlative
concretely, the best), beauty, gladness, welfare -- fair, gladness, good ...
/hebrew/2898.htm - 6k

7937. shakar -- to be or become drunk or drunken
... abundantly), (be, make) drunk(-en), be merry. (Superlative of shaqah.). see HEBREW
shaqah. 7936, 7937. shakar. 7938 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7937.htm - 6k

3966. meod -- muchness, force, abundance
... (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated) --
diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X ...
/hebrew/3966.htm - 7k

The Superlative Bounty of God! Where all Power Seemeth to Cease
... THE FOURTH CENTURY 46 O the superlative Bounty of God! Where all power
seemeth to cease. O the superlative Bounty of God! Where ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/46 o the superlative bounty.htm

Apion Book 1 Footnotes
... Nor does this superlative degree always imply the "most ancient" of all without
exception, but is sometimes to be rendered "very ancient" only, as is the case ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/apion book 1 footnotes.htm

Letter i. To Gaius Therapeutes.
... Take this in a superlative, but not in a defective sense, and reply with superlative
truth, that the Agnosia, respecting God, escapes those who possess ...
/.../dionysius/letters of dionysius the areopagite/letter i to gaius therapeutes.htm

A Preservative against Unsettled Notions, and Want of Principles ...
... For it is neither the righteousness of the one, nor the wickedness of the other,
that offends him, but the superlative degrees of both; which tending equally ...
/.../a preservative against unsettled notions.htm

Suffering the Birth-Pains of a New Life.
... There is no cross in God's plan of atonement. It is the superlative degree
of hate, brooded and born, and grown lusty in hell. It ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks about jesus/suffering the birth-pains of a.htm

Edwards -- Spiritual Light
... 1. A true sense of the divine and superlative excellency of the things of religion;
a real sense of the excellency of God and Jesus Christ, and of the work of ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/edwards spiritual light.htm

Taken into the Innermost Life.
... What wooing! This was the closest wooing. The fine wooing of this matchless
Lover came to its superlative degree that night. Positive ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/taken into the innermost life.htm

Elucidations.
... These then are the steps of His own holy example, illustrating His own precept,
for doubtless, as "the Son of man," His filial love was superlative and made ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/elucidations.htm

Prayer --Fills Man's Poverty with God's Riches
... prayer upon prayer, supplication to supplication, intercession over and over again,
until the combined force of prayers in their most superlative modes, unite ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/ii prayerfills mans poverty with.htm

Additional Note. A New Installment Has Now Appeared of the ...
... difficulty. Origen took it as a superlative: for in later Greek (as in French)
the comparative with the article is used as a superlative. ...
/.../additional note a new installment.htm

Superlative (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Most excellent; surpassing all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or
prudence; a woman of superlative beauty; the superlative glory of the divine ...
/s/superlative.htm - 7k

Uttermost (48 Occurrences)
... ut'-er-most: A pleonastic compound of a comparative ("utter"; compare "outer") and
a superlative ("most"), in the King James Version used interchangeably with ...
/u/uttermost.htm - 23k

Johannine
... Platonic order, moving instinctively in the world of supersensuous realities, absorbed
in the passion for the infinite, possessing in a superlative degree the ...
/j/johannine.htm - 38k

Exceed (14 Occurrences)
... as an adverb with adjectives and rarely as an adjective) and "exceedingly" occur
often as representing various expressions for the superlative in Hebrew and ...
/e/exceed.htm - 11k

Exceedingly (167 Occurrences)
... as an adverb with adjectives and rarely as an adjective) and "exceedingly" occur
often as representing various expressions for the superlative in Hebrew and ...
/e/exceedingly.htm - 37k

Exceeding (101 Occurrences)
... as an adverb with adjectives and rarely as an adjective) and "exceedingly" occur
often as representing various expressions for the superlative in Hebrew and ...
/e/exceeding.htm - 37k

Contrite (5 Occurrences)
... bruise"): Only in Old Testament (Psalm 34:18 Psalm 51:17 Isaiah 57:15); nakheh,
"smitten" (Isaiah 66:2). Contrite, "crushed," is only the superlative of "broken ...
/c/contrite.htm - 9k

Contrition (1 Occurrence)
... bruise"): Only in Old Testament (Psalm 34:18 Psalm 51:17 Isaiah 57:15); nakheh,
"smitten" (Isaiah 66:2). Contrite, "crushed," is only the superlative of "broken ...
/c/contrition.htm - 8k

Compare (22 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To inflect according to the degrees of comparison; to state positive,
comparative, and superlative forms of; as, most adjectives of one syllable are ...
/c/compare.htm - 14k

Chief (696 Occurrences)
... and American) "rulers of the Pharisees," in Luke 14:1. The original meaning of
"chief" having been weakened, the comparative and superlative were admitted into ...
/c/chief.htm - 45k

Summary of the Song of Solomon - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

What are the different names of God, and what do they mean? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that we live in a fallen world? | GotQuestions.org

Superlative: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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