Greek word · G2900
κραταιός
krataios
mighty
Krataios means mighty or strong, with power that prevails. Cheir means hand, and in Scripture it often stands for active power and control. The pair repeats the Hebrew exodus formula beyad chazaqah, “with a mighty hand.”
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
κραταιός, -ά, -όν
(κράτος), (in cl. poët, form of κρατερός), [in LXX chiefly for חָזַק and cognates ;]
strong, mighty: 1 Peter 5:6.†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Krataios means mighty or strong, with power that prevails. Cheir means hand, and in Scripture it often stands for active power and control. The pair repeats the Hebrew exodus formula beyad chazaqah, “with a mighty hand.”
- Against the English
English readers may hear only a general “God is strong.” A Jewish-Christian ear would hear the exodus. NLT’s “mighty power of God” keeps the meaning but loses the bodily image and the echo of the Old Testament.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Greek Old Testament uses en cheiri krataia repeatedly for the exodus: Exodus 3:19; 6:1; 13:9; Deuteronomy 3:24; 4:34; 5:15; 6:21; 7:8, 19; 26:8. Ezekiel 20:33–34 turns the same phrase toward discipline: “with a mighty hand… I will be king over you,” as God judges his own people in a new wilderness.
Similar words
Where it appears
1 Peter · 1
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1 Peter 5:6 κραταιὰν mighty
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
Here: “Mighty,” describing power that prevails. Together with “hand” it repeats the Greek Old Testament’s exodus phrase “with a mighty hand.”
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.