Aramaic word · H1370
גְּבוּרָה
ugevureta'
might
Strength, might, mighty deeds. It comes from the root for 'warrior/hero' (gibbôr) and means power put into action, especially military and royal power.
A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·
What it means
might
Aramaic of ge.vu.rah (גְּבוּרָה "might" H1369)
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Strength, might, mighty deeds. It comes from the root for 'warrior/hero' (gibbôr) and means power put into action, especially military and royal power.
- Against the English
'Power' (BSB, NIV) and 'might' (KJV, ESV, WEB) are both accurate. 'Might' keeps a little more of the warrior flavor.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Dan 2:23 (Daniel thanks God for giving him 'wisdom and might'). The Hebrew is common in the Psalms for God's mighty acts (Ps 145:4, 11–12) and is paired with wisdom in Job 12:13 and Isa 11:2 ('spirit of counsel and might').
- Range of meaning
Might, strength, power; in Hebrew often a warrior's strength (gibbor, "mighty man"), and also God's mighty deeds.
- Against the English
KJV, WEB, ESV: "might"; BSB, NIV, NASB: "power"; NLT: "strength." "Power" can suggest political authority or the ability to work wonders, neither of which Daniel claims here.
- How it drifted
The modern sense of "power" as control over others or supernatural ability can colour the word; the pairing here is a set phrase taken from verse 20.
- Used elsewhere in the period
In Biblical Aramaic only Dan 2:20 and 2:23. Hebrew pairs: Job 12:13 (wisdom and might); Isaiah 11:2 ("spirit of counsel and might"); Proverbs 8:14 (Wisdom says, "I have understanding; I have might").
Where it appears
Daniel · 2
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Daniel 2:20 וּגְבוּרְתָ֖א and <the> power
and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
Here: 'And the might.' Effective power, the strength of a warrior or ruler to get things done. Verse 21 shows what it means here: God removes kings and sets them up.
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Daniel 2:23 וּגְבוּרְתָ֖א and <the> power
To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power. And now You have made known to me what we have requested, for You have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Here: "And the might," again picking up verse 20. Paired with wisdom it is a traditional pair (compare Job 12:13; Isaiah 11:2). Here it likely means the capacity and strength to carry out what wisdom sees.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.