Hebrew word · H1433

גֹּ֫דֶל

godel

greatness

Greatness, magnitude. Used of God's majesty shown in acts, also of the 'arrogance' (great-heartedness) of a proud king (Isa 9:9; 10:12).

Appears 13 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) greatness

1a) greatness, magnitude

1b) magnificence

1c) pride, insolence (bad sense)

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

From the study of Deuteronomy 3:24

Range of meaning

Greatness, magnitude. Used of God's majesty shown in acts, also of the 'arrogance' (great-heartedness) of a proud king (Isa 9:9; 10:12).

Against the English

English 'greatness' can sound like an abstract attribute. In Deuteronomy it is greatness shown in events.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 5:24 ('YHWH has shown us his glory and his greatness'), 9:26 ('whom you redeemed through your greatness'), 11:2, 32:3; Ps 150:2 ('praise him according to his abundant greatness'). These are all tied to deliverance.

From the study of Deuteronomy 9:26

Range of meaning

Greatness, magnitude. It is used of God's might and majesty, and of his greatness in steadfast love (Num 14:19).

Against the English

KJV, BSB and ESV say "through your greatness"; NIV says "by your great power". "Power" is a reasonable reading, but it narrows a word that also covers majesty and reputation.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 3:24 (Moses: "you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your strong hand"); 5:24; 11:2; 32:3 ("ascribe greatness to our God"). Num 14:19, Moses' other great plea: "pardon... according to the greatness of your steadfast love".

From the study of Deuteronomy 5:24

Range of meaning

Greatness, magnitude, power. A fairly rare noun (about a dozen uses), used of God's might, of the extent of his steadfast love (Numbers 14:19), and negatively of human arrogance, 'greatness of heart' (Isaiah 9:9 in English numbering; 10:12).

Against the English

All major versions say 'greatness', which is accurate. BSB's 'His glory and greatness' runs the two together, while the Hebrew marks each separately with its own 'his'.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Deuteronomy it clusters around God's powerful acts: 3:24 ('your greatness and your strong hand'), 9:26, 11:2, and the Song of Moses, 32:3 ('ascribe greatness to our God'). The Septuagint uses megalōsynē for it at 32:3.

Where it appears

Numbers · 1
  1. Numbers 14:19 כְּגֹ֣דֶל according to [the] greatness of

    Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

    Here: 'According to the greatness of': the pardon is to be measured by God's loyalty, not by how bad the sin was. It picks up v.17, where Moses asks that God's power be made 'great' (yigdal). God's greatness is to show itself in mercy, not in wiping them out.

Deuteronomy · 5
  1. Deuteronomy 3:24 גָּדְלְךָ֔ greatness your

    “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your greatness and power to Your servant. For what god in heaven or on earth can perform such works and mighty acts as Yours?

    Here: God's greatness as it has been shown in events. In Deuteronomy the word is tied to the Exodus and to Israel's praise ('ascribe greatness to our God', 32:3).

  2. Deuteronomy 5:24 גָּדְל֔וֹ greatness his

    and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.

    Here: 'His greatness': sheer scale and power. Elsewhere in Deuteronomy the word goes with God's mighty acts (3:24; 9:26; 11:2).

  3. Deuteronomy 9:26 בְּגָדְלֶ֑ךָ by greatness your

    And I prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

    Here: The ransom was paid out of God's own greatness and might. No outside payer was involved, so the people are entirely his doing.

  4. Deuteronomy 11:2 גָּדְל֕וֹ greatness his

    Know this day that it is not your children who have known and seen the discipline of the LORD your God: His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm;

  5. Deuteronomy 32:3 גֹ֖דֶל greatness

    For I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Ascribe greatness to our God!

Psalms · 2
  1. Psalm 79:11 כְּגֹ֥דֶל according to [the] greatness of

    May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death.

    Here: According to the greatness of. The rescue is asked to match the size of God's power, not the size of the captives' claim on him.

  2. Psalm 150:2 גֻּדְלֽוֹ׃ greatness his

    Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him for His excellent greatness.

Isaiah · 2
  1. Isaiah 9:9 וּבְגֹ֥דֶל and with greatness of

    All the people will know it—Ephraim and the dwellers of Samaria. With pride and arrogance of heart they will say:

  2. Isaiah 10:12 גֹ֙דֶל֙ [the] greatness of

    So when the Lord has completed all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the fruit of his arrogant heart and the proud look in his eyes.

    Here: 'Greatness' of heart, meaning self-magnification. The word can describe God's real greatness (Deut 3:24), so a man claiming it for himself is the problem.

Ezekiel · 3
  1. Ezekiel 31:2 בְגָדְלֶֽךָ׃ in greatness your

    “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Who can be compared to your greatness?

  2. Ezekiel 31:7 בְּגָדְל֔וֹ in greatness its

    It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant waters.

  3. Ezekiel 31:18 וּבְגֹ֖דֶל and in greatness

    Who then is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? You also will be brought down to the depths of the earth to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.’”

    Here: 'And in greatness.' This is the chapter's keyword, used of the tree's sheer height (vv. 2, 7) and of the arrogance that grew with it.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.