Hebrew word · H46

אָבִיר

'avir

mighty

'Mighty One of Jacob,' an archaic divine title that appears only in construct with 'Jacob' or 'Israel.' The related form ʾabbir (with a doubled b) is used of strong men, warhorses, and bulls (Ps 22:12, Heb 22:13; 50:13).

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

1) strong, mighty-used only to describe God

2) the Strong-old name for God (poetic)

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 Isaiah 49:26

Range of meaning: 'Mighty One of Jacob,' an archaic divine title that appears only in construct with 'Jacob' or 'Israel.' The related form ʾabbir (with a doubled b) is used of strong men, warhorses, and bulls (Ps 22:12, Heb 22:13; 50:13).
Against the English: 'Mighty One of Jacob' in most versions. This is accurate, though it hides how ancient and rare the title is (six occurrences).
Used elsewhere in the period: Gen 49:24 (Jacob's blessing of Joseph); Ps 132:2, 5 (David's oath to find a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob); Isa 1:24 ('Mighty One of Israel'); 49:26; 60:16. The Septuagint here reads 'the strength of Jacob' (ischyos Iakōb).

From the study of Isaiah 1:24

Range of meaning: A title of God, 'Mighty One', used only in the phrase 'Mighty One of Jacob/Israel'. It is related to the adjective ʾabbîr ('strong, mighty', also used of bulls, stallions and chieftains). The title is archaic and comes from the patriarchal blessings.
Against the English: All the English versions translate it 'Mighty One of Israel'. That is accurate, though it hides the ancient, ancestral feel of the title.
Used elsewhere in the period: Gen 49:24 (Jacob's blessing on Joseph: 'the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob'). Ps 132:2, 5 (David's vow to find a dwelling for 'the Mighty One of Jacob', tied to the ark coming to Zion). Isa 49:26 and 60:16 use 'Mighty One of Jacob' as a title of Israel's redeemer. Isa 1:24 is the only place with 'of Israel'.

From the study of Isaiah 60:16

Range of meaning: Avir appears only in the divine title 'Mighty One of Jacob' (Gen 49:24; Ps 132:2, 5; Isa 49:26; 60:16) and 'Mighty One of Israel' (Isa 1:24). The scribes who added vowels to the Hebrew text pointed it differently from the ordinary adjective abbir (H47), 'mighty, valiant', which is also used of bulls (Ps 22:12) and stallions (Jer 8:16).
Against the English: All the major English versions say 'Mighty One of Jacob'. That is accurate, though it hides how old and rare the title is.
Used elsewhere in the period: Genesis 49:24 ('by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob') is in one of the oldest poems in the Bible. Psalm 132:2, 5 uses it in connection with David's vow to find a dwelling for the ark in Zion. The Greek translation of Isaiah 60:16 renders it 'the God of Israel'.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

Genesis 49:24 אֲבִ֣יר [the] mighty one of

Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

Here: 'The Mighty One of'. This is an ancient divine title. Its first appearance is here, and with this exact vowel pattern the Hebrew Bible uses it only for God. It names God as the strong protector who is bound to Jacob and his family.

Psalms · 2

Psalm 132:2 לַאֲבִ֥יר to [the] mighty one of

how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
Psalm 132:5 לַאֲבִ֥יר for [the] mighty one of

until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Isaiah · 3

Isaiah 1:24 אֲבִ֖יר [the] mighty one of

Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.

Here: An old title, 'the Mighty One of Jacob', for the ancestral God as Israel's strong protector (Gen 49:24; Ps 132:2, 5). This exact form, 'Mighty One of Israel', occurs only here. The protector's title now heads a sentence against Israel's own rulers.
Isaiah 49:26 אֲבִ֥יר [the] mighty one of

I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Here: An ancient divine title, 'the Mighty One of…'. It answers v. 24's question about whether prey can be taken from a 'mighty man' (gibbor): Jacob's Mighty One is stronger.
Isaiah 60:16 אֲבִ֥יר [the] mighty one of

You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Here: 'The Mighty One of', an old and rare divine title that goes back to Jacob's blessing (Genesis 49:24). It stresses God's strength as the protector of the clan.

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