Hebrew word · H533

אַמִּיץ

'amitz

strong

'Ammîṣ means strong, mighty or courageous. It is rare and comes from the root 'mṣ, 'be firm, be strong' (as in 'be strong and courageous', Josh 1:6). Kōaḥ is strength, capacity or power.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

strong, mighty

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 Job 9:4

Range of meaning

'Ammîṣ means strong, mighty or courageous. It is rare and comes from the root 'mṣ, 'be firm, be strong' (as in 'be strong and courageous', Josh 1:6). Kōaḥ is strength, capacity or power.

Against the English

'Mighty in strength' (KJV, BSB, ESV) is accurate. NIV's 'his power is vast' is also faithful.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same phrase occurs in Isaiah 40:26, where God calls out the stars by name 'because he is strong in power'. In Job 9:19, Job says 'If it is a matter of strength (kōaḥ), he is the mighty one ('ammîṣ)', which shows that Job means God here.

From the study of 2 Samuel 15:12

Range of meaning

'Strong, mighty, firm, bold.' From the root 'amats, 'be strong, firm', which is the root of the repeated command 'be strong and courageous' (chazaq ve'emats, Josh 1:6–9). As an adjective it describes the stout-hearted warrior (Amos 2:16) and God's might (Job 9:4, 19; Isa 40:26).

Against the English

'Strong' (KJV, WEB) and 'gained strength' (BSB) are adequate. The Hebrew carries a sense of firmness and resolve, a plot that is no longer tentative.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same root runs through the Hebrew Bible's language of courage and firmness. Here, unusually, it is applied to a plot rather than a person.

From the study of Amos 2:16

Range of meaning

The adjective ʾammîṣ means firm, strong, stout, mighty. It is used of physical strength (Job 9:4, 'mighty in strength') and, with 'heart', of courage. The verb from the same root (ʾāmēṣ) means 'be firm, be resolute'. It is the second half of the battle charge 'be strong (ḥizqû) and be firm/courageous (ʾimṣû)' (Deut 31:6–7; Josh 1:6–9). In the other direction, 'to harden (ʾimmēṣ) one's heart' means to be stubborn (Deut 2:30; 15:7). So the root is about solidity and nerve that holds.

Against the English

'Bravest' (BSB), 'courageous' (KJV, WEB), 'stout of heart' (ESV) and 'courageous of heart' (YLT) are all accurate. YLT and ESV keep 'heart', which shows that this is about inner resolve, not muscle.

Used elsewhere in the period

Elsewhere 'firm of heart' and the ʾ-m-ṣ root belong to the language of holy war and of commissioning a leader: Moses to Joshua, David to Solomon (1 Chr 22:13; 28:20). Israel's tradition held that God gives courage to his people's soldiers. Here God takes it away.

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 15:12 אַמִּ֔ץ strong

    While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

    Here: 'Strong, firm, robust.' Elsewhere it describes the brave or stout-hearted (Amos 2:16). The tied band became tight and solid, no longer fragile.

Job · 2

  1. Job 9:4 וְאַמִּ֣יץ and strong of

    God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

    Here: 'And mighty-of', bound to the next word. A rare, weighty adjective for overwhelming strength. Job uses it of God again in 9:19 ('if it is a matter of strength, he is the mighty one').

  2. Job 9:19 אַמִּ֣יץ a strong [one]

    If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

    Here: 'A mighty one', or 'the strong one'. It repeats Job 9:4, where God is 'mighty in strength' (ʾammîṣ kōaḥ). In a contest of strength the result is settled before it starts.

Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 28:2 וְאַמִּץ֙ and a strong [one]

    Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.

    Here: 'And a mighty one.' Paired with ḥāzāq for emphasis: someone tough and unbending. The two roots also sit behind the well-known encouragement 'be strong and courageous' (ḥăzaq weʾĕmāṣ), though that phrase uses verbs, not these adjectives.

  2. Isaiah 40:26 וְאַמִּ֣יץ and a strong [one] of

    Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

    Here: 'And mighty of' — an adjective, 'he being strong in'. Most translations read it as a second cause: 'and because he is strong in power'.

Amos · 1

  1. Amos 2:16 וְאַמִּ֥יץ and [the] [person] strong

    Even the bravest of mighty men will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD.

    Here: 'And the firm one'. It comes from the root ʾ-m-ṣ, 'be firm, be resolute', the same root as 'be strong and courageous' in Deuteronomy 31:6 and Joshua 1:6. The 'and' adds this man as the last of the seven kinds of fighter listed in verses 14–16.

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