Basic HTML Version
[
] of valor [
],” whereas the
NIV
renders the phrase idiomatically, “fighting
men” (cf. Josh. 1:14). David, who had proven himself as a warrior, attracted “heroes” to
his band while he was being pursued by Saul (2 Sam. 23). When David was enthroned as
king, these men became a part of the elite military corps. The phrase
may
also refer to a man of a high social class, the landed man who had military
responsibilities. Saul came from such a family (1 Sam. 9:1); so also Jeroboam (1 Kings
11:28).
The king symbolized the strength of his kingdom. He had to lead his troops in battle,
and as commander he was expected to be a “hero.” Early in David’s life, he was
recognized as a “hero” (1 Sam. 18:7). The king is described as a “hero”: “Gird thy sword
upon thy thigh, O most
"
, with thy glory and thy majesty” (Ps. 45:3). The messianic
expectation included the hope that the Messiah would be “mighty”: “For unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The
God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
Israel’s God was a mighty God (Isa. 10:21). He had the power to deliver: “The Lord
thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he
will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). Jeremiah’s moving
confession (32:17ff.) bears out the might of God in creation (v. 17) and in redemption
(vv. 18ff.). The answer to the emphatic question, “Who is this King of glory?” in Psalm
24 is: “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (v. 8).
The Septuagint gives the following translations:
$
(“powerful; strong; mighty;
able ruler”) and
$
(“strong; mighty; powerful”). The
KJV
gives these senses:
“mighty men; mighty one; strong; violent.”
(
$
, 181), “man.” This word occurs 66 times in the Old Testament, once in 1
Chron. 23:3: “Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward:
and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.”
B. Verb.
(
%
, 1396), “to be strong.” The root meaning “to be strong” appears in all
Semitic languages as a verb or a noun, but the verb occurs only 25 times in the Old
Testament. Job 21:7 contains an occurrence of
&
“Wherefore do the wicked live,
become old, yea, are mighty in power?”
C. Adjective.
(
%
, 1368), “strong.”
5
may be translated by the adjective “strong” in
the following contexts: a “strong” man (1 Sam. 14:52), a “strong” lion (Prov. 30:30), a
mighty hunter (Gen. 10:9), and the mighty ones (Gen. 6:1-4).
TO HIDE
(
"
, 5641), “to conceal, hide, shelter.” This verb and various derivatives are
found in modern Hebrew as well as in biblical Hebrew.
)
occurs approximately 80
times in the Old Testament. The word is found for the first time in Gen. 4:14 as Cain