Word Study for H1396 (גָּבַר)

gâbar /gaw-bar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto be strong; by implication, to prevail, act insolently

KJV usageexceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more (strength), strengthen, be stronger, be valiant.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of gâbar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word gâbar, represented by H1396, is a primitive root signifying strength and power. It appears 25 times across 24 unique verses and conveys a range of meanings including to be strong, prevail, be great, strengthen, or confirm. Its usage illustrates concepts from physical victory in battle to the overwhelming greatness of God's mercy.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H1396 is used to describe the outcome of contests, both human and divine. During Israel's battle with Amalek, the outcome was directly tied to a spiritual act: when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed Exodus 17:11. The word also depicts the sheer force of nature, as seen in the flood narrative where "the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth" Genesis 7:19. On a theological level, it is used to describe the magnitude of God's loving-kindness, which is great toward those who fear Him Psalms 117:2. Furthermore, it carries the meaning of establishing or strengthening a promise, as in the prophecy that "he shall confirm the covenant" Daniel 9:27.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of strength and power:

H1368 gibbôwr (powerful; warrior, tyrant; champion): This noun form often describes a person of great strength, such as a warrior or champion. It is used to describe the Lord as a "mighty terrible one" Jeremiah 20:11 and also highlights that in the course of life, "the battle is not to the strong" Ecclesiastes 9:11.
H2428 chayil (a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength): This term relates to the resources or valor that constitute strength. It is used alongside H1396 in a practical sense: when an iron tool is blunt, one must "put to more strength" Ecclesiastes 10:10.
H3581 kôach (vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); power, strength): This word emphasizes inherent power or ability. Scripture makes a clear distinction that human ability is insufficient, stating that "by strength shall no man prevail H1396" 1 Samuel 2:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1396 is significant, often contrasting human effort with divine power.

Divine Power vs. Human Strength: The word underscores the principle that human strength is ultimately limited and cannot succeed against God's will. It is used to describe the insolence of the wicked who "strengtheneth himself against the Almighty" Job 15:25 and to declare that victory is not achieved by man's own power 1 Samuel 2:9.
The Greatness of God's Mercy: Rather than physical might, H1396 is powerfully used to measure the immensity of God's character. His mercy, or chêçêd H2617, is described as being as great as the height of the heavens above the earth Psalms 103:11.
God as the Source of Strength: The word is used to show that true strength originates from God. The LORD H3068 promises His people, "I will strengthen them in the LORD" Zechariah 10:12 and "I will strengthen the house of Judah" Zechariah 10:6.

Summary

In summary, H1396 moves beyond a simple definition of physical power. It serves as a dynamic term that illustrates victory and dominance in both worldly conflicts and the forces of nature. Theologically, it contrasts the futility of human strength against God with the immeasurable greatness of His mercy. Ultimately, gâbar shows that lasting strength and the ability to prevail are gifts granted by God, who confirms His promises and empowers His people.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 25 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 8×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 4×
Hithpael Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 2×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 1st Plural common gender 1×
Hithpael Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Piel Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Hithpael: Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 24 verses across 13 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (5 verses); never once in the other 26.

Genesis

Exodus

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

Job

Psalms

Ecclesiastes

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Daniel

Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.