גֶּ֫בֶר
man
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H1399 appears — 1 distinct verse across 1 book. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Psalms 1 verse
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, גבר (gᵉbar) means “man.” The Hebrew Bible uses it only 1 verse. Its uses cluster heavily in Psalms (100% of all occurrences). It occurs only once, in Psalms 18:25. Sharing its root, it stands alongside גבר, גבור and גביר. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H1399 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 1
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 1 distinct verse.
- 1 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 1 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #6,101
- by frequency
- Rank #6,101 (rank 6,101 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 1 occurrence in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Psalms 1 verse 100%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 1 distinct verse.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 1 verse · 100%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 3 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Man 1×
- American Standard Version†: Man 1×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: A 1×, Man 1×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H1399 across 1† tagged occurrence — most commonly:
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H1399 across 1† tagged occurrence — most commonly:
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H1399 across 2† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
8 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Hithpael (reflexive or reciprocal).
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 8 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
גבר I be strong, mighty (NH id., Aramaic גְּבַר
Qal
- Pf. ג׳ ψ 103:11 + 5 times; גָּבְֽרוּ Gn 7:19 + 6 times; גָּבֵ֑רוּ 2 S 1:23; Impf. יִגְבַּר 1 S 2:9; וַיִּגְבְּרוּ Gn 7:18, 24;— e.g. Psalms 103:11
- 1. be strong, mighty, abs. גָּבְֽרוּ חַיִל mighty in power Jb 21:7; with מִן stronger than 2 S 1:23 ψ 65:4; with בְּ mighty among 1 Ch 5:2. e.g. Job 21:7
- 2. prevail:—
- a. abs. e.g. enemies Ex 17:11(×2) (E) 1 S 2:9 La 1:16, waters Gn 7:18, 19, 20, 24 (P), power Je 9:2; e.g. Exodus 17:11
- b. with עַל prevail over, subj. enemies 2 S 11:23, blessings Gn 49:26 (J), mercy of God ψ 103:11; 117:2. e.g. 2 Samuel 11:23
Piel
- Pf. גִּבַּרְתִּי Zc 10:6; sf. גִּבַּרְתִּים Zc 10:12; Impf. יְגַבֵּר Ec 10:10 make strong, strengthen. e.g. Zechariah 10:6
Hiphil
- Pf. הִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לְ confirm a covenant Dn 9:27; Impf. נַגְבִּיר לִלְשֹׁנֵנוּ we will confirm a covenant with our tongue Ew Ol Che (or, to our tongue will we give strength Hi De) ψ 12:5. e.g. Daniel 9:27
Hithpael
- Impf. יִתְגַּבָּ֑ר Jb 15:25 Is 42:13; יִתְגַּבָּ֑רוּ Jb 36:9:—of י׳, shew himself a mighty one against (עַל) Is 42:13; of wicked, behave proudly toward (אֶל) Jb 15:25; of erring righteous (abs.) 36:9. e.g. Job 15:25
גבר II man (NH id., MI16 גברן (pl.), Aramaic גְּבַר, ܓܒܰܪ
גבר III m. an official of Solomon 1 K 4
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. be strong, mighty (NH id., Aramaic גְּבַר; Arabic جَبَرَ (conj. I. dial.; usually in derived conj.) compel, force; جَبَرِيَّةٌ overbearing behaviour, جَبْرٌ constraint; Ethiopic ገብረ I, 1, subigere; II, 2, cogere; Syriac ܐܶܬܓܰܒܰܪ play the man, is denom. from ܓܒܰܪ man)—
I. n.m. man (NH id., MI16 גברן (pl.), Aramaic גְּבַר, ܓܒܰܪ; Assyrian gabru, rival is Akkadian loanword according to SchrJLZ 1874, 200 DlS 120, Sm. Chald. Gen. 286)—Dt 22:5 + 39 times; גָּ֑בֶר Jb 3:3 + 13 times; cstr. גְּבֶּר ψ 18:26 (= 2 S 22:26 גִּבּוֹר but 𝔊 𝔖 read גֶּבֶר); pl. גְּבָרים Je 41:16 + 10 times;—man as strong, disting. from women, children, and non-combatants whom he is to defend, chiefly poetic Ex 10:11 Nu 24:3, 15 (E) Ex 12:37 Jos 7:14, 17, 18 (J) Dt 22:5(×2) Ju 5:30 2 S 23:1 1 Ch 23:3; 24:4; 26:12 Jb 3:3 + 14 times Jb; ψ 18:26 + 8 times ψ; Pr 6:34 + 7 times Pr; Is 22:17 Je 17:5 + 8 times Je; La 3:1, 27, 35, 39 Dn 8:15 Mi 2:2 Hb 2:5 Zc 13:7; also 1 S 10:21 𝔊 We Dr; = each (of locusts) Jo 2:8, cf. אישׁ.
II. n.pr.m. an official of Solomon 1 K 4:19 (cf. בֶּן־גֶּבֶר v 13, p. 122 supr.)
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from גבר (gâbar) (H1396) — to be strong.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
גָּבַר
- v. גבב) to be uppermost, prevail; to be strong. Num. R. s. 7 לשון גָּבַר, v. אָנוּשׁ. Sot. IX, 15 גָּבְרוּ בעלי זרוע the violent prevailed. Y. Bets. II, 61ᶜ top; Tosef. Ḥag. II, 11; Bets. 20ᵃ גָּבְרָה יָדָן וכ׳ the Shammaites prevailed over (outnumbered) the Hillelites; a. fr.
- to make strong, strengthen, sustain. Lam. R. to III, 1 גִּבְּרַנִי לעמוד בכולן he made me strong enough to survive all these calamities; ib. 12. Cant. R. to II, 14 מְגַבְּרָן לישראל (ed. Wil. מַגְבִּירָן Hif.) sustains Israel. Ib. III, 7 שהן מְגַבְּרִין את וכ׳ they (the sixty words of the priestly benediction) strengthen Israel. Mekh. B’shall., Amalek, s. 1 וכי … מְגַבְּרוֹת ישראל can Moses’ (uplifted) hands make Israel victorious?; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְגוּבָּר, v. infra.
- 1. same; v. supra.—2)
- to grow strong. Ib. עתידין … לְהַגְבִּיר בד"ת וכ׳ (Moses’ uplifted hands indicated that the Lord remembered that) Israel would in the future be strong in the Law which was to be given through his (Moses’) hands, opp. להמיך; Yalk. Ex. 264.
- , Nithpa. נִתְגַּבֵּר to rise, swell; to grow strong, gather courage; to make one’s self master. Tanḥ. B’resh. 7 המים מִתְגַּבְּרִין the waters of the Nile rose. Num. R. s. 19 ומִתְגַּבֶּרֶת שם and rose there. Ib. מלא מים מְגוּבָּרִין full of high waters. Snh. 96ᵃ לא נ׳ עד וכ׳ had no courage until he came to Dan. R. Hash. III, 8 היו מִתְגַּבְּרִין they were victorious. Ḥag. 16ᵃ, a. e. if one feels שיצרו מתג׳ עליו that his passion threatens to make itself master over him; Kidd. 80ᵇ. Ned. 81ᵃ מפני שהן מתגברין על הצבור because they lord it over the people (Ar. מתגדרין, v. גָּדַר). Num. R. s. 18, v. גָּבַהּ. Yalk. Is. 287 (ref. to Is. XVII, 11) מכה מִתְגַּבֶּרֶת (Lev. R. s. 18 מגרת, corr. acc. or מגברת) an affliction which makes itself the master, v. אָנוּשׁ. Gen. R. s. 76; a. fr. e.g. Isaiah 17:11
גְּבַר I
- Targ. Ps. CIII, 11.—Gitt. 60ᵇ, v. אַלִּים. Pes. 76ᵃ, a. fr. עילאה ג׳ in the case of a contact between warm and cold substances, the upper one prevails (heating or cooling the substance into which it is poured); תתאה ג׳ the lower prevails.
- as preced. Pi. Targ. Am. V, 9. Targ. Zech. X, 6; a. e.—Part. pass. מְגַבַּר growing, swelling. Targ. Is. VIII, 8.
- to make strong, to cause to overpower. Targ. Is. XLI, 25.—Snh. 38ᵃ אַגְבְּרוּ חמרא וכ׳ let the wine get the better of the young men, i.e. give them plenty to drink, that they may become mirthful.
גֶּבֶר
- 1. man, master. Lam. R. to III, 1. Kidd. 80ᵇ (ref. to Lam. III, 39) וכי ג׳ על הטאיו הוא (Rashi) is man master over his sins (sinless)? e.g. Lamentations 3:39
- 2. cock. Yoma I, 8 בקריאת הג׳ at the time of the crowing of the cock; ib. 20ᵇ; Y. Shek. V, 48ᵈ bot.; Y. Succ. V, 55ᶜ disputed meaning: man’s (the cryer’s) crying, or the cock’s crowing, v. כָּרוֹזָא.
- 3. (euphem.) membrum virile. Bekh. VII, 5 (44ᵇ) בעל ג׳ a man with an abnormally large membrum.
גְּבַר II
- ; man. Targ. Gen. II, 24; a. v. fr.—Ber. 63ᵃ באתר דלית ג׳ כ׳ where there is no man, (leader). B. Mets. 97ᵃ (prov.) ג׳ דנשי וכ׳ for a man whom women killed there is no law or judge. Erub. 53ᵇ, v. אוּשְׁפִּיזָא.—Men. 42ᵇ, a. e. חובת ג׳ personal duty, opp. ח׳ טלית the duty resting on the garment (whether or not you wear it).—ההוא גברא a certain man. B. Mets. l. c.; a. v. fr. [Frequ. האי גברא, or ההוא, euphem. for I, or thou; v. ההוא.]—Bekh. 36ᵃ בלא גברא (Rashi גברי) without naming an authority.—Pl. גַּבְרִין, גַּבְרַיָּיא, גַּבְרֵי. Targ. O. Deut. I, 13; a. v. fr.—Lev. R. s. 23 יהוון גַּבְ׳ בכל מילייא (Cant. R. to II, 2 גּוּבְרִין) they shall be strong (trained) in all things. B. Kam. 92ᵇ (prov.) כד הוינן זוטרי לג׳ וכ׳ when we were young, we were esteemed as men, now that we are old &c.; a. v. fr.—Keth. 6ᵃ בלא ג׳, v. supra. Ib. 53ᵇ סימן דגברי ש̇ק̇ ז̇ר̇ף̇ the mnemonical sign for the authorities quoted is &c. (ש̇שת, לק̇יש, אלעז̇ר, ר̇בא, פ̇פא).—Fem. גְּבַרְתָּא, only assumed for argument, v. אַנְתְּרוֹפִי. V. also גּוּבְרָא.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H1399, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
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People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 7 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
