חָזַק
to strengthen
also: prevail, harden, be strong, become strong fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Hiphil verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”). Here: ‘make strong’
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘intrans. be or grow strong’
- Piel
- An intensive or resultative active stem. Here: ‘make strong’
- Hithpael
- The reflexive or reciprocal stem (the subject acts on itself). Here: ‘strengthen oneself 2 S 3’
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Cohortative
- A first-person volitional form expressing wish or resolve (“let me / let us write”).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
108 distinct verses where H2388 appears in the Hiphil stem, across 21 books. Filtered view — show all forms. 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.
Genesis 2 verses
- Genesis 19:16 וַ/יַּחֲזִ֨קוּ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp But he lingered; and the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.
- Genesis 21:18 וְ/הַחֲזִ֥יקִי conj + Hiphil impv 2fs Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation."
Exodus 2 verses
Leviticus 1 verse
Deuteronomy 2 verses
- Deuteronomy 22:25 וְ/הֶחֱזִֽיק conj + Hiphil wpf 3ms But if the man find the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only who lay with her shall die:
- Deuteronomy 25:11 וְ/הֶחֱזִ֖יקָה conj + Hiphil wpf 3fs When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts forth her hand, and takes him by the secrets;
Judges 5 verses
- Judges 7:8 הֶֽחֱזִ֑יק Hiphil pf 3ms So the people took food in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
- Judges 7:20 וַ/יַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they cried, The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.
- Judges 16:26 הַ/מַּחֲזִ֣יק ptcl def.art + Hiphil ptcp.act ms and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, Allow me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house rests, that I may lean on them.
- Judges 19:25 וַ/יַּחֲזֵ֤ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms But the men wouldn't listen to him: so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
- Judges 19:29 וַ/יַּחֲזֵ֣ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms When he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
1 Samuel 2 verses
- 1 Samuel 15:27 וַ/יַּחֲזֵ֥ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms As Samuel turned about to go away, [Saul] laid hold on the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
- 1 Samuel 17:35 וְ/הֶחֱזַ֨קְתִּי֙ conj + Hiphil wpf 1cs I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.
2 Samuel 6 verses
- 2 Samuel 1:11 וַ/יַּחֲזֵ֥ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them; and likewise all the men who were with him:
- 2 Samuel 2:16 וַֽ/יַּחֲזִ֜קוּ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp They caught everyone his fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
- 2 Samuel 3:29 וּ/מַחֲזִ֥יק conj + Hiphil ptcp.act ms let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.
- 2 Samuel 11:25 הַחֲזֵ֨ק וְ/חַזְּקֵֽ/הוּ Hiphil impv 2ms conj + Piel impv 2ms + sfx pers 3ms Then David said to the messenger, Thus shall you tell Joab, Don't let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage you him.
- 2 Samuel 13:11 וַ/יַּֽחֲזֶק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.
- 2 Samuel 15:5 וְ/הֶחֱזִ֥יק conj + Hiphil wpf 3ms It was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.
1 Kings 3 verses
- 1 Kings 1:50 וַֽ/יַּחֲזֵ֖ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
- 1 Kings 2:28 וַֽ/יַּחֲזֵ֖ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms The news came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he didn't turn after Absalom. Joab fled to the Tent of Yahweh, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
- 1 Kings 9:9 וַֽ/יַּחֲזִ֨קוּ֙ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp and they shall answer, Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has Yahweh brought all this evil on them.
2 Kings 4 verses
- 2 Kings 2:12 וַֽ/יַּחֲזֵק֙ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3ms Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen of it! He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two pieces.
- 2 Kings 4:8 וַ/תַּחֲזֶק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3fs It fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.
- 2 Kings 4:27 וַֽ/תַּחֲזֵ֖ק conj + Hiphil wimpf 3fs When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away; but the man of God said, Let her alone: for her soul is vexed within her; and Yahweh has hid it from me, and has not told me.
- 2 Kings 15:19 לְ/הַחֲזִ֥יק prep + Hiphil inf.cs There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
2 Chronicles 4 verses
- 2 Chronicles 4:5 מַחֲזִ֣יק Hiphil ptcp.act ms It was a handbreadth thick; and the brim of it was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
- 2 Chronicles 7:22 וַֽ/יַּחֲזִ֨יקוּ֙ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp They shall answer, Because they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has he brought all this evil on them.
- 2 Chronicles 26:8 הֶחֱזִ֖יק Hiphil pf 3ms The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he grew exceeding strong.
- 2 Chronicles 28:15 וַ/יַּחֲזִ֣יקוּ conj + Hiphil wimpf 3mp The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers: then they returned to Samaria.
Nehemiah 31 verses
- Nehemiah 3:4 הֶחֱזִ֗יק הֶחֱזִ֔יק הֶֽחֱזִ֔יק Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms Next to them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz. Next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel. Next to them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.
- Nehemiah 3:5 הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp Next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles didn't put their necks to the work of their lord.
- Nehemiah 3:6 הֶחֱזִ֗יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp The old gate repaired Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams of it, and set up the doors of it, and the bolts of it, and the bars of it.
- Nehemiah 3:7 הֶחֱזִ֜יק Hiphil pf 3ms Next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, [that appertained] to the throne of the governor beyond the River.
- Nehemiah 3:8 הֶחֱזִ֗יק הֶחֱזִ֔יק Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms Next to him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths. Next to him repaired Hananiah one of the perfumers, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the broad wall.
- Nehemiah 3:9 הֶחֱזִיק֙ Hiphil pf 3ms Next to them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah 3:10 הֶחֱזִ֛יק הֶחֱזִ֔יק Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms Next to them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, over against his house. Next to him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabneiah.
- Nehemiah 3:11 הֶחֱזִיק֙ Hiphil pf 3ms Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired another portion, and the tower of the furnaces.
- Nehemiah 3:12 הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms Next to him repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
- Nehemiah 3:13 הֶחֱזִ֣יק Hiphil pf 3ms The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate.
- Nehemiah 3:14 הֶחֱזִיק֙ Hiphil pf 3ms The dung gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem; he built it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it.
- Nehemiah 3:15 הֶ֠חֱזִיק Hiphil pf 3ms The spring gate repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, even to the stairs that go down from the city of David.
- Nehemiah 3:16 הֶחֱזִיק֙ Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur, to the place over against the tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men.
- Nehemiah 3:17 הֶחֱזִ֥יקוּ הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3cp Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district.
- Nehemiah 3:18 הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp After him repaired their brothers, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah.
- Nehemiah 3:20 הֶחֱזִ֛יק Hiphil pf 3ms After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning [of the wall] to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
- Nehemiah 3:21 הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
- Nehemiah 3:22 הֶחֱזִ֥יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp After him repaired the priests, the men of the Plain.
- Nehemiah 3:23 הֶחֱזִ֧יק הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms After them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah beside his own house.
- Nehemiah 3:24 הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of Azariah to the turning [of the wall], and to the corner.
- Nehemiah 3:27 הֶחֱזִ֥יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel.
- Nehemiah 3:28 הֶחֱזִ֨יקוּ֙ Hiphil pf 3cp Above the horse gate repaired the priests, everyone over against his own house.
- Nehemiah 3:29 הֶחֱזִ֛יק הֶחֱזִיק֙ Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his own house. After him repaired Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate.
- Nehemiah 3:30 הֶחֱזִ֜יק הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
- Nehemiah 3:31 הֶחֱזִ֗יק Hiphil pf 3ms After him repaired Malchijah one of the goldsmiths to the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner.
- Nehemiah 3:32 הֶחֱזִ֥יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
- Nehemiah 4:16 מַחֲזִיקִים֙ Hiphil ptcp.act mp It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
- Nehemiah 4:17 מַחֲזֶ֥קֶת Hiphil ptcp.act fs They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
- Nehemiah 4:21 מַחֲזִיקִים֙ Hiphil ptcp.act mp So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
- Nehemiah 5:16 הֶחֱזַ֔קְתִּי Hiphil pf 1cs Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered there to the work.
- Nehemiah 10:29 מַחֲזִיקִ֣ים Hiphil ptcp.act mp They joined with their brothers, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes;
Job 6 verses
- Job 2:3 מַחֲזִ֣יק Hiphil ptcp.act ms Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause."
- Job 2:9 מַחֲזִ֣יק Hiphil ptcp.act ms Then his wife said to him, "Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die."
- Job 8:15 יַחֲזִ֥יק Hiphil impf 3ms He shall lean on his house, but it shall not stand. He shall cling to it, but it shall not endure.
- Job 8:20 יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק Hiphil impf 3ms "Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
- Job 18:9 יַחֲזֵ֖ק Hiphil impf 3ms A snare shall take him by the heel; A trap shall lay hold on him.
- Job 27:6 הֶ֭חֱזַקְתִּי Hiphil pf 1cs I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Psalms 1 verse
Proverbs 4 verses
- Proverbs 3:18 לַ/מַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים prep det + Hiphil ptcp.act mp She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
- Proverbs 4:13 הַחֲזֵ֣ק Hiphil impv 2ms Take firm hold of instruction. Don't let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
- Proverbs 7:13 וְ/הֶחֱזִ֣יקָה conj + Hiphil wpf 3fs So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
- Proverbs 26:17 מַחֲזִ֥יק Hiphil ptcp.act ms Like one who grabs a dog's ears Is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
Isaiah 11 verses
- Isaiah 4:1 וְ/הֶחֱזִיקוּ֩ conj + Hiphil wpf 3cp Seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing: only let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach."
- Isaiah 27:5 יַחֲזֵ֣ק Hiphil impf 3ms Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; [yes], let him make peace with me.
- Isaiah 41:9 הֶחֱזַקְתִּ֨י/ךָ֙ Hiphil pf 1cs + sfx pers 2ms you whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners of it, and said to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away;
- Isaiah 41:13 מַחֲזִ֣יק Hiphil ptcp.act ms For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Don't be afraid; I will help you.
- Isaiah 42:6 וְ/אַחְזֵ֣ק conj + Hiphil impf 1cs I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
- Isaiah 45:1 הֶחֱזַ֣קְתִּי Hiphil pf 1cs Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
- Isaiah 51:18 מַחֲזִיק֙ Hiphil ptcp.act ms There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she has brought forth; neither is there any who takes her by the hand among all the sons who she has brought up.
- Isaiah 56:2 יַחֲזִ֣יק Hiphil impf 3ms Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
- Isaiah 56:4 וּ/מַחֲזִיקִ֖ים conj + Hiphil ptcp.act mp For thus says Yahweh of the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant:
- Isaiah 56:6 וּ/מַחֲזִיקִ֖ים conj + Hiphil ptcp.act mp Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh, to minister to him, and to love the name of Yahweh, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant;
- Isaiah 64:7 לְ/הַחֲזִ֣יק prep + Hiphil inf.cs There is none who calls on your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of you; for you have hid your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.
Jeremiah 10 verses
- Jeremiah 6:23 יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ Hiphil impf 3mp They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.
- Jeremiah 6:24 הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְ/נוּ Hiphil pf 3fs + sfx pers 1cp We have heard the report of it; our hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of us, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.
- Jeremiah 8:5 הֶחֱזִ֨יקוּ֙ Hiphil pf 3cp Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
- Jeremiah 8:21 הֶחֱזִקָֽתְ/נִי Hiphil pf 3fs + sfx pers 1cs For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay has taken hold on me.
- Jeremiah 31:32 הֶחֱזִיקִ֣/י Hiphil inf.cs + sfx pers 1cs not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 49:24 הֶחֱזִ֑יקָה Hiphil pf 3fs Damascus has grown feeble, she turns herself to flee, and trembling has seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in travail.
- Jeremiah 50:33 הֶחֱזִ֣יקוּ Hiphil pf 3cp Thus says Yahweh of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; and all who took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go.
- Jeremiah 50:42 יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ Hiphil impf 3mp They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 50:43 הֶחֱזִיקַ֔תְ/הוּ Hiphil pf 3fs + sfx pers 3ms The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.
- Jeremiah 51:12 הַחֲזִ֨יקוּ֙ Hiphil impv 2mp Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for Yahweh has both purposed and done that which he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Ezekiel 4 verses
- Ezekiel 16:49 הֶחֱזִֽיקָה Hiphil pf 3fs Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
- Ezekiel 27:9 מַחֲזִיקֵ֖י Hiphil ptcp.act mp cs The old men of Gebal and the wise men of it were in you your repairers of ship seams: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise.
- Ezekiel 27:27 מַחֲזִיקֵ֣י Hiphil ptcp.act mp cs Your riches, and your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, and your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, and the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war, who are in you, with all your company which is in the midst of you, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin.
- Ezekiel 30:25 וְ/הַחֲזַקְתִּ֗י conj + Hiphil wpf 1cs I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out on the land of Egypt.
Daniel 5 verses
- Daniel 11:1 לְ/מַחֲזִ֥יק prep + Hiphil ptcp.act ms "As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
- Daniel 11:6 וּ/מַחֲזִקָ֖/הּ conj + Hiphil ptcp.act ms cs + sfx pers 3fs At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.
- Daniel 11:7 וְ/הֶחֱזִֽיק conj + Hiphil wpf 3ms But out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.
- Daniel 11:21 וְ/הֶחֱזִ֥יק conj + Hiphil wpf 3ms In his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
- Daniel 11:32 יַחֲזִ֥קוּ Hiphil impf 3mp Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].
Micah 2 verses
- Micah 4:9 הֶחֱזִיקֵ֥/ךְ Hiphil pf 3ms + sfx pers 2fs Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, That pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail?
- Micah 7:18 הֶחֱזִ֤יק Hiphil pf 3ms Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, And passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, Because he delights in loving kindness.
Nahum 1 verse
Zechariah 2 verses
- Zechariah 8:23 יַחֲזִ֨יקוּ֙ וְֽ/הֶחֱזִ֡יקוּ Hiphil impf 3mp conj + Hiphil pf 3cp Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: "In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"
- Zechariah 14:13 וְ/הֶחֱזִ֗יקוּ conj + Hiphil wpf 3cp It will happen in that day, that a great panic from Yahweh will be among them; and they will lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand will rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
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.
חזק (châzaq) is a Hebrew verb most often rendered “to strengthen.” Older and newer Bibles part ways — “repaired” in the King James Version, “strengthened” (unfoldingWord Literal Text) in modern versions. See the renderings breakdown. It turns up in 266 verses across 28 books, a common footprint. Scripture first uses it in Genesis 19:16. Across 4 stems, its meaning turns on the binyan (Qal, Piel). For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H2388 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 →
- 266
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 266 distinct verses.
- 28 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 28 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #169
- by frequency
- Top 250 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 169 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 266 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- 2 Chronicles 38 verses 14%
- Nehemiah 34 verses 13%
- Isaiah 20 verses 8%
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 266 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 122 verses · 46%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 112 verses · 42%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 32 verses · 12%
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).
- King James Version: Repaired 38×, Be strong 17×, Strengthened 10×
- American Standard Version: Repaired 36×, Be strong 15×, Strengthened 10×
- Berean Standard Bible: Be strong 28×, Made repairs 22×, Repaired 10×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Strengthened 45×, Be strong 30×, And 23×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H2388 across 288 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 126 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 2 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H2388 across 288 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 134 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H2388 across 289 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 139 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 2 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H2388 across 328 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 115 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
50 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 50 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. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
Qal
- Pf. ח׳ Gn 41:57 + 4 times; חָזָק֑ 2 Ch 26:15; sf. חֲזָקוֹ 2 Ch 28:20, etc.; Impf. יֶחֱזַק 2 Ch 28:7 (Baer) + 2 times; וַיֶּחֱזַק Gn 41:56 +; יֶחֶזְקוּ 2 S 10:11 + 2 times; יֶחְזְקוּ Is 28:22; Imv. חֲזַק Dt 12:23 +; חִזְקוּ Dt 31:6 +; Inf. cstr. לְחָזְקָה 2 K 12:13; sf. לְחָזְקָהּ Ez 30:21; Pt. חָזֵק Ex 19:19 2 S 3:1, etc.;— e.g. Genesis 41:57
- I. intrans. be or grow strong:—
- 1.
- a. of physical strength of hands Ju 7:11 2 S 2:7; 16:21 Ez 22:14 Zc 8:9, 13 (on Ez 3:14 v. infr.); of arm, sq. inf. Ez 30:21; used of recovery from illness Is 39:1; sq. מִן compar. over-power 1 S 17:50 (c. בְּ instr.), 2 S 13:14. e.g. Judges 7:11
- b. of people, army Dt 11:8 Jos 17:13 (JE), = Ju 1:28, Ezr 9:12; sq. מִן compar. be stronger than, too strong for, prevail against 2 S 10:11(×2) = 1 Ch 19:12(×2) 1 K 20:23, 25; id., sq. acc. 1 K 16:22, cf. of י׳ as prevailing over man Je 20:7 (‖ יָכֹל); sq. על 2 Ch 8:3; 27:5. e.g. Deuteronomy 11:8
- c. of royal power וְדָוִד הֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק 2 S 3:1 (opp. הֹלְכִים וְדַלִּים); cf. 2 Ch 26:15 (‖ חֶזְקָה v 16), Dn 11:5a. e.g. 2 Samuel 3:1
- d. prevail over, upon, of word of king 2 S 24:4 (sq. אֶל־) = 1 Ch 21:4 (sq. עַל). e.g. 2 Samuel 24:4
- e. of bonds Is 28:22. e.g. Isaiah 28:22
- f. of sound of trumpet הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד Ex 19:19 (E, cf. חָזָק v 16) it grew much louder and louder. e.g. Exodus 19:19
- 2. be firm, fast:—
- a. lit. be caught fast, of Absalom’s head 2 S 18:9 (sq. בְּ). e.g. 2 Samuel 18:9
- b. be firm, secure, of a kingdom 2 K 14:5 (+ בְּיָדוֹ) = 2 Ch 25:3 (+ עָלָיו). Oftener e.g. 2 Kings 14:5
- c. be firm = courageous, confident, especially Imv., usually ‖ אמץ (q.v.), Dt 31:6, 7, 23 Jos 1:6, 7, 9, 18; 10:25; 23:6 (all D), 2 S 10:12; 13:28 1 K 2:2 1 Ch 19:13 (‖ התחזק), 22:13; 28:10, 20 2 Ch 15:7; 19:11; 32:7 Ezr 10:4 ψ 27:14; 31:25 Is 35:4; 41:6 Hg 2:4(×3) Dn 10:19(×2); sq. לַמִּלְחָמָה 2 Ch 25:8. e.g. Deuteronomy 31:6
- d. hold firmly to, devote oneself to, sq. בְּ 2 Ch 31:4. e.g. 2 Chronicles 31:4
- e. sq. Inf. be firm not to eat blood, i.e. firmly refrain from it Dt 12:23, cf. 1 Ch 28:7. e.g. Deuteronomy 12:23
- 3. press, be urgent, sq. עַל + Inf. Ex 12:33 (E); sq. עַל of hand of י׳ in prophetic ecstasy Ez 3:14 (𝔊 Co read חֲזָקָה, adj., v. חָזָק). e.g. Exodus 12:33
- 4. in bad sense:
- a. grow stout, rigid, hard, with idea of perversity, of Pharaoh’s heart Ex 7:13, 22; 8:15 (all P), 9:35 (R); cf. חזקו עָלַי דבריכם Mal 3:13. e.g. Exodus 7:13
- b. be severe, grievous, of battle 2 K 3:26; of famine Gn 41:56, 57 (E), 47:20 (J; sq. על), 2 K 25:3 = Je 52:6. e.g. 2 Kings 3:26
- 1.
- II. transit. only לֹא חֲזָקוֹ 2 Ch 28:20 strengthened him not, but text very dub. (‖ וַיָּצַר לוֹ). e.g. 2 Chronicles 28:20
Piel
- Pf. חִזַּק ψ 147:13 +, etc.; Impf. וַיְחַזֵּק Ex 9:12 + 10 times, etc.; Imv. חַזֵּק Ne 6:9 + 2 times; fs. חַזְּקִי Na 3:14; חַזֵּ֑קִי Is 54:2 etc.; Inf. cstr. חַזֵּק 2 K 12:9 + 12 times; Pt. מְחַזֵּק Ex 14:17; מְחַזְּקִים 2 K 12:9;— e.g. Psalms 147:13
- 1. make strong (physically):
- a. sq. acc. pers. Ju 16:28; sq. על 3:12; sq. מָתְנַיִם Na 2:2 (‖ אַמֵּץ כֹּחַ; of personif. people). e.g. Judges 16:28
- b. = restore to strength Dn 10:18, 19; to health Ez 34:4, 16; c. לְ give strength to 1 Ch 29:12; so, sq. זְרוֹעֹתָם, Ho 7:15 Ez 30:24 (and v 25 Co, v. Hiph.) e.g. Daniel 10:18
- c. sq. acc. rei Is 41:7 Je 10:4 (both c. בְּ instr.; of manufacture of idols); of strengthening tent-pegs, in metaph. Is 54:4, cf. 33:23; sq. bars of gates ψ 147:13; often of making strong, fortifying a town, etc. Na 3:14 2 Ch 11:11, 12; 26:9; 32:5; = repair (wall, obj. not expr.) Ne 3:19 v. Hiph.; c. acc. of temple 2 K 12:6, 7, 15; 22:6 2 Ch 24:5, 12; 29:3; 34:8, cf. v 10 (‖ לִבְדּוֹק); sq. לְבית י׳ 1 Ch 26:27; obj. breaches (acc.) 2 K 12:8, 9, 13; 22:5. e.g. Isaiah 41:7
- d. of establishing kingdom 2 Ch 11:17. e.g. 2 Chronicles 11:17
- 2. strengthen the hands (acc.) of any one, i.e. sustain, encourage (opp. רִפָּה) Ju 9:24 Je 23:14 Ez 13:22 Is 35:3 Jb 4:3 Ezr 6:22 Ne 2:18; 6:9 2 Ch 29:34; וַיְח׳ ידו בֵּאלהים 1 S 23:16; sq. בְּ Ezr 1:6 (+ בְּ instr.) e.g. Judges 9:24
- 3. make strong = bold, encourage, c. acc. Dt 1:38; 3:28 2 S 15:5 Is 41:7; c. acc. pers. + לַעֲבֹדַת בֵּית י׳ 2 Ch 35:2. e.g. Deuteronomy 1:38
- 4. make firm:—
- a. c. 2 acc. וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ אֲחַזְּקֶנּוּ Is 22:21 and with thy sash (of office) will I make him firm, i.e. bind it firmly about him (‖ הלבישׁ). e.g. 2 Chronicles 35:2
- b. make firm or fixed, = definitely adopt דָּבָר רָע יח׳־לָמוֹ ψ 64:6. e.g. Psalms 64:6
- 5. make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden (the heart of any one) Ex 4:21; 10:20, 27 (all E), 9:12; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17 (all P), Jos 11:20 (D); v. also ח׳ פניהם מִסֶּלַע Je 5:3†. e.g. Exodus 4:21
Hiphil
- Pf. הֶחֱזִיק Ju 7:8 +; 3 fs. הֶחֱזִ֫יקָה Je 49:24 +; sf. הֶחֱזִקָ֑תְנִי Je 8:21; הֶחֱזַ֫קְתִּי Ne 5:16 + 3 times; וְהַחֲזַקְתִּ֫י Ez 30:25, etc.; Impf. יַחֲזִיק Jb 8:15 + 2 times; 1 s. וְאַחְזֵק Is 42:6; יַחֲזִיקוּ Je 6:23 + 2 times; יַחֲזִקוּ Dn 11:32, etc.; Imv. הַחֲזֵק 2 S 11:25 + 2 times, etc.; Inf. cstr. הַחֲזִיק 2 K 15:19 Is 64:6; sf. הֶחֱזִיקִי Je 31:32 (הַח׳ Cod. Petrop. v. RS JPh. xvi, 1888, 73); Pt. מַחֲזִיק Ex 9:2 + 9 times; sf. מַחֲזִקָהּ Dn 11:6; fs. מַחֲזֶקֶת Ne 4:11; pl. מַחֲזִיקִים Ne 4:10 + 5 times; cstr. מַחֲזִיקֵי Ez 27:9, 27;— e.g. Judges 7:8
- 1.
- a. make strong, strengthen Je 51:12. e.g. Jeremiah 51:12
- b. make firm, the kingdom 2 K 15:19 (+ בְּיָדוֹ). e.g. 2 Kings 15:19
- c. display strength (late) 2 Ch 26:8 (‖ וַיֵּלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ עַד וגו׳), Dn 11:32 (‖ וְעָשׂוּ). e.g. 2 Chronicles 26:8
- 2. make severe, of battle 2 S 11:25. e.g. 2 Samuel 11:25
- 3. sq. יד = support Ez 16:49; sq. זְרוֹעוֹת 30:25 (subj. י׳; but Co reads Pi. as v 24)†. e.g. Ezekiel 16:49
- 4. = repair, walls of Jerus., Ne 3:4(×3) + 31 times Ne 3; cf. (in gen.) pt. used substant. מחזיקי בדקך Ez 27:9, 27 of Tyre and her ships (‖ מַלָּחִים, etc.) e.g. Nehemiah 3:4
- 5. prevail, abs. Dn 11:7; sq. עַל Jb 18:9; prevail upon to הח׳ בּוֹ לֶאֱכֹל 2 K 4:8. e.g. Daniel 11:7
- 6. especially take or keep hold of, seize, grasp:
- a. take hold of, seize, catch, sq. בְּ Gn 19:4(J), 21:18(E), Ex 4:4 (J; ‖ אחז), Ju 7:20 1 S 15:27 2 S 1:11 1 K 1:50; 2:28 2 K 2:12; 4:27 Is 4:1 Zc 8:23(×2) Pr 7:13; 26:17, cf. also Ju 19:25, 29 2 Ch 28:15; with violence Dt 22:25; 25:11 1 S 17:35 (perhaps pf. consec. freq., v. Dr), 2 S 2:16; 13:11; sq. לְ 2 S 15:5; fig. take hold in order to lead one (subj. י׳) sq. בְּ Je 31:32, c. acc. Is 41:9, 13; cf. Is 51:18 (בְּ; ‖נֵהֵל); sq. acc. Na 3:14 take hold of the brick-mould, Je 6:23 = 50:42, Zc 14:13 (with violence), ψ 35:2 Ne 4:10, 11, seize the kingdom Dn 11:21; in metaph. Mi 4:9 (הֶחֱזִיקֵךְ חִיל), Je 6:24; 8:21; 49:24 (v. Gie), 50:43; of pious laying hold of י׳, sq. בְּ Is 64:6, cf. 27:5; 56:2, 4, 6; of other gods 1 K 9:9 = 2 Ch 7:22; laying hold of wisdom Pr 3:18, cf. 4:13 Jb 2:3, 9; 27:6 Je 8:5. e.g. Genesis 19:4
- b. have or keep hold of, sq. בְּ Ju 16:26 2 S 3:29 Je 50:33 Ne 4:15. e.g. Judges 16:26
- c. hold up, sq. בְּ, fig. = sustain, support Lv 25:35; of י׳ holding his servants Is 42:6; 45:1, cf. Jb 8:20; v. also pt. used substantively Dn 11:1 (‖ מָעוֹז), v 6 (‖ מֵבִיא, יֹלֵד); of Ne. holding fast to (בְּ) his work Ne 5:16; cf. of wicked, holding to his house Jb 8:15; cleave or cling to (על) one’s brethren Ne 10:30. hence e.g. Leviticus 25:35
- d. keep, retain, sq. בְּ Ex 9:2 (J), Ju 7:8; 19:4; so Ez 7:13 Sm Co (MT Hithp.); sq. anger (acc.) Mi 7:18. e.g. Exodus 9:2
- e. hence also hold, contain, sq. acc. 2 Ch 4:5. e.g. 2 Chronicles 4:5
Hithpael
- (especially Ch) Pf. הִתְחַזַּק 2 Ch 13:7 + 3 times, etc.; Impf. וַיִּתְחַזֵּק Gn 48:2 + 7 times; וַיִּתְחַזַּק 2 Ch 21:4; 32:5; יִתְחַזָּ֑קוּ Ez 7:13 (but Sm Co read Hiph.), etc.; Imv. הִתְחַזַּק 1 K 20:22; הִתְחַזְּקוּ 1 S 4:9; Inf. cstr. לְהִתְחַזֵּק 2 Ch 13:8; 16:9; Pt. מִתְחַזֵּק 2 S 3:6 Dn 10:21; pl. מִתְחַזְּקִים 1 Ch 11:10;— e.g. 2 Chronicles 13:7
- 1. strengthen oneself 2 S 3:6 1 K 20:22 2 Ch 1:1; 12:13; 13:21; 21:4; 23:1; 25:11; 27:6; sq. עַל against 2 Ch 17:1; gain strength Ezr 7:28 Dn 10:19, cf. הִתְח׳ ביהוה 1 S 30:6; fig. = take courage 2 Ch 15:8. e.g. 2 Samuel 3:6
- 2. put forth strength, use one’s strength Gn 48:2 (i.e. he exerted himself, he sat up by a great effort), Nu 13:20 Ju 20:22 1 S 4:9 2 S 10:12 1 Ch 19:13 2 Ch 32:5. e.g. Genesis 48:2
- 3. sq. לִפְנֵי withstand 2 Ch 13:7, 8. e.g. 2 Chronicles 13:7
- 4. sq. עִם hold strongly with 1 Ch 11:10 Dn 10:21, cf. of י׳, להתח׳ עִם לְבָבָם שָׁלֵם אֵלָיו 2 Ch 16:9.—For יִתְחַזָּ֑קוּ Ez 7:13 read Hiph., v. Sm Co Da. e.g. 1 Chronicles 11:10
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
vb. be or grow firm, strong, strengthen (NH id.; Aramaic ܚܙܰܩ, חֲזַק bind on or about, gird on, cf. Arabic حَزَقَ bind, squeeze)—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
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.
חָזַק
- [to squeeze together,] (neut. verb) to be thick, solid; to be strong. Y. Ber. I, 2ᶜ bot. (ref. to Gen. I, 6) יֶחֱזַק הרקיע וכ׳ let the expanse become solidified, let it coagulate, congeal; Gen. R. s. 4; (Yalk. ib. 5 יתחזק, Hithpa.). e.g. Genesis 1:6
- to join, repair, tighten, strengthen. Snh. 94ᵃ (expl. חזקיה) שחי׳ את ישראל וכ׳ (Ms. M. שהחזיק, Hif.) he joined Israel to their Father &c. Ib. שחִזְּקוֹ יה the Lord strengthened him. Pes. 45ᵃ שעשוי לחַזֵּק Ms. M. where the dough in the cracks is put in for repairing the trough. Sabb. 146ᵇ (העשוי) לחַ׳ when the hole was filled up for making the vessel sound, opp. לשמר to prevent evaporation; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְחוּזָּק, pl. מְחוּזָּקִים. Sifré Num. 1 אין מְחַזְּקִים אלא המח׳ (ed. תמוחז׳) only the strong-minded it is worth while to strengthen (encourage).
- 1. same, v. supra.— same, v. supra.—ה׳ טובה ל־ to attach merit to, to account as merit, to be grateful. Ab. II, 8 אל תַּחֲזִיק ט׳ לעצמך do not claim credit for it (be not proud). Yoma 86ᵇ אלא שמַחֲזִיק לו ט׳ but He even gives him credit (for his sins when he repents). Men. 53ᵃ הַחֲזֵק לי וכ׳ give me credit for making Thee known &c. Keth. 68ᵃ, a. e. בואו ונַחֲזִיק וכ׳ let us be thankful to the fraudulent poor &c.; a. fr.
- 2. (with יד) to strengthen, to encourage, abet. Gitt. V, 9 לפי שאין מַחֲזִיקִין וכ׳ because we must not encourage (by favors) those who do wrong. Ib. ומחזיקין ידי עכו"ם וכ׳ we may encourage (greet with תחזקנה ידיכם, Zech. VIII, 9) gentiles at agricultural work in the Sabbatical year; a. fr. e.g. Zechariah 8:9
- 3. to hold, contain. Ib. 57ᵃ אין עורו מחזיק וכ׳ its skin (once flayed) can not again cover its entire body (it shrinks). Ib. (in Chald. dict.) אפי׳ שתין … לא מ׳ it would not have room even for sixty myriads of reeds. Par. VII, 8 בשביל שתַּחֲזִיק וכ׳ in order that it (the reservoir) might hold more water. Ukts. III, 12 לא מצא … מחזיק וכ׳ the Lord found no vessel so fit to contain all blessings as peace; Deut. R. s. 5 end; a. fr.
- 4. (with ב) to take a hold of, seize, take possession. Ḥull. 4ᵃ, a. e. כל מצוה שהֶחֱזִיקוּ וכ׳ whatever Jewish law the Samaritans have adopted &c., v. דִּקְדֵּק. B. Mets. I, 4 וה׳ בה and took a hold of it. B. Bath. III, 3 במַחֲזִיק when one is in possession (basing his claim on possession). Ib. המַ׳ בנכסי הגר he who takes possession of the estate of a convert (who has no heirs in law). Ib. 2 ויַחֲזִיק שנה that he may be in possession for one year, v. אִסְפַּמְיָא; a. fr.; v. חֲזָקָה.—Y. Ḥag. I, 76ᶜ, a. e. שלא הֶחֱזִיקוּ בשכר וכ׳ they did not cling to the duty of maintaining teachers &c.
- 5. (v. חֲזָקָה) to presume, to be under a certain impression, to be convinced. Y. Kidd. IV, 66ᵇ היו מַחֲזִיקִין בו שהוא בנו וכ׳ if people were under the impression that a certain person was their neighbor’s son, but in his dying hour he declared &c. Ib. היו מ׳ אותו שהוא וכ׳ if people took him to be a relation of his; a. e.—Ḥag. 19ᵃ, v. infra.
- (denom. of חֲזָקָה) to be presumed, be held for, be known for. Gitt. 14ᵃ בשה׳ כפרן when the man is known to be a liar. Shebu. 34ᵇ, a. fr. ה׳ כפרן (in such a case) he is considered a confirmed liar.—Y. Kidd. l. c. bot. הוּחְזְקוּ if they were generally assumed (to be husband and wife); a. fr.—Ḥag. 19ᵃ הטובל לחולין וה׳ לחולין if one takes an immersion for the purpose of being enabled to partake of ordinary food and is considered (by himself) to have immersed for that purpose. Ib. טבל ולא ה׳ if he did immerse but did not have a certain purpose in view. Ib. עודיהו … ה׳ לדבר קל מחזיק עצמו וכ׳ as long as he has one foot yet in the water, when he had had in view a minor purpose for his bath, he may still change it for a higher purpose. Ib. אם לא ה׳ מחזיק if he had had no particular object in view, he may on coming out define the object for which he has bathed.—Part. מוּחֲזָק
- 1. held in possession, adhered to. Bekh. VIII, 9 ולא בראוי כבמ׳ nor does he take a double share of what is coming due to the estate as he does of what is held in possession; B. Bath. 55ᵃ; a. fr.—Sabb. 130ᵃ עדיין היא מוּחֲזֶקֶת בידם it is still strongly adhered to, opp. מרופה, v. רָפָה.
- 2. being known, approved. Sifra K’dosh. Par. 3, ch. V במ׳ לך when he is known to thee (to be a proselyte); a. e.
- 3. being sure, convinced, knowing from experience. Keth. 25ᵇ מוּחֲזַקְנִי בזה וכ׳ (= מ׳ אני) I know this man to be a priest; a. e.—Sifré Num. 1, v. supra.
- 1. to become solid, strong. Yalk. Gen. 5 יִתְחַזֵּק, v. preced.
- 2. to feel encouraged, take courage. Ber. 32ᵃ נ׳ בתפלה became emboldened to pray.
חֲזַק
- 1. same.—Part. pass. חֲזִיק tied up, bandaged. Y. Ber. II, 4ᶜ top דהוה ח׳ רישיה when his head was tied up (with a turban); Pesik. R. s. 22 (not רישין, v. notes in ed. Fr.). Y. Pes. X, 37ᶜ וח׳ רישיה וכ׳ and his head was tied up (or he felt like having a bandage around his head) &c.; Y. Shek. III, 47ᶜ top והוה חזוק (read חזיק); וחזק (corr. acc.).
- 2. to take possession. B. Bath. 52ᵇ, sq. חֲזַק וקני take possession and acquire; a. fr.
- to fasten.—Lev. R. s. 21 [read] חַזֵּק כפתוי tighten his muzzle, v. כֵּיפְתָא.—Part. pass. מְחַזַּק. Targ. Y. Gen. L, 1.
- as preced. Hif.;
- 1. (with טיבו &c.) to give credit to. Y. Ber. II, 5ᵃ bot. אנא מַחֲזִיק טיבו לראשי וכ׳ I give credit to my head, which bends of itself &c. Bab. Ber. 19ᵃ לאַחֲזוּקֵי ליה וכ׳ that due credit for the preservation of Israel be given to Moses.
- 2. to presume. Shebu. 46ᵇ לאַחֲזוּקֵי אינש בגנבי לא מַחְזְקִינָן we must not put a person in the category of thieves (on the charge of one individual); a. e.
- 3. to adhere to, adopt. Ḥull. 4ᵃ כיון דאַחֲזִיקוּ בהו א׳ בהו since they (the Samaritans) have adopted it, they observe it (also for Israelites). Ib. אַחֲזוּק ולא א׳ וכ׳ as to their observance or non-observance of adopted unwritten customs for Israelites there are differences of opinion; a. fr.
- 4. to take possession, to claim possession. B. Bath. 29ᵇ כי היכי דלא תַחְזְקוּ אהדדי ed. (differ. in Ms. M., v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.) that you might not claim possession against one another. Ib. 36ᵃ האי מאן דא׳ וכ׳ if one claims a field on the ground of possession, if it lies outside &c., v. גּוּדָּא I. Ib. לא מַחְזְקֵי בן ולא מַחְזְקִינָן בהו they have no claim of possession against us (for one might have been afraid to disturb them), and they have no claim against us (for, being wealthy, they might not have cared to drive one out); a. fr.
- 5. to be strong, encouraged. Gitt. 62ᵃ אַחֲזוּקוּ ‘be strong’ (a greeting to field laborers, v. preced.).
- 1. to adhere to. Targ. Prov. IV, 13; a. e.
- 2. to be known, be under the presumption. Targ. Y. Lev. XIX, 33 (v. preced.).—Ḥull. 10ᵇ היכא דלא א׳ where no presumption (of leprosy) has as yet been formed. Snh. 89ᵇ דמִיתְחֲזַק וכ׳ Ms. M. (ed. מוחזק) where one is approved (as a righteous prophet), it is different.
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.
Forms in the corpus
The 208 distinct written forms H2388 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 148 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2388, 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.
Derived from this word
- חזק châzâq H2389 strong
- חזק châzêq H2390 stronger
- חזק chêzeq H2391 strength
- חזק chôzeq H2392 strength
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 8 — not the complete family. 3 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 223 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 266 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 19:16
- Exodus 4:4
- Leviticus 25:35
- Numbers 13:20
- Deuteronomy 1:38
- Joshua 1:6
- Judges 1:28
- 1 Samuel 4:9
- 2 Samuel 1:11
- 1 Kings 1:50
- 2 Kings 2:12
- 1 Chronicles 11:10
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
