חָזַ֥ק
𐤇𐤆𐤒
châzaq
was severe
To be or become strong, firm, or resolute—whether physically, mentally, or spiritually; to strengthen or make firm, to hold fast, to seize or take hold (of), to repair or restore, or to prevail. The word also carries nuances of being courageous, reinforcing, supporting, repairing, or recovering, depending on context. In certain cases, it conveys the idea of overcoming resistance or withstanding.
kaza "to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen" (Lozi) · gũkaga "to tighten, to make firm, to squeeze" (Kikuyu) · ukukaza "to tighten, to make firm, squeeze" (Bemba) +8 moreGenesis 41:57 · Word #9
Lexicon H2388
| Lemma | חָזַק |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤆𐤒 |
| Transliteration | châzaq |
| Strong's | H2388 |
| Definition | To be or become strong, firm, or resolute—whether physically, mentally, or spiritually; to strengthen or make firm, to hold fast, to seize or take hold (of), to repair or restore, or to prevail. The word also carries nuances of being courageous, reinforcing, supporting, repairing, or recovering, depending on context. In certain cases, it conveys the idea of overcoming resistance or withstanding. |
Morphology HVqp3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | q — Qal — Simple active |
| Conjugation | p — Perfect — Completed action |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | was severe |
SIBI-P1 Translation H2388-03
he became strong
| Morphological Notes | Verb, Qal stem, perfect conjugation, 3rd person masculine singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Qal stem expresses the simple state or becoming of strength; the perfect 3rd masculine singular denotes completed action, hence "he became strong," preserving the root sense of firmness or strengthening without adding causative nuance. |
View full lexicon entry for H2388 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
it was severe
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 'he became strong' is not accurate in this context; the verb is impersonal referring to the famine. The standard idiom is 'it was severe' or 'it was strong,' meaning 'the famine was severe.' Root/Strong's is correct but P1 sense is off here. |
Bantu Hebrew
חָזַ֥ק (châzaq) — To be or become strong, firm, or resolute—whether physically, mentally, or spiritually; to strengthen or make firm, to hold fast, to seize or take hold (of), to repair or restore, or to prevail. The word also carries nuances of being courageous, reinforcing, supporting, repairing, or recovering, depending on context. In certain cases, it conveys the idea of overcoming resistance or withstanding.
| Word | Meaning | Language |
|---|---|---|
| kaza | to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen | Lozi |
| gũkaga | to tighten, to make firm, to squeeze | Kikuyu |
| ukukaza | to tighten, to make firm, squeeze | Bemba |
| kaza | to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen | Chichewa |
| kaza | to tighten, to make firm, to hold fast | Luganda |
| gukaza | to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen | Kirundi |
| gukaza | to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen | Kinyarwanda |
| kaza | to tighten, to make firm, to strengthen, to hold fast | Swahili (East Africa) |
| kosa | to be strong, to become strong | Kaonde |
| kosa | to be strong, to become strong, to harden | Lamba |
| kosa | to be strong, to become strong, to harden | Bemba (Zambia) |