What does כֹּחַ (kōaḥ) mean in the Bible?
כֹּחַ (kōaḥ): Power encompassing both physical strength and productive capacity—force made manifest in action, resources, or ability.
Hebrew · H3581
כֹּחַ
Vigor , literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard
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כֹּחַ H3581
Pronunciation kōaḥ
What does כֹּחַ (kōaḥ) mean in the Bible?
כֹּחַ (kōaḥ): Power encompassing both physical strength and productive capacity—force made manifest in action, resources, or ability.
Full entry for כֹּחַ (H3581) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3581?
The BSB source-word alignment has 126 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include power (12), strength (12), . . . (8), my strength (8), the strength (6).
Where does כֹּחַ (kōaḥ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (21), Daniel (13), Isaiah (12), Psalms (11).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It power 12× Exodus 32:11, Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 9:29, 2 Kings 17:36
strength 12× Joshua 17:17, Judges 16:5, Judges 16:6, 1 Samuel 30:4
. . . 8× 1 Chronicles 29:14, 2 Chronicles 2:6, 2 Chronicles 14:11, Job 3:17
my strength 8× Genesis 31:6, Judges 16:17, Psalms 22:15, Psalms 31:10
the strength 6× 1 Samuel 28:22, 2 Chronicles 22:9, Nehemiah 4:10, Job 40:16
in power 4× Exodus 15:6, Job 37:23, Psalms 147:5, Nahum 1:3
By His power 3× Job 26:12, Jeremiah 10:12, Jeremiah 51:15
his power 3× 2 Chronicles 13:20, Daniel 8:24, Daniel 11:25
his strength 3× 1 Samuel 28:20, Proverbs 24:5, Hosea 7:9
in strength 3× Job 9:4, Job 36:5, Psalms 103:20
The power 3× Deuteronomy 8:17, Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalms 111:6
its produce 2× Genesis 4:12, Job 31:39
their strength 2× Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:1
[are] power 1× 1 Chronicles 29:12
[is] powerful 1× Psalms 29:4
[is] your strength 1× Proverbs 24:10
a powerful 1× 2 Chronicles 26:13
able 1× Ezra 10:13
According to their ability 1× Ezra 2:69
and his strength 1× Judges 16:19
and loses his strength 1× Isaiah 44:12
and qualified 1× Daniel 1:4
And strengthened 1× 1 Kings 19:8
and your strength 1× Leviticus 26:20
As my strength 1× Joshua 14:11
be able 1× Daniel 11:15
but it 1× Daniel 8:24
by his own strength 1× 1 Samuel 2:9
by his strength 1× Amos 2:14
by power 1× Zechariah 4:6
By the strength 1× Isaiah 10:13
by Your power 1× Psalms 65:6
for by Your strength 1× Numbers 14:13
force 1× Job 30:18
from your wealth 1× Job 6:22
helpless 1× Jeremiah 48:45
her position of power 1× Daniel 11:6
in His power 1× Job 36:22
in his strength 1× Job 39:21
in the strength you have 1× Judges 6:14
Is my strength 1× Job 6:12
is their strength 1× Proverbs 20:29
it is a matter of strength 1× Job 9:19
like that 1× Job 6:12
may the power 1× Numbers 14:17
my ability 1× 1 Chronicles 29:2
my might 1× Genesis 49:3
My power 1× Exodus 9:16
of His strength 1× Isaiah 63:1
of your great strength 1× Judges 16:15
on your wealth 1× Proverbs 5:10
powerless 1× Daniel 8:7
so [it] 1× Joshua 14:11
So the source of his strength 1× Judges 16:9
strength do I have 1× Job 6:11
the monitor lizard 1× Leviticus 11:30
the power [lay] 1× Ecclesiastes 4:1
the same power 1× Daniel 8:22
their own strength 1× Habakkuk 1:11
through the strength 1× Proverbs 14:4
was the strength 1× Job 30:2
we are powerless 1× 2 Chronicles 20:12
when my strength 1× Psalms 71:9
with all his might 1× Judges 16:30
with all your might 1× Ecclesiastes 9:10
with his strong 1× Isaiah 44:12
with power 1× Micah 3:8
with strength 1× 1 Chronicles 26:8
Yet by His power 1× Job 24:22
your strength 1× Nahum 2:1
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:12 כֹּחָ֖הּ to its produce Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 31:6 כֹּחִ֔י to my strength Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Genesis 49:3 כֹּחִ֖י to my might Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Exodus 9:16 כֹּחִ֑י to My power Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Exodus 15:6 בַּכֹּ֑חַ to in power Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 32:11 בְּכֹ֥חַ to power Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 11:30 וְהַכֹּ֖חַ to the monitor lizard Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 26:20 כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם to and your strength Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Numbers 14:13 בְכֹחֲךָ֛ to for by Your strength Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Numbers 14:17 כֹּ֣חַ to may the power Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:12
Aligned rows 126
Books represented 28
Genesis 3 Exodus 3 Leviticus 2 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 3 Judges 8 1 Samuel 4 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 4 2 Chronicles 8 Ezra 2 Nehemiah 2 Job 21 Psalms 11 Proverbs 5 Ecclesiastes 2 Isaiah 12 Jeremiah 5 Lamentations 2 Daniel 13 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Micah 1 Nahum 2 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
כֹּ֣חַ 8x kō·aḥ Numbers 14:17, 1 Chronicles 29:12, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Nehemiah 4:10
כֹּ֔חַ 8x kō·aḥ 1 Samuel 28:22, 1 Chronicles 29:14, 2 Chronicles 14:11, 2 Chronicles 20:12
כֹּ֖חַ 6x kō·aḥ Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Samuel 30:4, 2 Chronicles 22:9, Ezra 10:13
כֹּֽחַ׃ 4x kō·aḥ Psalms 33:16, Proverbs 24:5, Daniel 10:8, Daniel 10:16
בְּכֹח֑וֹ 3x bə·ḵō·ḥōw Job 24:22, Job 36:22, Psalms 65:6
בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ 3x bə·ḵō·ḥă·ḵā Deuteronomy 9:29, Judges 6:14, Nehemiah 1:10
כֹ֑חַ 3x ḵō·aḥ Job 26:2, Job 37:23, Isaiah 41:1
כֹּ֑חַ 3x kō·aḥ Job 9:4, Psalms 147:5, Isaiah 40:29
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 42x Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Samuel 28:20, 1 Samuel 28:22, 1 Samuel 30:4
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 14x Genesis 31:6, Genesis 49:3, Exodus 9:16, Deuteronomy 8:17
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 14x Judges 16:5, Judges 16:9, Judges 16:19, Job 39:11
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 9x Deuteronomy 4:37, Job 24:22, Job 26:12, Job 36:22
Noun - masculine singular construct 8x Numbers 14:17, 2 Chronicles 13:20, Nehemiah 4:10, Job 6:12
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular 6x Exodus 32:11, Judges 16:30, 1 Samuel 2:9, 2 Kings 17:36
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 6x Numbers 14:13, Deuteronomy 9:29, Judges 6:14, Nehemiah 1:10
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 4x Judges 16:6, Judges 16:15, Proverbs 5:10, Proverbs 24:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Power encompassing both physical strength and productive capacity—force made manifest in action, resources, or ability.
Source Gloss
vigor , literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Power encompassing both physical strength and productive capacity—force made manifest in action, resources, or ability.
vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard BDB: chameleon Usage: ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Power or ability.
Showing 1 selected witness from 127 lexical occurrence verses.
Why This Word Matters
Highlights God as the source of sustaining power. Isaiah 40:12-31
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain