Strength in various applications ( force , security , majesty , praise )
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עֹז (ʿōz) is a Hebrew noun for strength, might, power, or firm security. In Exodus 15:2 Israel sings that the LORD is “my strength and song” after deliverance through the sea, and verse 13 says God guides the redeemed people by his strength.
Reader summary
Full entry for עֹז (H5797) · Open the biblical lexicon
עֹז (ʿōz) is a Hebrew noun for strength, might, power, or firm security. In Exodus 15:2 Israel sings that the LORD is “my strength and song” after deliverance through the sea, and verse 13 says God guides the redeemed people by his strength.
The BSB source-word alignment has 92 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include strength (9), and strength (5), is my strength (4), with strength (3), and His strength (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 15:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (44), Proverbs (9), Ezekiel (8), Isaiah (6).
עֹז (ʿōz) is a Hebrew noun for strength, might, power, or firm security. In Exodus 15:2 Israel sings that the Lord is “my strength and song” after deliverance through the sea, and verse 13 says God guides the redeemed people by his strength. Psalm 28:7 calls the Lord the psalmist's strength and shield, Psalm 46:1 calls God refuge and strength, and Jeremiah 16:19 addresses the Lord as strength, stronghold, and refuge. These uses locate security in God's active presence rather than in a human feeling of invulnerability.
Strength can also be human, received, or broken. Judges 5:21 summons the self to march in strength, and Second Samuel 6:14 says David dances before the Lord with all his strength. Leviticus 26:19 warns that God will break the pride of Israel's strength under covenant judgment. Psalm 68:35 says God gives strength and power to his people, while Psalm 84:5 blesses those whose strength is in God. Human capacity is not inherently suspect, but Scripture treats it as accountable, limited, and dependent rather than self-grounding.
Worship texts ascribe strength to God. Psalm 29:1 calls heavenly beings to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord, Psalm 62:11 says power belongs to God, and Psalm 96:6 places strength and beauty in his sanctuary. Psalm 8:2 says God establishes strength from the mouths of infants and nursing children; the Greek translation renders this as praise, a wording later quoted in Matthew 21:16. That canonical relationship is important, but it does not make praise the default lexical gloss of H5797 in every Hebrew passage.
ʿŌz describes effective strength, power, security, or majesty. Scripture can celebrate God's strength, ask for it, ascribe it in worship, receive it as gift, exercise human strength, or see proud strength broken.
After the sea deliverance, Israel names the Lord as personal strength and song and praises him as salvation.
Covenant judgment will break the pride of Israel's strength, exposing the limits of presumed security.
David dances before the Lord with all his strength while the ark is brought to Jerusalem.
God establishes strength through infants and nursing children against enemies, with the Greek translation using praise language.
The Lord is confessed as strength and shield when the psalmist receives help and responds with thanks.
The psalm declares that strength belongs to God and immediately joins it to steadfast love and accountable judgment.
God is awesome from the sanctuary and gives strength and power to the people.
The prophetic song echoes Exodus by naming the Lord as strength and song and as salvation.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Strength that radiates outward—from physical force to the majesty and security it conveys to others
Strength that radiates outward—from physical force to the majesty and security it conveys to others
strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise) BDB: strength Usage: boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 92 lexical occurrence verses.
עֹז is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
ʿŌz can move a sermon beyond admiration of raw power. The exodus song names strength after oppressed people have been rescued, Psalm 62 joins power to steadfast love and judgment, and Psalm 68 says God gives strength to the people. Strength in Scripture can dance, shelter, endure, worship, and protect. It can also become proud and be broken. This gives leaders a test for authority: power that imitates God's strength should serve covenant faithfulness and the vulnerable rather than demand admiration or silence weakness.
People in exhaustion can seek strength without being shamed for limits, and strong people can receive capacity as stewardship rather than proof of superior worth.
Exod.15.2
H5797 can denote force, might, security, or majestic strength. Psalm 8's Greek praise rendering is a translation and reception fact, not permission to gloss every H5797 occurrence as praise.
Matthew 21:16 quotes the Greek form of Psalm 8:2 with praise language. The New Testament also speaks of divine power perfected in weakness and strength supplied for service. These are canonical developments, not direct H5797 occurrences.