Might (Noun), Mighty, Mightily, Mightier - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
Might (Noun), Mighty, Mightily, Mightier
[ A-1,Noun,G1411, dunamis ]power,"
(a) used relatively, denotes "inherent ability, capability, ability to perform anything," e.g., Matthew 25:15, "ability;" Acts 3:12, "power;" 2 Thessalonians 1:7, RV, "(angels) of His power" (AV, "mighty"); Hebrews 11:11, RV, "power" (AV, "strength"); See ABILITY;
(b) used absolutely, denotes
(1) "power to work, to carry something into effect," e.g., Luke 24:49;
(2) "power in action," e.g., Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18; it is translated "might" in the AV of Ephesians 1:21 (RV, "power"); so Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11 (1st clause); 2 Peter 2:11; in Romans 15:19, AV, this noun is rendered "mighty;" RV, "(in the) power of signs." The RV consistently avoids the rendering "might" for dunamis; the usual rendering is "power." Under this heading comes the rendering "mighty works," e.g., Matthew 7:22, RV (AV, "wonderful works"); 11:20-23; singular number in Mark 6:5; in Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:14 the RV has "powers;" in 2 Corinthians 12:12, RV, "mighty works" (AV, "mighty deeds"). See MIRACLE, especially POWER.
Note: Dunamis, "power," is to be distinguished from exousia, "the right to exercise power." See DOMINION, Note.
[ A-2,Noun,G2479, ischus ]
denotes "might, strength, power,"
(a) inherent and in action as used of God, Ephesians 1:19, RV, "(the strength, kratos, of His) might" AV, "(His mighty) power," i.e., power (over external things) exercised by strength; Ephesians 6:10, "of His might;" 2 Thessalonians 1:9, RV, "(from the glory) of His might" (AV "power"); Revelation 5:12, RV, "might" (AV, "strength"); Revelation 7:12, "might;"
(b) as an endowment, said
(1) of angles, 2 Peter 2:11; here the order is No. 2 and No. 1, RV, "might and power," which better expresses the distinction than the AV, "power and might;" in some mss. in Revelation 18:2 it is said of the voice of an angle [See E,
(c)]; the most authentic mss. have the adjective ischuros, "mighty;"
(2) of men, Mark 12:30, Mark 12:33; Luke 10:27 (RV and AV, "strength," in all three verses); 1 Peter 4:11, RV, "strength" (AV, "ability:" this belongs rather to No. 1). Either "strength" or "might" expresses the true significance of ischus. See ABILITY, POWER, STRENGTH.
Notes:
(1) In Luke 9:43, AV, megaleiotes, "greatness, majesty," is translated "mighty power" (RV, "majesty").
(2) Cp. kratos (See POWER).
[ B-1,Adjective,G1415, dunatos ]
"powerful, mighty" (akin to A, No. 1), is used, with that significance,
(1) of God, Luke 1:49, "mighty;" Romans 9:22, "power" (here the neuter of the adjective is used with the article, as a noun, equivalent to dunamis); frequently with the meaning "able" (See ABLE, C, No. 1);
(2) of Christ, regarded as a prophet, Luke 24:19 ("in deed and word");
(3) of men: Moses, Acts 7:22 ("in his words and works"); Apollos, Acts 18:24, "in the Scriptures;" of those possessed of natural power, 1 Corinthians 1:26; of those possessed of spiritual power, 2 Corinthians 10:4. For the shades of meaning in the translation "strong," See Romans 15:1; 2 Corinthians 12:10; 2 Corinthians 13:9. For Revelation 6:15, See No. 2, below; See STRONG. See also POSSIBLE.
[ B-2,Adjective,G2478, ischuros ]
"strong, mighty" (akin to A, No. 2, and with corresponding adjectival significance), is usually translated "strong;" "mighty" in Luke 15:14 (of a famine); Revelation 19:6 (of thunders); Revelation 19:18 (of men): in the following, where the AV has "mighty," the RV substitutes "strong," 1 Corinthians 1:27; Revelation 6:15 (AV, "might men"); Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:21; Hebrews 11:34, RV, "(waxed) mighty" (AV, "valiant"). See BOISTEROUS, POWERFUL, STRONG (where the word is analyzed).
[ B-3,Adjective,G2478, ischuroteros ]
"stronger, mightier," the comparative degree of No. 2, is translated "mightier" in Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; "stronger" in Luke 11:22; 1 Corinthians 1:25; 1 Corinthians 10:22. See STRONG.
[ B-4,Adjective,G972, biaios ]
"violent" (from bia, "force, violence, strength," found in Acts 5:26; Acts 21:35; Acts 24:7; Acts 27:41), occurs in Acts 2:2, of wind.
[ B-5,Adjective,G2900, krataios ]
"strong, mighty" (akin to kratos, "strength," relative and manifested power: See MIGHTILY, below), is found in 1 Peter 5:6, of the "mighty" hand of God.
[ B-6,Adjective,G3167, megaleios ]
is rendered "mighty" in Acts 2:11, RV See WONDERFUL, Note
(2).
Notes:
(1) In Luke 1:52, AV, dunastes, "a potentate, prince," is translated "mighty" (RV, "princes").
(2) In Revelation 6:13, AV, megas, "great," is translated "mighty" (RV, "great"), of a wind.
(3) In Revelation 16:18, AV, telikoutos, "so great" (when said of things), is translated "so mighty" (RV, "so great"), of an earthquake.
[ C-1,Verb,G1414, dunateo ]
"to be powerful" (akin to A, No. 1 and B, No. 1), is found in the most authentic mss. in Romans 14:4 (some have dunatos, B, No. 1), RV "(the Lord) hath power," AV, "(God) is able;" similarly, as regard mss., in 2 Corinthians 9:8, where the RV and AV have "(God) is able;" in 2 Corinthians 13:3, AV, "is mighty," RV, "is powerful" (according to the general significance of dunamis).
Note: In Galatians 2:8, AV, energeo, "to work, work in" (en, "in," ergon, "work"), is first translated "wrought effectually," then "was mighty in" (RV, "wrought for," in both places; the probable meaning is "in me"). See EFFECTUAL, WORK.
[ D-1,Adverb,G2159, eutonos ]
"vigorously, vehemently" (eu, "well," teino, "to stetch"), is translated "mightily" in Acts 18:28, AV, of the power of Apollos in "confuting" the Jews (RV, "powerfully"); in Luke 23:10 it is rendered "vehemently." See POWERFUL, VEHEMENTLY. In the Sept., Joshua 6:7, "(let them sound) loudly."
* The following phrases signify "mightily:"
(a) en dunamei, Colossians 1:29, of the inward power of God's working, lit., "in power," as RV marg. (en, "in," and A, No. 1);
(b) kata kratos, Acts 19:20, of the increase of the word of the Lord in a place, lit, "according to might;"
(c) in Revelation 18:2 some mss. have en ischui, lit., "in strength" (en, "in," and A, No. 2), of the voice of an angel.