'Strength' in the Bible

When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].”

And when Jacob (Israel) was told, “Look now, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn;My might, the beginning of my strength and vigor,Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power [that should have been your birthright].

“But his bow remained firm and steady [in the Strength that does not fail],For his arms were made strong and agileBy the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,(By the name of the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

So now, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and support you and your little ones.” So he comforted them [giving them encouragement and hope] and spoke [with kindness] to their hearts.

He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us [they greatly outnumber us].

Moses said to the people, “Remember [solemnly observe and commemorate] this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage and slavery; for by a strong and powerful hand the Lord brought you out of this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘With a strong and powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage and slavery.

So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal flow at sunrise; and the Egyptians retreated right into it [being met by the returning water]; so the Lord overthrew the Egyptians and tossed them into the midst of the sea.

“The Lord is my strength and my song,And He has become my salvation;This is my God, and I will praise Him;My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

“You in Your lovingkindness and goodness have led the people whom You have redeemed;In Your strength You have guided them with care to Your holy habitation.

“Then the [tribal] chiefs of Edom were dismayed and horrified;The [mighty] leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away [in despair]—

Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.

But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing at all [in the way of food] to be seen but this manna.”

“God brought them out of Egypt;They have the strength of a wild ox.

“God brought Israel out of Egypt;Israel has strength like the wild ox;He will devour [Gentile] nations, his adversaries (enemies),And will crush their bones in pieces,And shatter them with his arrows.

Instead he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved as the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he was the beginning of his strength (generative power); to him belongs the right of the firstborn.

“Your strongholds will be iron and bronze,And as your days are, so will your strength, your rest and security be.

So Joshua set out with all the people of war to go up against Ai; then Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and sent them out at night.

I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so is my strength now, for war and for going out and coming in.

“The torrent Kishon swept the enemy away,The ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.O my soul, march on with strength.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself and strike us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent amulets that were on their camels’ necks.

So the [five] lords (governors) of the Philistines came to her and said to her, “Persuade him, and see where his great strength lies and [find out] how we may overpower him so that we may bind him to subdue him. And each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies and with what you may be bound and subdued.”

Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he broke the cords as a string of tow breaks when it touches fire. So [the secret of] his strength was not discovered.

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies.”

Then [finally] he told her everything that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never been used on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any [other] man.”

She made Samson sleep on her knees, and she called a man and had him shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to abuse Samson, and his strength left him.

Now, my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do for you whatever you ask, since all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

Hannah prayed and said,“My heart rejoices and triumphs in the Lord;My horn (strength) is lifted up in the Lord,My mouth has opened wide [to speak boldly] against my enemies,Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

“The bows of the mighty are broken,But those who have stumbled equip themselves with strength.

“He guards the feet of His godly (faithful) ones,But the wicked ones are silenced and perish in darkness;For a man shall not prevail by might.

“The adversaries of the Lord will be broken to pieces;He will thunder against them in the heavens,The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;And He will give strength to His king,And will exalt the horn (strength) of His anointed.”

Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

Also the Splendor and Glory and Eminence of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”

Then Saul immediately fell full length on the earth [floor of the medium’s house], and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words; and he was thoroughly exhausted because he had not eaten all day and all night.

So now, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you, and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way.”

Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer].

“For You have surrounded me with strength for the battle;You have subdued under me those who stood against me.

Hiram set up the pillars at the porch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin (may he establish), and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz (in it is strength).

So he got up and ate and drank, and with the strength of that food he traveled forty days and nights to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God.

But Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his shoulders; and the arrow went out through his heart and he sank down in his chariot.

You say (but they are only empty words) ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This is a day of distress and anxiety, of punishment and humiliation; for children have come to [the time of their] birth and there is no strength to rescue them.

These were the heads of their fathers’ households: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, warriors of valor [willing and able to encounter danger], famous men, and heads of the households of their fathers.

Seek the Lord and His strength;Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].

Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence;Strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,Ascribe to the Lord glory and honor and strength.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hands to make great and to give strength to everyone.

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.

He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right, the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin (may He establish) and the one on the left Boaz (in Him is strength).

“Now then arise, O Lord God, [and come] to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength and power. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in [Your] goodness.

and worthless (unprincipled, unethical) men gathered around him, useless and wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and timid, and could not assert himself against them.

Jeroboam did not recover strength again during the time of [the reign of] Abijah. And the Lord struck him and he died.

In the seventh year Jehoiada [the priest] summoned his courage and took the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him.

Then [the leaders of] Judah said,“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,And there is much rubble;We ourselves are unableTo rebuild the wall.”

Then Ezra said to them, “Go [your way], eat the rich festival food, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.”

“What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]?And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure?

“Is my strength and endurance that of stones,Or is my flesh made of bronze?

“God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?

“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?

“But now God has exhausted me.You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.

“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.

“The vigorous stride will be shortened,And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

“The strength [of the wicked] is famished and weakened,And disaster is ready at his side [if he stops].

“His skin is devoured by disease;The firstborn of death [the worst of diseases] consumes his limbs.

“One dies in his full strength,Being wholly at ease and quiet and satisfied;

“What a help you are to the weak (powerless)!How you have saved the arm that is without strength!

‘My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed],And my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.’

“Indeed, how could the strength of their hands profit me?Vigor had perished from them.

“Will your wealth [be sufficient to] keep you from [the confinement of] distress,Or will all the force of your strength do it?

“Will you trust him because his strength is greatAnd leave your labor to him?

“He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength;He goes out to meet the weapons [of armed men].

“See now, his strength is in his loinsAnd his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly.

“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs,Nor his mighty strength, nor his orderly frame.

“In Leviathan’s neck resides strength,And dismay and terror dance before him.

Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strengthBecause of Your adversaries,That You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease.

“I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.”

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

The God who encircles me with strengthAnd makes my way blameless?

For You have encircled me with strength for the battle;You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;He will answer him from His holy heavenWith the saving strength of His right hand.

O Lord the king will delight in Your strength,And in Your salvation how greatly will he rejoice!

Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength;We will sing and praise Your power.

My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery;And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws;And You have laid me in the dust of death.

The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield;My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped;Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.

The Lord is their [unyielding] strength,And He is the fortress of salvation to His anointed.

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people;The Lord will bless His people with peace.

You will draw me out of the net that they have secretly laid for me,For You are my strength and my stronghold.

For my life is spent with sorrowAnd my years with sighing;My strength has failed because of my iniquity,And even my body has wasted away.

The king is not saved by the great size of his army;A warrior is not rescued by his great strength.

My heart throbs violently, my strength fails me;And as for the light of my eyes, even that has also gone from me.

“O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joyBefore I depart and am no more.”

For You are the God of my strength [my stronghold—in whom I take refuge]; why have You rejected me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],But trusted in the abundance of his riches,Taking refuge in his wealth.”

Save me, O God, by Your name;And vindicate me by Your [wondrous] power.

O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower].

But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;For You have been my strongholdAnd a refuge in the day of my distress.