Lexical Summary
meod: Very, exceedingly, much, greatly
Original Word:מְאֹד
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:m`od
Pronunciation:meh-ODE
Phonetic Spelling:(meh-ode')
KJV: diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well
NASB:very, greatly, great, exceedingly, highly, badly, diligently
Word Origin:[from the same asH181 (אוּד - brand)]
1. (properly) vehemence
2. (with or without preposition) vehemently
3. (by implication) wholly, speedily, etc.
{often with other words as an intensive or superlative especially when repeated}
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
diligently, especially, exceedingly, far, fast, good, greatly, louder and louder,
From the same as'uwd; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated) -- diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.
see HEBREW'uwd
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionmuchness, force, abundance
NASB Translationabundantly (1), all (1), almost (1), badly (3), carefully (1), closely (1), diligent (1), diligently (3), enough (1), especially (1), exceeding (1), exceedingly (14), exceedingly* (3), excessive (1), extremely* (1), far (1), firmly (1), fully (1), great (16), great abundance (1), greatly (52), greatly* (1), hard (1), harder* (1), highly (4), immense (1), louder (1), measure (2), might (2), more (2), more* (1), most (1), much* (1), quickly (1), richly (1), serious* (1), severely (1), so (2), so much (1), sorely (1), strongly (1), swiftly (1), too (2), utterly (1), utterly* (3), very (139), very well (1), very* (2), violently (1), violently* (1), well (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(compare Assyrian
mu'du,
abundance, Hom
ZMG 1878, 711 ('treasures
ana mu'di, in abundance') Dl
HWB 399): —
force, might,Deuteronomy 6:5 and with all thymight; hence2 Kings 23:25.
(298 t.) to express the idea ofexceedingly, greatly, very (whether of magnitude or degree):
(so mostly) as adverb accusative, qualifying both adjectives and obs.,Genesis 1:31 goodexceedingly,Genesis 4:5 and Cain was wrothexceedingly,Genesis 7:18 ,Genesis 12:14;Genesis 13:2 ,Genesis 13:13 ,Genesis 18:20;Genesis 19:3,9;Genesis 21:11;Genesis 24:16,35, + often,Psalm 46:2 as a help in troubles, to be found (= present)exceedingly; with an infinitiveIsaiah 47:9 despite of thy spells beingvery numerous,Joshua 9:13 ,1 Kings 7:47;Genesis 15:1;Genesis 41:49;Deuteronomy 3:5 +, for which in the later language is foundZechariah 14:14; 2Chronicles 4:18; 9:9 (in1 Kings 10:10 ); 2 Chronicles 24:24; 30:13, and even 2Chronicles 11:12; 16:8. is not usually separated from the word it qualifies by more than one or two words (asGenesis 20:8 ,Numbers 11:10 ); see, however,Deuteronomy 30:14;Judges 12:2;2 Samuel 12:5;1 Kings 11:19;Psalm 31:12. It precedes its verb,Psalm 47:10 (hencePsalm 97:9),Psalm 92:6.
up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly,Genesis 27:33 ,Genesis 27:34;1 Samuel 11:15 ,1 Samuel 25:36 ,2 Samuel 2:17;1 Kings 1:4;Isaiah 64:8 (compareLamentations 5:22),Lamentations 5:11;Psalm 38:7;Psalm 38:9;Psalm 119:8;Psalm 119:43;Psalm 119:51;Psalm 119:107;Daniel 8:8;Daniel 11:25.
(see ) 2 Chronicles 16:14.
(Ges§ 113k),Genesis 7:19 ,Genesis 30:43;Numbers 14:7;1 Kings 7:47;2 Kings 10:4;Ezekiel 37:10.
literallywith muchness, muchness,Genesis 17:2,6,20;Exodus 1:7 (all P),Ezekiel 9:9;Ezekiel 16:13.
Topical Lexicon
Summary of Meaning and FunctionThe Hebrew word translated most often as “very,” “much,” or “exceedingly” serves as Scripture’s primary intensifier. It amplifies qualities, actions, emotions, quantities, and commands. Because it can stand alone as an adverb or function substantivally (“abundance,” “might,” “strength”), it is remarkably versatile, shaping nearly every genre of the Old Testament.
Frequency and Distribution in Scripture
Appearing close to three hundred times, the term is woven through the Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Genesis and Deuteronomy contain the heaviest concentration, yet no major section is without it, underscoring its importance to biblical expression.
Key Semantic Domains
1. Degree or Quality: “very good” (Genesis 1:31)
2. Quantity or Extent: “rich in livestock, silver, and gold” (Genesis 13:2)
3. Emotional Intensity: “he wept loudly” (Genesis 27:34)
4. Strength or Might: “with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
5. Urgency or Speed: “the famine was severe” (Genesis 43:1)
6. Abundance or Wealth: “become extremely prosperous” (Deuteronomy 30:9)
Usage in the Pentateuch
• Creation praise—Genesis 1:31 presents the seventh-day appraisal: “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” The intensified goodness anticipates the harmony of Eden and the tragedy of the Fall.
• Covenant prosperity—Genesis 13:2; 26:13 show Abraham and Isaac becoming “very wealthy,” foreshadowing covenant blessing.
• Total devotion—Deuteronomy 6:5 commands Israel to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Here the word steps beyond degree to encompass the believer’s entire capacity, laying groundwork for Jesus’ greatest-commandment teaching (Mark 12:30).
• Warning language—Deuteronomy 28 repeatedly heightens blessings and curses: obedience results in being “abundantly prosperous,” whereas disobedience brings plagues that will “grieve you severely.”
Usage in the Historical Books
• Valor and fear—Joshua 10:2 notes the Gibeonites were “greatly afraid.” The intensifier sharpens the narrative tension.
• National flourishing—1 Chronicles 22:5 reports Solomon’s preparations as “abundant,” portraying the splendor of the temple project.
• Moral evaluation—2 Kings 21:6 records Manasseh’s sin as “did evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger exceedingly,” highlighting the depths of apostasy that led to exile.
Usage in Poetry and Wisdom Literature
• Praise and wonder—Psalm 139:14: “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know this very well.”
• Suffering—Psalm 38:6 renders David “greatly bowed down,” conveying intense anguish.
• Instruction—Proverbs 4:7 urges, “Though it cost all you have, get understanding,” where the term stands behind the costly pursuit of wisdom.
Usage in the Prophets
• Eschatological hope—Isaiah 60:2 proclaims that darkness will cover the earth, “but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will appear over you.” The glory will be “great,” underscoring future restoration.
• Judgment—Jeremiah 6:1 warns of “great destruction,” multiplying urgency for repentance.
• Consolation—Joel 2:21 encourages, “Do not be afraid, O land; rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things!”
Theological and Devotional Insights
1. God’s superlative goodness: The first use inGenesis 1:31 establishes a baseline of perfection.
2. Total-life allegiance:Deuteronomy 6:5 translates into New Testament discipleship; believers are called to love God with unreserved intensity.
3. Reality of extremes: Blessings and judgments inDeuteronomy 28–30 employ the term to stress that God’s covenant dealings are never mediocre.
4. Honest emotion: The Psalms use the word to legitimize both ecstatic praise and deep lament, teaching believers to bring every emotion to God.
5. Prophetic assurance: Whether announcing doom or restoration, the prophets rely on this intensifier to display the magnitude of God’s acts.
Ministry Applications
• Preaching on wholehearted love: UseDeuteronomy 6:5 to urge congregations to surrender every faculty to Christ.
• Counseling lament: Point sufferers to Psalms that allow them to confess pain “greatly” yet trust God’s “exceeding” faithfulness.
• Stewardship teaching:Genesis 13:2 andDeuteronomy 28 expose material abundance as divine trust, fostering gratitude and generosity.
• Evangelism and missions:Joel 2:21–27 andIsaiah 60 underscore God’s great deeds, fueling confidence in proclaiming the gospel to the nations.
Related Words and Concepts
• “Strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) links to heart and soul, forming a triad for comprehensive devotion.
• “Might” parallels terms for power (Joshua 14:11), highlighting physical capacity offered to God.
• In Septuagint translation, Greek σφόδρα and μέγα often convey the same force, bridging Old and New Testament usage.
Christological Implications
Jesus quotesDeuteronomy 6:5 as the foremost command (Mark 12:30), confirming that loving God “very much” encompasses every sphere of life. His “very great sorrow” in Gethsemane (using the equivalent Greek intensifier inMatthew 26:38) reveals perfect obedience amid extreme agony. The resurrection manifests God’s “incomparably great power” (Ephesians 1:19), the New Testament fulfillment of Old Testament superlatives.
Conclusion
Whether magnifying the goodness of creation, the depth of covenant love, or the severity of judgment, this Hebrew intensifier functions as Scripture’s exclamation point. It calls believers to wholehearted devotion, honest emotion, and confident hope, magnifying the greatness of the Lord from Genesis to Malachi and finding its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּמְאֹ֣ד בִּמְאֹ֥ד במאד לִמְאֹֽד׃ למאד׃ מְ֝אֹ֗ד מְ֭אֹד מְּאֹ֑ד מְאֹ֑ד מְאֹ֔ד מְאֹ֖ד מְאֹ֗ד מְאֹ֛ד מְאֹ֜ד מְאֹ֡ד מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֤ד מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ מְאֹד֒ מְאֹד֔וֹ מְאֹד֙ מְאֹד֮ מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ מְאֹד־ מאד מאד־ מאד׃ מאדו מאדך׃ bim’ōḏ bim·’ōḏ bimOd lim’ōḏ lim·’ōḏ limOd mə’ōḏ mə’ōḏ- mə’ōḏeḵā mə’ōḏōw mə·’ō·ḏe·ḵā mə·’ō·ḏōw mə·’ōḏ mə·’ōḏ- meOd meoDecha meoDo
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