Lexical Summary
abbir: stallions, bulls, angels
Original Word:אַבִּיר
Part of Speech:Adjective Masculine
Transliteration:abbiyr
Pronunciation:ah-beer'
Phonetic Spelling:(ab-beer')
KJV: angel, bull, chiefest, mighty (one), stout(-hearted), strong (one), valiant
NASB:stallions, bulls, angels, chief, man, mighty, mighty ones
Word Origin:[fromH46 (אָבִיר - Mighty One)]
1. mighty (spoken of created beings
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
angel, bull, chiefest, mighty one, stouthearted, strong one, valiant
For'abiyr; --angel, bull, chiefest, mighty (one), stout(-hearted), strong (one), valiant.
see HEBREW'abiyr
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
abarDefinitionmighty, valiant
NASB Translationangels (1), bulls (2), chief (1), man (1), mighty (1), mighty ones (1), stallions (3), stouthearted* (1), strong (1), strong men (1), strong ones (1), stubborn-minded* (1), valiant (1), valiant steeds (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
—
Job 34:20 +
Isaiah 10:13 Kt (Qr ); construct
id.1 Samuel 21:8; plural
Job 24:22 +; —
mighty (always = substantive & in poetry except
1 Samuel 21:8).
Job 24:22 (=violent)Job 34:20;1 Samuel 21:8 (read Gr Dr, compare1 Samuel 22:17; but LagProbebibel seeId.BN 45; Klo ),Lamentations 1:15;stout of heartIsaiah 46:12 (=obstinate)Psalm 76:6.
Psalm 78:25 (comparePsalm 103:20).
; bull, simile of king of AssyrianIsaiah 10:13 (read & see Di); elsewhere plural; metaphor for enemies )Psalm 22:13 ("" ); for princesPsalm 68:31; for EdomitesIsaiah 34:7; hence even as sacrificialPsalm 50:13 ("" ); of horsesJeremiah 8:16;Jeremiah 47:3;Jeremiah 50:11. Judges 5:22;Jeremiah 46:15 (butJeremiah 46:15 many MSS. Aq Symm Theod many moderns readthy bull, i.e. Apis).
see below II. .
Topical Lexicon
Overviewאַבִּיר appears seventeen times, almost exclusively in poetry or highly figurative prose. Whether denoting bulls, stallions, warriors, officials, or stout-hearted rebels, the term concentrates the idea of raw, imposing strength. Scripture repeatedly sets that strength beside the Lord’s sovereignty, turning the word into a foil that magnifies divine power and exposes human or creaturely limits.
Animal Imagery: Bulls and War-Horses
1. Bulls – Psalms draw on the brute force of well-fed cattle. “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me” (Psalm 22:12). In worship the sacrificial bull was Israel’s costliest offering, yetPsalm 50:13 reminds that God is never dependent on such strength: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls?”
2. Stallions – Prophetic books liken invading cavalry to אַבִּיר. “From Dan the snorting of their horses is heard… at the sound of the neighing of their stallions the whole land quakes” (Jeremiah 8:16). The word accentuates the terror caused by Babylonian forces (Jeremiah 47:3; 50:11).
These images convey military menace and untamed vigor, but each scene ends with the animals subdued, slain, or commandeered—signifying the Lord’s mastery over nature and nations alike (Psalm 68:30;Isaiah 34:7).
Human Might: Warriors, Officials, and Hardened Hearts
Job’s wisdom literature uses אַבִּיר for powerful people suddenly cut down: “They die in an instant… the mighty are removed without hand” (Job 34:20; cf. 24:22).Lamentations 1:15 mourns Judah’s defeat: “The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst.” Even a high-ranking shepherd like Doeg is labeled אַבִּיר in1 Samuel 21:8, stressing influence rather than mere physical prowess.
Isaiah broadens the term to inner resolve: “Listen to Me, you stubborn of heart” (Isaiah 46:12). Here the “strong-hearted” stand opposed to righteousness; iron wills prove powerless against the Creator’s plan.
Poetic Contrasts and Theological Emphases
• Transience of Strength –Judges 5:22 celebrates Sisera’s war-horses, yet the same poem ends with his death, underscoring the fleeting nature of human force.
• God’s Superiority – In every context the Lord either judges, restrains, or renders irrelevant the אַבִּיר.Psalm 76:5 captures this reversal: “The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep; no men of war could lift their hands.”
• Provision Beyond Strength – When Israel eats “the bread of angels” (Psalm 78:25), human capability is bypassed entirely; divine generosity supplies what mere strength cannot secure.
Prophetic Warnings and Hope
Isaiah 10:13 quotes Assyria boasting, “By the strength of my hand I have done this,” calling himself an אַבִּיר who subdues kings. The chapter proceeds to announce God’s judgment on that arrogance. Conversely, the same prophets envision future peace when war-horses are silenced and the Lord alone is exalted (implicit contrast inIsaiah 34:7).
Ministry Applications
1. Reliance – Passages featuring אַבִּיר warn against trusting charisma, resources, or political power. Believers are directed to the Lord, not the “strong bulls” or “stallions” of contemporary culture.
2. Humility – God’s ability to “remove the mighty without hand” rebukes self-reliance in personal or corporate ministry.
3. Comfort – For those oppressed by seemingly unstoppable forces, these texts affirm that no אַבִּיר operates beyond God’s reach; He can still “break the teeth of the wicked” and “rebuke the beast in the reeds” (Psalm 68:30).
Christological Echoes
Psalm 22’s “strong bulls of Bashan” surround the suffering Messiah, highlighting the contrast between brute force and sacrificial obedience. The resurrection vindicates Christ and exposes the impotence of every earthly אַבִּיר.
Summary
אַבִּיר gathers up the Old Testament’s reflections on strength—animal, military, political, and personal—and sets them beneath the unassailable authority of the Lord. Every appearance deepens the biblical conviction that “power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11), not to the most formidable bulls, horses, or men.
Forms and Transliterations
אַ֝בִּ֗יר אַ֭בִּירִים אַבִּ֣ירֵי אַבִּ֥יר אַבִּירִ֑ים אַבִּירִ֣ים אַבִּירִ֨ים ׀ אַבִּירֵ֖י אַבִּירֶ֑יךָ אַבִּירַ֤י ׀ אַבִּירָ֔יו אַבִּירָֽיו׃ אביר אבירי אביריו אביריו׃ אביריך אבירים כַּאבִּ֖יר כָּאֲבִּרִֽים׃ כאביר כאברים׃ ’ab·bî·rāw ’ab·bî·ray ’ab·bî·rê ’ab·bî·re·ḵā ’ab·bî·rîm ’ab·bîr ’abbîr ’abbîrāw ’abbîray ’abbîrê ’abbîreḵā ’abbîrîm abBir abbiRai abbiRav abbiRei abbiReicha abbiRim kā’ăbbirîm kā·’ăb·bi·rîm ka·bîr kaabbiRim kaBir kabîr
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