Topical Encyclopedia
The term "magnify" in the biblical context often refers to the act of exalting, glorifying, or making something appear greater in importance or significance. In Scripture, magnification is primarily directed towards God, emphasizing His greatness, power, and majesty. The concept of magnifying God is deeply rooted in worship and praise, reflecting a heart posture that acknowledges His supreme authority and divine attributes.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "magnify" is "gadal," which means to grow, become great, or make great. This term is frequently used in the Psalms, where the psalmists express their desire to magnify the Lord through worship and song. For example,
Psalm 34:3 states, "Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together." Here, the call to magnify the Lord is an invitation to communal worship, recognizing God's greatness collectively.
The act of magnifying God is also seen in the context of His mighty works and deliverance. In
Exodus 15:2 , after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they sang, "The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him." This song of Moses highlights the response of magnification following God's miraculous intervention.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, the Greek word "megalynō" is used to convey the idea of magnifying. One of the most notable instances is found in the Magnificat, Mary's song of praise in
Luke 1:46-47 : "Then Mary said: 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.'" Mary's response to the announcement of Jesus' birth is one of deep reverence and exaltation, acknowledging God's favor and mighty deeds.
The Apostle Paul also speaks of magnifying Christ in his life and ministry. In
Philippians 1:20 , he writes, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness, so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." Here, Paul expresses his desire for Christ to be magnified through his actions and circumstances, demonstrating a life wholly devoted to glorifying God.
Theological SignificanceMagnifying God is a central theme in Christian theology, reflecting the believer's response to God's revelation and grace. It involves recognizing and declaring God's attributes, such as His holiness, love, justice, and mercy. Magnification is not about making God greater than He is, for He is already infinitely great, but about acknowledging and proclaiming His greatness in our lives and to the world.
The act of magnifying God is closely tied to worship, as it involves both an inward attitude of the heart and an outward expression of praise. It is a response to God's character and works, leading believers to live lives that reflect His glory. In this way, magnification becomes a testimony to others, drawing them to see and experience the greatness of God.
Practical ApplicationFor believers, magnifying God can be practiced through various means, including prayer, worship, and daily living. It involves a conscious effort to focus on God's attributes and works, allowing His greatness to shape one's perspective and actions. By prioritizing God's glory in all aspects of life, believers fulfill their calling to be witnesses of His majesty and love.
In summary, the biblical concept of magnifying God is an essential aspect of the Christian faith, calling believers to exalt and glorify the Lord in all things. Through worship, testimony, and a life devoted to His service, Christians are invited to participate in the eternal praise of the One who is worthy of all honor and adoration.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To make great, or greater; to increase the dimensions of; to amplify; to enlarge, either in fact or in appearance; as, the microscope magnifies the object by a thousand diameters.
2. (v. t.) To increase the importance of; to augment the esteem or respect in which one is held.
3. (v. t.) To praise highly; to land; to extol.
4. (v. t.) To exaggerate; as, to magnify a loss or a difficulty.
5. (v. i.) To have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they really are; to increase the apparent dimensions of objects; as, some lenses magnify but little.
6. (v. i.) To have effect; to be of importance or significance.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MAGNIFYmag'-ni-fi (Hiphil of gadhal; megaluno, "to make great," "extol," "celebrate in praise"): Used especially of exaltation of the name, mercy, and other attributes of God (Genesis 19:192 Samuel 7:26Psalm 35:27;Psalm 40:16;Psalm 70:4Luke 1:46Acts 10:46); of God's "word" (Psalm 138:2); or of Christ (Acts 19:17Philippians 1:20). Men also can be "magnified" (Joshua 4:141 Chronicles 29:25, etc.). InRomans 11:13, "magnify mine office," the word (Greek, doxazo) is changed in the Revised Version (British and American) to "glorify."
Greek
3170. megaluno -- to make or declare great... make or declare great. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: megaluno Phonetic Spelling:
(meg-al-oo'-no) Short Definition: I enlarge,
magnify, extol Definition
...1392. doxazo -- to render or esteem glorious (in a wide...
... full of glory (1), glorified (20), glorifies (1), glorify (19), glorifying (12),
had glory (1), has...glory (1), honor (1), honored (2),magnify (1), praised (1...
Strong's Hebrew
1437. Giddalti -- "Imagnify (God)," an Israelite... 1436b, 1437. Giddalti. 1438 . "I
magnify (God)," an Israelite. Transliteration:
Giddalti Phonetic Spelling: (ghid-dal'-tee) Short Definition: Giddalti.
...7679. saga -- to grow, grow great
... increase,magnify. : a primitive root; to grow, ie (causatively) to enlarge,
(figuratively) laud -- increase,magnify. 7678, 7679. saga. 7680 ....
1431. gadal -- to grow up, become great
... grow (2), grow long (1), grown (5), grown-up (1), grows (1), highly valued (2),
increase (1), lifted (1), magnificent (1), magnified (15),magnify (9), make...
5375. nasa -- to lift, carry, take
... self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up,
honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry,magnify, X needs...
1922. hadar -- to glorify (God)
... glorify, honor. (Aramaic) corresponding to hadar; tomagnify (figuratively) -- glorify,
honour. see HEBREW hadar. 1921, 1922. hadar. 1923 . Strong's Numbers
Library
How the Desire to Exalt andMagnify God Separates us from Inferior...
... CHAPTER VII. HOW THE DESIRE TO EXALT ANDMAGNIFY GOD SEPARATES US FROM INFERIOR
PLEASURES, AND MAKES US ATTENTIVE TO THE DIVINE PERFECTIONS....
Psalm XXXIV.
... 5. Now followeth, "Omagnify the Lord with me" (ver.3). Who is this that
exhorteth us, that we shouldmagnify the Lord with him?...
Ode viii.
... "Let all Creation bless the LORD,. Andmagnify His Name for ever!".... "Let all
Creation bless the LORD,. Andmagnify His Name for ever!"....
How Benevolence Makes us Call all Creatures to the Praise of God.
... dragons, birds, serpents, fire, hail, mists, assembling by his desires all
creatures,"to the end that they all may conspire to lovinglymagnify their Creator...
The Song of the Three Children
... morning, instead of the Te Deum, the Song of the Three Children, beginning, 'Oh
all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, andmagnify him for...
Letter Lxxix. (AD 404. )
... Be not uplifted, as your writing shows you to be, by supposing that Imagnify you,
by my resolving to check the out-flowing of your poison, lest its insidious...
The Magnificence of Prayer
... "A royal priesthood.""1 Pet. ii.9. "I am an apostle," said Paul, "Imagnify mine
office." And we also have an office.... Let us, then,magnify our office....
The General Service to an Apostle.
... through thee, O Theotokos and Ever-Virgin; for thou hast brought forth unto us the
God Incarnate; wherefore as in duty bound we all piouslymagnify thee....
Psalm XCIX.
... 8. "Omagnify the Lord our God" (ver.5).Magnify Him truly,magnify Him well.
Let us praise Him, let usmagnify Him who hath wrought...
Ophites, Cainites, Sethites.
... To these are added those heretics likewise who are called Ophites: [8354] for they
magnify the serpent to such a degree, that they prefer him even to Christ...
Thesaurus
Magnify (25 Occurrences)... 3. (vt) To praise highly; to land; to extol. 4. (vt) To exaggerate; as, to
magnify a loss or a difficulty.
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
MAGNIFY.
...Exalt (56 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To elevate by prise or estimation; tomagnify; to extol; to glorify.... Job
36:24 "Remember that youmagnify his work, whereof men have sung. (See NAS)....
Insulting (10 Occurrences)
... Psalms 55:12 For it was not an enemy that taunted me, then I could have borne it;
neither was it mine adversary that didmagnify himself against me, then I...
Extol (23 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To elevate by praise; to eulogize; to praise; tomagnify; as, to extol
virtue; to extol an act or a person. Multi-Version Concordance...
Disgrace (73 Occurrences)
... affliction. (WEB NAS RSV). Job 19:5 If indeed you willmagnify yourselves against
me, and plead against me my reproach; (See NAS). Psalms...
Glorify (49 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To make glorious in thought or with the heart, by ascribing glory to; to
acknowledge the excellence of; to render homage to; tomagnify in worship; to...
Honorable (42 Occurrences)
... majesty," "honor" (Psalm 111:3, the Revised Version (British and American) "honor");
'adhar, "to make honorable," "illustrious" (Isaiah 42:21, "magnify the law...
Vaunt (5 Occurrences)
... Job 19:5 If indeed you willmagnify yourselves against me, and plead against me
my reproach; (See NAS). Psalms 94:4 They pour out arrogant words....
Unheard-of (1 Occurrence)
... Daniel 11:36 The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself,
andmagnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against...
Office (64 Occurrences)
... Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle
of the Gentiles, Imagnify mine office: (KJV WBS). Romans...
Resources
What is the Magnificat? | GotQuestions.orgWho is the king of the North in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.orgDid Jesus mean we should literally pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands in Matthew 5:29-30 and 18:8-9? | GotQuestions.orgMagnify: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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