חזק

Hebrew

Root
ח־ז־ק (kh-z-q)

Pronunciation

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Adjective

חָזָק • (khazák) (feminine חֲזָקָה, masculine plural חֲזָקִים, feminine plural חֲזָקוֹת)

1. (of a person or the like) Strong (healthy, capable of producing much physical force).
   • Tanach, Joshua 14:11, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     עוֹדֶנִּי הַיּוֹם חָזָק כַּאֲשֶׁר בְּיוֹם שְׁלֹחַ אוֹתִי מֹשֶׁה כְּכֹחִי אָז וּכְכֹחִי עָתָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה וְלָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא

     odéni hayóm chazák kaashér b'yóm sh'lóach otí moshé k'chóchi áz uch'chóchi áta lamilchamá v'latsét v'lavó

     As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, and to go out and to come in.

2. (of a structure or the like) Strong (sturdy, hard, capable of withstanding much physical force).
   • Tanach, Ezekiel 3:7–9, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֹאבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי־אֵינָם אֹבִים לִשְׁמֹעַ אֵלָי כִּי כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל חִזְקֵי־מֵצַח וּקְשֵׁי־לֵב הֵמָּה׃ הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ חֲזָקִים לְעֻמַּת פְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת־מִצְחֲךָ חָזָק לְעֻמַּת מִצְחָם׃ כְּשָׁמִיר חָזָק מִצֹּר נָתַתִּי מִצְחֶךָ לֹא־תִירָא אוֹתָם וְלֹא־תֵחַת מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי בֵּית־מְרִי הֵמָּה׃

     But the house of Israel will not consent to hearken unto thee; for they consent not to hearken unto Me; for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart. Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.

3. (of a current, a blow, or the like) Strong (powerful, having much force).
   • Tanach, Exodus 10:19, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יהוה רוּחַ־יָם חָזָק מְאֹד

     vayahafóch YHVH ruach-yám chazák m'ód

     And the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind

4. Strong (having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient).
   • ca. 13th century, Rabbi Yonah ben Avraham Gerondi's commentary on Pirkei Avot, chapter 3, commentary 13

     ובזמן שרואה שהחולי כבד וחזק בורר לו רפואה חזקה עד שיתרפא

     But when he sees that the illness is heavy and strong, he chooses a strong treatment until he heals.

5. (of a sound) Loud.
   • Tanach, Exodus 19:16, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים וְעָנָן כָּבֵד עַל־הָהָר וְקֹל שֹׁפָר חָזָק מְאֹד

     vay'hí kolót uv'rakím v'anán kavéd al-hahár v'kól shofár chazák m'ód

     that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn exceeding loud

Derived terms

• דגש חזק
• חזקיהו

References

• H2389 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Verb

חָזַק • (khazák) (pa'al construction)

1. to be strong (clarification of this definition is needed).
   • Tanach, Genesis 47:20, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     כִּי־חָזַק עֲלֵהֶם הָרָעָב

     ki-khazák alehém haraáv

     because the famine was sore upon them

   • Tanach, Exodus 19:19, with Young's Literal Translation:

     וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד

     vay'hí kól hashofár holéch v'chazék m'od

     and the sound of the trumpet is going on, and very strong

   • Tanach, Deuteronomy 12:23, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     רַק חֲזַק לְבִלְתִּי אֲכֹל הַדָּם

     rák chazák l'viltí achól hadám

     Only be stedfast in not eating the blood

   • Tanach, 2 Samuel 3:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַתְּהִי הַמִּלְחָמָה אֲרֻכָּה בֵּין בֵּית שָׁאוּל וּבֵין בֵּית דָּוִד וְדָוִד הֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק

     vat'hi hamilchamá aruká bén bét shaúl uvén bét davíd v'davíd holéch v'chazék

     Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew stronger and stronger

   • Tanach, 1 Kings 2:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְחָזַקְתָּ וְהָיִיתָ לְאִישׁ

     v'chazaktá v'hayíta l'ísh

     be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man

Conjugation

Conjugation of חָזַק (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לחזוק / לַחֲזֹק action noun: — passive participle: —
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	חָזַקְתִּי		חָזַקְנוּ
	second	חָזַקְתָּ	חָזַקְתְּ	חֲזַקְתֶּם1	חֲזַקְתֶּן1
	third	חָזַק	חָזְקָה	חָזְקוּ
present		חָזֵק	חֲזֵקָה	חֲזֵקִים	חֲזֵקוֹת
future	first	אֶחֱזַק		נֶחֱזַק
	second	תֶּחֱזַק	תֶּחֶזְקִי	תֶּחֶזְקוּ	תֶּחֱזַקְנָה2
	third	יֶחֱזַק	תֶּחֱזַק	יֶחֶזְקוּ	תֶּחֱזַקְנָה2
imperative		חֲזַק	חִזְקִי	חִזְקוּ	חֲזַקְנָה2
notes		Pronounced חָזַקְתֶּם and חָזַקְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

or

Conjugation of חָזַק (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לחזוק / לַחְזֹק action noun: — passive participle: —
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	חָזַקְתִּי		חָזַקְנוּ
	second	חָזַקְתָּ	חָזַקְתְּ	חֲזַקְתֶּם1	חֲזַקְתֶּן1
	third	חָזַק	חָזְקָה	חָזְקוּ
present		חָזֵק	חֲזֵקָה	חֲזֵקִים	חֲזֵקוֹת
future	first	אֶחְזַק		נֶחְזַק
	second	תֶּחְזַק	תֶּחְזְקִי	תֶּחְזְקוּ	תֶּחְזַקְנָה2
	third	יֶחְזַק	תֶּחְזַק	יֶחְזְקוּ	תֶּחְזַקְנָה2
imperative		חֲזַק	חִזְקִי	חִזְקוּ	חֲזַקְנָה2
notes		Pronounced חָזַקְתֶּם and חָזַקְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Noun

חֹזֶק • (khózek) m

1. defective spelling of חוזק

Verb

חיזק / חִזֵּק • (khizék) (pi'el construction, passive counterpart חוזק / חֻזַּק)

1. defective spelling of חיזק

Verb

חוזק / חֻזַּק • (khuzák) (pu'al construction, active counterpart חיזק / חִזֵּק)

1. defective spelling of חוזק