עָצֹם
a.tsom
be vast
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# עָצֹם (atsom): Vastness and Strength in Hebrew The Hebrew verb עָצֹם carries the fundamental meaning "to be vast," capturing a quality of enormity or great extent. With eighteen occurrences throughout the biblical text, this word appears with sufficient frequency to indicate its importance in describing significant scale or magnitude. The term belongs to a semantic field where physical or conceptual size carries weight—whether describing something that is impressively large, numerous, or powerful. The concentration of uses across the biblical corpus suggests the word functioned as a standard means of expressing ideas about greatness and extent. Rather than serving as a specialized or rare term, its eighteen occurrences indicate it was part of ordinary biblical vocabulary for depicting substantial magnitude. This consistency implies that ancient Hebrew speakers regularly needed such language to convey descriptions of significant scope or strength. Without additional context data provided here regarding specific biblical passages or variant forms, the definition "be vast" establishes the core semantic domain: the word points to experiences or descriptions of things characterized by notable size, expanse, or considerable power. Its presence in biblical literature underscores that vastness—whether applied to physical phenomena, divine attributes, or other subjects—warranted direct linguistic expression in ancient Hebrew communication.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences across the text
But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.
Psalms 40:5Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted.
Psalms 40:12For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.
Psalms 69:4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
Psalms 105:24He increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their adversaries.
Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek Yahweh!
Jeremiah 5:6Therefore a lion out of the forest will kill them. A wolf of the evenings will destroy them. A leopard will watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out there will be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many and their backsliding has increased.
Jeremiah 15:8Their widows are increased more than the sand of the seas. I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday. I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly.
Jeremiah 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you. They don’t seek you. For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins were increased.
Jeremiah 30:15Why do you cry over your injury? Your pain is incurable. For the greatness of your iniquity, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.
Jeremiah 50:17“Israel is a hunted sheep. The lions have driven him away. First, the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.”
Daniel 8:8The male goat magnified himself exceedingly. When he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky.
Daniel 8:24His power will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy awesomely, and will prosper in what he does. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.
Daniel 11:23After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up, and will become strong, with a small people.
Psalms 139:17How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum!
Genesis 26:16Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”
Exodus 1:7The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Exodus 1:20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.