To prevail
גָּבַרStrong’s H1396gavar (ga-var)
Appears in 24 verses of the Old Testament
In short
Gavar is the Hebrew word usually translated “increased”, “it prevailed” and “prevail”. It appears in 24 verses of the Old Testament.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Meaning
- To prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great(Qal) · (Piel) to make strong, strengthen · (Hiphil) · (Hithpael)
How it's translated
- and they increased 2
- they increased 2
- and it prevailed 2
- he will prevail 2
- they are strong 2
- it is strong 2
- they have prevailed 1
- they were strong 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Genesis 5
- Psalms 4
- Job 3
- 2 Samuel 2
- Zechariah 2
- Exodus 1
13 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Zechariah 10:6In contextAnd I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.
- Zechariah 10:12In contextAnd I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
- Genesis 7:18And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
- Genesis 7:19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
- Genesis 7:20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
- Genesis 7:24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
Hebrew dictionary
גָּבַר gavar · to prevail
1) to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be strong, mighty 1a2) to prevail 1b) (Piel) to make strong, strengthen 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to confirm, give strength 1c2) to confirm (a covenant) 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to show oneself mighty 1d2) to act proudly (toward God)
From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “prevail” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
PREVA'IL, verb intransitive
[Latin proevaleo; proe, before, and valeo, to be strong or well. Valeo seems to be from the same root as the Eng. well. The primary sense is to stretch or strain forward, to advance.]
- To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage.“When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” Exodus 17:11“David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone” 1 Samuel 17:50
- To be in force; to have effect; power or influence.
- To be predominant; to extend over with force or effect.
- To gain or have predominant influence; to operate with effect.
All definitions
- To persuade or induce; with on or upon.
- To succeed.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Hebrew, not from any one translation.