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B. Adjectives.
(
(
, 117), “mighty; majestic.” The word
(adjective or noun) occurs
about 26 times in biblical Hebrew and mostly in poetical passages (of all periods).
Ugaritic and Phoenician attest cognates of the word.
In its first appearance the adjective
describes God’s superior (majestic)
holiness which was demonstrated by His delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage: “Who
is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful
in praises, doing wonders?” (Exod. 15:11). The idea of superior power is also suggested
here (cf. Exod. 15:6; 1 Sam. 4:8). It is God’s eternal and sovereign might which
overcame His enemies: “and [he] slew famous kings” (Ps. 136:18)—He was/is mightier
than mighty kings. Hence, His name (His person) is lauded as sovereign in power and
majesty: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth” (Ps. 8:1
NASB
).
The word, therefore, has two implications: might and splendor. Only God is Lord
(exercises
) over the oceans (Ps. 93:4) and the mountains (Ps. 76:4).
God also exalts other things; He makes them majestic. Israel’s exaltation is described
in the figure of a cedar (Ezek. 17:23).
Two other adjectives are related to this word.
*
used as an adjective and a
noun appears 12 times. In Ezek. 17:8 the word implies “noble or majestic”: “It was
planted in a good soil by great waters … that it might be a goodly [
] vine.”
,
occurs once as an adjective (Zech. 11:13); there it modifies the value of an amount of
money.
C. Verb.
(
$
, 142), “to be majestic.” This verb occurs only twice and in a poetical
usage. The word appears in Isa. 42:21: “The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’
sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable [
].” The word also appears in
Exod. 15:11.
NOSE
A. Noun.
( , 639), “nose; nostrils; face; wrath; anger.” This general Semitic word has
cognates in Akkadian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, and Arabic. This word appears in
every period of biblical Hebrew and about 277 times.
The fundamental meaning of the word is “nose,” as a literal part of the body.
*
bears this meaning in the singular, while the dual refers to the “nostrils” through which
air passes in and out: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7—the first biblical occurrence).
In other contexts
in the dual represents the “entire face.” God cursed Adam
saying: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground …”
(Gen. 3:19). This emphasis appears often with the phrase “to bow one’s face to the
ground”: “… And Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with
their faces to the earth” (Gen. 42:6).
The words “length of face or nostrils” constitute an idiom meaning “longsuffering” or
“slow to anger.” It is used both of God and of man: “The Lord, The Lord God, merciful