μεγαλωσύνη
megalōsýnē
G3172 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Greatness or majesty; denotes greatness in extent, rank, or status, often used to express supreme dignity, excellence, or sovereign power. In some contexts, especially when applied to the divine, it carries the sense of supreme or incomparable majesty, sometimes with a nuance of exalted power or glory.
Semantic Range
greatness, majesty, supreme dignity, sovereign power, exalted state, magnificent greatness, splendor
Root / Etymology
From the root μεγαλο- (from μέγας, 'great, large') with the abstract noun suffix -σύνη, which forms nouns indicating quality or state. Thus, μεγαλωσύνη is 'the state or quality of being great.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The noun μεγαλωσύνη is rare in classical Greek and becomes more prominent in Hellenistic and Koine usage, particularly in religious or exalted contexts. In the Septuagint (LXX), μεγαλωσύνη is often used to translate Hebrew words related to greatness or majesty, especially those ascribing supreme greatness to Israel's God. In later Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian usage, μεγαλωσύνη took on a specialized sense referring to the majesty or exalted greatness of the deity, hence is sometimes rendered in English translations as 'majesty.' Its use in doxological or liturgical contexts underscores the attribute of supreme greatness more than the ontological concept of 'divinity.' English translations that render it as 'majesty' or 'divinity' can obscure the word's root sense of greatness or exalted status, and it may not always imply divinity in a strict sense. Classical Greek more commonly used μεγαλοπρέπεια for 'magnificence' or 'splendor,' but μεγαλωσύνη in the LXX and NT consistently connotes awe-inspiring greatness or sovereign grandeur, whether of God or, by metaphor, of powerful rulers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μέγας; greatness, i.e. (figuratively) divinity (often God himself):--majesty.
Root Family
μεγαλωσύνη (megalōsynē) — greatness, majesty, exalted state, sovereign dignity
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3172-02 |
Μεγαλωσύνης | megalosunes | N GEN F SG |
Majesty | of majesty | Majesty | 2 |
G3172-01 |
μεγαλωσύνη | megalosune | N NOM F SG |
majesty | majestic greatness | majestic greatness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3172-02 |
Hebrews 1:3 | Μεγαλωσύνης | megalosunes | N GEN F SG |
Majesty | of majesty | of majesty |
G3172-02 |
Hebrews 8:1 | Μεγαλωσύνης | megalosunes | N GEN F SG |
Majesty | of majesty | Majesty |
G3172-01 |
Jude 1:25 | μεγαλωσύνη | megalosune | N NOM F SG |
majesty | majestic greatness | majestic greatness |