שָׂגָא
𐤔𐤂𐤀
sâgâʼ
H7679 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To grow or become great; to increase in size, quantity, power, or honor. In the causative stem, to cause to grow, to make great, to enlarge, or to magnify, both in concrete and abstract senses. This includes physical enlargement, the expansion or flourishing of people, and metaphorical exaltation or honoring.
Semantic Range
to grow physically, to increase in number or size, to become great in status or power, to be exalted or honored, to cause to enlarge, to make great, to magnify, to laud or extol
Root / Etymology
Root שׂגא (ש-ג-א), which conveys the core idea of 'to become high, lofty, or great.' The root underlies several Hebrew words denoting greatness, exaltation, and increase. The verb שָׂגָא is the qal/classical stem, meaning 'to grow/become great,' while the causative (hiphil) stem carries the sense of 'to cause to grow, to make great/enlarge.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׂגָא appears mainly in poetic contexts, particularly in the Psalms and prophetic literature, where it is used for both literal and figurative growth—increasing in strength, honor, or stature. The term overlaps with similar roots (such as רוּם 'to be high' and גָּדַל 'to be great'), but שָׂגָא often emphasizes the process or effect of growth or exaltation rather than static greatness. In later Jewish liturgical Hebrew, forms related to this root are used in doxologies meaning 'to exalt' or 'to extol,' reflecting a development toward abstract, honorific senses. In English translations, 'magnify' and 'exalt' are often used, but these sometimes obscure the physical, concrete nuance present in earlier usages.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
; a primitive root; to grow, i.e. (causatively) to enlarge, (figuratively) laud; increase, magnify.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂגא (ś-g-ʾ) — to grow, to become great, to increase, to be exalted
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7680 | שְׂגָא | he will increase |
| H7689 | שַׂגִּיא | surpassingly great |
| H7690 | שַׂגִּיא | great, abundant |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7679-02 |
תַשְׂגִּ֣יא | tasegi | HVhi2ms |
you exalt | you cause to grow great | 1 |
H7679-01 |
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא | masegi | HVhrmsa |
makes great | one who makes great | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences