Original Word: δύναμις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: dunamis
Pronunciation: DOO-nah-mis
Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-nam-is)
Definition: Power, strength, ability, might, miracle
Meaning: (a) physical power, force, might, ability, efficacy, energy, meaning (b) plur: powerful deeds, deeds showing (physical) power, marvelous works.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb δύναμαι (dunamai), meaning "to be able" or "to have power."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H3581 (koach): Often translated as strength or power, used to describe God's creative and sustaining power.

- H1369 (geburah): Refers to might or strength, often in the context of God's mighty acts.

Usage: Dunamis primarily denotes power, strength, or ability. It is often used in the New Testament to describe the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the miraculous power evident in Jesus' ministry. It can also refer to moral power and excellence of soul, as well as the power inherent in a person or thing by virtue of its nature.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of power was significant, often associated with rulers, deities, and natural forces. The New Testament writers, particularly Paul, redefined power in the context of God's kingdom, emphasizing divine power over human strength. The early Christians understood dunamis as the transformative power of God at work in believers, enabling them to live out their faith and witness to the world.

1411 dýnamis (from 1410 /dýnamai, "able, having ability") – properly, "ability to perform" (L-N); for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. "Power through God's ability" (1411 /dýnamis) is needed in every scene of life to really grow in sanctification and prepare for heaven (glorification). 1411 (dýnamis) is a very important term, used 120 times in the NT.

Word Origin
from dunamai
Definition
(miraculous) power, might, strength
NASB Translation
ability (4), meaning (1), mightily (1), mighty (1), miracle (2), miracles (17), miraculous powers (3), power (83), powers (6), strength (2), wealth (1).

STRONGS NT 1411: δύναμις

δύναμις, δυνάμεως, ἡ; (from Homer down); the Sept. for חַיִל, גְּבוּרָה, עֹז, כֹּחַ, צָבָא (an army, a host); strength, ability, power;

a. universally, "inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth": Luke 1:17; Acts 4:7; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ἡ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθένεια τελεῖται (R G τελειοῦται)); ; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Hebrews 7:16; Hebrews 11:34; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 17:13; ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει, Acts 3:12; μεγάλη δυνάμει, Acts 4:33; ἑκάστῳ κατά τήν ἰδίαν δύναμιν, Matthew 25:15; ὑπέρ δύναμιν, beyond our power, 2 Corinthians 1:8; ἐν δυνάμει namely, ὤν, endued with power, Luke 4:36; 1 Corinthians 15:43; so in the phrase ἔρχεσθαι ἐν δυνάμει, Mark 9:1; powerfully, Colossians 1:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; contextually, equivalent to evidently, Romans 1:4; ἐν δυνάμει σημείων καί τεράτων, through the power which I exerted upon their souls by performing miracles, Romans 15:19; δύναμις εἰς τί, Hebrews 11:11; δύναμις ἐπί τά δαιμόνια καί νόσους θεραπεύειν, Luke 9:1; ἡ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος, sin exercises its power (upon the soul) through the law, i. e. through the abuse of the law, 1 Corinthians 15:56; τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, the power which the resurrection of Christ has, for instructing, reforming, elevating, tranquilizing, the soul, Philippians 3:10; τῆς εὐσεβείας, inhering in godliness and operating upon souls, 2 Timothy 3:5; δυνάμεις μέλλοντος αἰῶνος (see αἰών, 3), Hebrews 6:5; τό πνεῦμα τῆς δυνάμεως (see πνεῦμα, 5), 1 Peter 4:14 Lachmann; 2 Timothy 1:7; δύναμις is used of the power of angels: Ephesians 1:21 (cf. Meyer at the passage]) 2 Peter 2:11; of the power of the devil and evil spirits, 1 Corinthians 15:24; τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, i. e. of the devil, Luke 10:19; τοῦ δράκοντος, Revelation 13:2; angels, as excelling in power, are called δυνάμεις (cf. (Philo de mutat. nora. § 8 δυνάμεις ἀσωματοι) Meyer as above; Lightfoot on Colossians 1:16; see ἄγγελος): Romans 8:38; 1 Peter 3:22. ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ, universally, the power of God: Matthew 22:29; Mark 12:24; Luke 22:69; Acts 8:10; Romans 1:20; Romans 9:17; 1 Corinthians 6:14; δύναμις ὑψίστου, Luke 1:35; ἡ δύναμις, especially in doxologies, the kingly power of God, Matthew 6:13 Rec.; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 7:12; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 15:8; Revelation 19:1; and the abstract for the concrete (as הַגְּבוּרָה in Jewish writings; cf. Buxtorf Lex. talm. col. 385 (p. 201f, Fischer edition)) equivalent to ὁ δυνατός, Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ is used of the divine power considered as acting upon the minds of men, 1 Corinthians 2:5; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 3:7, 20; (2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 1:5); εἰς τινα, 2 Corinthians 13:4 (but WH in brackets); Ephesians 1:19; ἐνδύεσθαι δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους, Luke 24:49; by metonymy, things or persons in which God's saving power shows its efficacy are called δυνάμεις Θεοῦ: thus, ὁ Χριστός, 1 Corinthians 1:24; ὁ λόγος τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Corinthians 1:18; τό εὐαγγέλιον, with the addition εἰς σωτηρίαν παντί, etc. Romans 1:16 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 36, 3 b.). δύναμις is ascribed to Christ, now in one sense and now in another: a power to heal disease proceeds from him, Mark 5:30; Luke 5:17; Luke 6:19; Luke 8:46 the kingly power of the Messiah is his, Matthew 24:30; (Mark 13:26); Luke 21:27; 2 Peter 1:16; Revelation 5:12; ἄγγελοι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ (see ἄγγελος, 2), ministering to his power, 2 Thessalonians 1:7 (Winer's Grammar, § 34, 3 b. note); metaphysical (or essential) power, viz. that which belongs to him as ὁ θεῖος λόγος, in the expression τό ῤῆμα τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, the word uttered by his power, equivalent to his most powerful will and energy, Hebrews 1:3; moral power, operating on the soul, 2 Corinthians 12:9 R G; and called ἡ θεία αὐτοῦ δύναμις in 2 Peter 1:3; ἡ δύναμις τοῦ κυρίου, the power of Christ invisibly present and operative in Christian church formally assembled, 1 Corinthians 5:4. δύναμις τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος: Acts 1:8 (Winer's Grammar, 125 (119)); πνεῦμα ἅγιον καί δύναμις, Acts 10:38; ἀπόδειξις πνεύματος καί δυνάμεως (see ἀπόδειξις, b.), 1 Corinthians 2:4; ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος, under or full of the power of the Holy Spirit, Luke 4:14; ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου, by the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, Romans 15:13; by the power which, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, I exerted upon their souls, Romans 15:19.

b. specifically, the power of performing miracles: Acts 6:8; πᾶσα δύναμις, every kind of power of working miracles (with the addition of καί σημείοις καί τέρασι), 2 Thessalonians 2:9; plural: (Matthew 13:54; Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:14); 1 Corinthians 12:28; Galatians 3:5; ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων, 1 Corinthians 12:10; by metonymy, of the cause for the effect, a mighty work (cf. Winers Grammar, 32; Trench, § xci.): δύναμιν ποιεῖν, Mark 6:5; Mark 9:39; so in the plural, Mark 6:2 Luke 19:37; joined with σημεῖα, Acts 8:13; with σημεῖα καί τέρατα, Acts 2:22; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4 (?); ποιεῖν δυνάμεις, Matthew 7:22; (); Acts 19:11; γίνονται δυνάμεις, Matthew 11:20f, 23; Luke 10:13.

c. moral power and excellence of soul: 1 Corinthians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11.

d. the power and influence which belong to riches; (pecuniary ability), wealth: τοῦ στρήνους, 'riches ministering to luxury' (Grotius), Revelation 18:3; κατά δύναμιν καί ὑπέρ (others, δύναμιν, according to their means, yea, beyond their means, 2 Corinthians 8:3; (in this sense, for חַיִל, the Sept. Deuteronomy 8:17; Ruth 4:11; not infrequent Greek writings, as Xenophon, Cyril 8, 4, 34; an. 7, 7, 21 (36)).

e. power and resources arising from numbers: Revelation 3:8.

f. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts, (so, both in singular and in plural, often in Greek writings from Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, on; in the Sept. and in Apocrypha); hence, δυνάμεις τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, the host of heaven, Hebraistically the stars: Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:26; and δυνάμεις ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, Mark 13:25; equivalent to הַשָּׁמַיִם צְבָא, 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 23:4; Isaiah 34:4; Jeremiah 8:2; Daniel 8:10, etc. (cf. σαβαώθ).

g. Like the Latinvis andpotestas, equivalent to the (force i. e.) meaning of a word or expression: 1 Corinthians 14:11; (Plato, Crat., p. 394 h.; Polybius 20, 9, 11; Dionysius Halicarnassus 1, 68; Dio Cuss. 55, 3; others). [SYNONYMS: βία, δύναμις, ἐνέργεια, ἐξουσία, ἰσχύς, κράτος βία, force, effective, often oppressive power, exhibiting itself in single deeds of violence; δύναμις, power, natural ability, general and inherent; ἐνέργεια, working, power in exercise, operative power; ἐξουσία, primarily liberty of action; then, authority — either as delegated power, or as unrestrained, arbitrary power; ἰσχύς, strength, power (especially physical) as an endowment κράτος, might, relative and manifested power — in the N. T. chiefly of God; τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος, Ephesians 6:10, τήν ἐνέργειαν τῆς δυναμμεως, Ephesians 3:7, τήν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ κράτους τῆς ἰσχύος, Ephesians 1:19. Cf. Schmidt, chapter 148; Lightfoot on Colossians 1:16; Meyer on Ephesians 1:19.]

ability, power, strength

From dunamai; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself) -- ability, abundance, meaning, might(-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

see GREEK dunamai

δυναμει δυνάμει δυναμεις δυνάμεις δύναμεις δυναμεσι δυνάμεσι δυναμεσιν δυνάμεσιν δυναμεων δυνάμεων δυναμεως δυνάμεως δυνάμεώς δύναμεως δυναμιν δύναμιν δύναμίν δυναμις δύναμις δύναμίς dunamei dunameis dunameon dunameōn dunameos dunameōs dunamesi dunamesin dunamin dunamis dynamei dynámei dynameis dynámeis dynameon dynameōn dynámeon dynámeōn dynameos dynameōs dynámeos dynámeōs dynamesi dynámesi dynamesin dynámesin dynamin dýnamin dýnamín dynamis dýnamisInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts