dynamis (δύναμις)

Strong’s: G1411 Part of speech: Noun, feminine, 3rd declension Glosses: power, might, capability, miracle, mighty work, army/force

Semantic range

δύναμις is the central “power” word in Koine Greek and covers a range comparable to Hebrew חַיִל (chayil):

1. Power / might / capability — inherent ability to accomplish something. “The δύναμις of God” = God’s power to act (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 24).

2. Miracle / mighty work — a specific manifestation of supernatural power. Often in the plural: δυνάμεις = “mighty works, miracles” (Matthew 11:20-23; Mark 6:2; Acts 2:22). The word does not merely mean “wonder” (τέρας, teras) but emphasizes the power behind the event.

3. Force / army — a military or cosmic power. In the LXX, δύναμις frequently translates חַיִל (chayil) in its “army” sense, and צָבָא (tsava, “host”) in the phrase “LORD of hosts” (κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων). In the NT, “the powers of the heavens” (αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν, Matthew 24:29) may refer to cosmic forces or angelic armies.

4. Spiritual power / enabling — the Holy Spirit’s empowerment of believers. Acts 1:8: “You will receive δύναμιν when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” This is the NT equivalent of the angel’s declaration to Gideon: divine presence produces divine capability.

Key occurrences

• Luke 1:35 — “The δύναμις of the Most High will overshadow you.” The power that accomplishes the incarnation.
• Luke 4:14 — Jesus returns to Galilee “in the δύναμις of the Spirit.” His ministry operates by Spirit-given power.
• Acts 1:8 — “You will receive δύναμιν when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” The programmatic statement for the book of Acts.
• Romans 1:16 — “The gospel is the δύναμις of God for salvation.” The gospel is not merely information but divine power.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18, 24 — “The word of the cross is… the δύναμις of God.” Christ crucified is God’s power — a paradox (power in apparent weakness).
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My δύναμις is made perfect in weakness.” The Gideon pattern restated: divine power flows through human inadequacy.
• Ephesians 1:19-21 — Paul stacks four power-words: δύναμις, ἐνέργεια (energeia), κράτος (kratos), ἰσχύς (ischys) — to describe the power God exercised in raising Christ, a power now available to believers.
• Ephesians 3:20 — “Him who is able to do far more abundantly… according to the δύναμις that works within us.”
• 2 Timothy 1:7 — “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of δύναμις and love and self-control.”

Theological significance

δύναμις in the NT consistently points to power that originates in God and is mediated to humans through the Spirit. The pattern established in the OT — where חַיִל (chayil) belongs to God and is bestowed on those he commissions — continues in the NT with δύναμις as its Greek vehicle.

The word resists the modern split between “spiritual” and “practical” power. In Acts, δύναμις produces both miracles (Acts 3:12) and bold proclamation (Acts 4:33). In Paul, it is both the content of the gospel (Romans 1:16) and the experience of the believer (Ephesians 3:20). The OT background in chayil — which seamlessly covered military, economic, and moral capacity — explains why the NT writers use δύναμις with the same breadth.

Related words

• δυνατός (dynatos, G1415) — adjective, “powerful, mighty, able” — the LXX’s primary rendering of גִּבּוֹר (gibbor)
• δυνάστης (dynastes, G1413) — “ruler, sovereign, potentate” (Luke 1:52; Acts 8:27; 1 Timothy 6:15)
• δύναμαι (dynamai, G1410) — verb, “to be able, to have power”
• ἐνδυναμόω (endynamoo, G1743) — verb, “to strengthen, to empower” — used in Ephesians 6:10 (“be strong in the Lord”) and Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”)
• ἰσχύς (ischys, G2479) — “strength, might” — see companion study
• κράτος (kratos, G2904) — “dominion, ruling power, might”
• ἐξουσία (exousia, G1849) — “authority, right” — distinguished from δύναμις as authorized right vs. inherent ability

LXX background

δύναμις translates primarily:

• חַיִל (chayil, H2428) — in its “army” and “strength” senses
• צָבָא (tsava, H6635) — “host, army” (especially in “LORD of hosts”)
• גְּבוּרָה (gevurah, H1369) — “might, mighty deed”
• כֹּחַ (koach, H3581) — “power, strength”

This LXX breadth means that when a first-century reader encountered δύναμις in a letter from Paul, the word carried echoes of the entire OT power vocabulary.

Sources consulted

• BDAG, s.v. δύναμις
• Louw-Nida, domain 76.1 (Power, Force)
• NIDNTTE, s.v. δύναμις
• TDNT (used cautiously), s.v. δύναμις (Grundmann)
• Hatch-Redpath, for LXX translation equivalents