עָצַם ʻâtsam — to bind fast, i.e. close (the eyes)
Translated in the KJV as break the bones, close, be great, be increased, be mighty, be more, shut, be(-come, make) strong.
a primitive root; also denominatively (from H6106); to bind fast, i.e. close (the eyes); intransitively, to be (causatively, make) powerful or numerous; to crunch the bones.
ʻâtsam in each stem
Qal (Pa'al)
Perfect (qatal) 11Wayyiqtol 2Sequential perfect (weqatal) 2Participle (active) 1Infinitive construct 1
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
Pi'el
Wayyiqtol 1Perfect (qatal) 1
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Hiph'il
Wayyiqtol 1
And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
What the stems mean
A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›