שַׂגִּיא (sag.gi)
sag.gi
great
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective saggi describes something as great, but its usage is remarkably narrow. It appears only twice in the entire Old Testament, and both occurrences are found in the Book of Job. In these verses, it serves specifically to describe the magnitude of God, distinguishing His greatness from ordinary human or natural scale.
Job 36:26 uses the word when Elihu speaks of the vastness of God’s works, noting that He is greater than the snow and rain. Then, in Job 37:23, it appears again to describe God’s majesty, which is beyond human reach and comprehension. The term emphasizes a transcendence that dwarfs creation.
This word is closely related to the Aramaic saggi (H7690), which carries a similar sense of greatness or exalted status. Its rarity in Scripture suggests it was not a common descriptor for God, reserving its weight for moments where the text seeks to highlight an overwhelming, almost incomprehensible divine scale.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word saggi appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both within the speeches of Elihu in the Book of Job. It describes a greatness that stands apart from ordinary human experience or natural scale. When Elihu uses it, he points to a divine magnitude that surpasses our ability to measure or fully understand.
In Job 36:26, this term highlights how God’s works exceed even the vastness of snow and rain. It reminds us that His nature is not limited by human categories. This perspective offers comfort when life feels overwhelming, showing that a power greater than our struggles is at work.
Job 37:23 reinforces this idea, noting that we cannot reach the Almighty in His exalted power. Recognizing this vastness helps us rest in the truth that God’s justice and righteousness are secure, even when we cannot see how things fit together.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- exalted of1×
- [is] exalted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שַׂגִּיא\־1×
- שַׂ֭גִּיא1×
Key Verses
-
Job 36:26
Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.
This occurrence emphasizes that God's works exceed the measurable scale of natural phenomena like snow and rain.
-
Job 37:23
We can’t reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress.
Here the word underscores that human beings cannot reach or fully comprehend the Almighty's exalted power.