Lexical Definition

‎מָעוֹז‎ mâʻôwz (maw-oze') security ^H:N-M
(also מָעוּז mâʻûwz (maw-ooz') ); or מָעֹז mâʻôz (maw-oze') (also מָעֻז mâʻuz (maw-ooz'); from ‎עָזַז‎

force, fort(-ress), rock, strength(-en), ([idiom] most) strong (hold).

• a fortified place
• figuratively, a defence

1) place or means of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold
1a) place of safety, fastness, harbour, stronghold
1b) refuge (of God) (fig.)
1c) human protection (fig.)

See Greek: ἀνδρίζομαι · ἰσχυρός · στάσις

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מָעוֺז‎ noun masculine^{Judg 6:26} place or means of safety, protection (ᵑ0 suffixes as if from ‎עזז‎, but probably erroneous, compare Buhl^{Lex 13} Ges^{«GKC:85k»§ 85k}); — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ absolute Judg 6:26 +, construct Isa 30:2 +; suffix ‎מָעוּזִי‎ 2Sam 22:33 (but read ‎הַמְּאַזְּרֵנִי‎ as || Ps 18:33*), ‎מָעוּזִּי‎ Ps 31:3* +, ‎מָעֻזִּי‎ Isa 27:5 +, ‎מָעוּזּוֺ‎ Ps 52:9* +, ‎מָעֻזֹּה‎ Dan 11:10, etc. (read probably ‎מְעוֺזִּי‎, etc.); plural ‎מָעֻזִּים‎ vDan 11:38 vDan 11:39, suffix ‎מָעֻזְּנֶיהָ‎ Isa 23:11, read ‎מָעֻזֶּיהָ‎ (Ges^{«GKC:20o»§ 20o} Che^Heb.Hpt. and others; strike out dagesh forte in all, see above); —

1. literally place of safety Judg 6:26, hence (c. collateral idea of strength, as if from ‎עזז‎ = fastness Isa 23:11; Isa 23:14 (in vIsa 23:14 Che^Heb.Hpt. proposes ‎מְחוֺזְכֶם‎ your city), Ezek 24:25; Ezek 30:15; Dan 11:7; Dan 11:10; Dan 11:19, ‎׳‎‎הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַמּ‎ vDan 11:31, ‎מִבְצְרֵי‎ ‎מָעֻזִּים‎ vDan 11:39 ‎הַיָּם‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ i.e. harbour Isa 23:4, but strike out O1 Du Che^Hpt.; ‎מֵאוֺיֵב‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Nah 3:11 compare ‎׳‎‎עָרֵי מ‎ Isa 17:9.

2. a. figurative, of God (‎׳‎‎י‎) as refuge Nah 1:7; Ps 27:1; Ps 31:5*; Ps 37:39; Ps 52:9*; Isa 25:4 (twice in verse); Joel 4:16*, ‎עֻזִּי וּמָעֻזִּי וּמְנוּסִי‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ Jer 16:19, ‎יְשׁוּעוֺת מְשִׁיחוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Ps 28:8 (|| ‎עָזֿ‎); so ‎׳‎‎צוּר מ‎ Isa 17:10; Ps 31:3*, ‎׳‎‎אֱלֹהֵי מ‎ Ps 43:2 also ‎יַחֲזֵק בְּמָעֻזִּי‎ Isa 27:5 let him lay hold of my refuge (me as refuge); cf . ‎הִיא מָעֻזְּכֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎חֶדְוַת י‎ Neh 8:10, ‎׳‎‎לַתֹּם דֶּרֶךְ י‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Prov 10:29.
b. of a heathen god, ‎אֱלוֺהַּ מָעֻזִּים‎ Dan 11:38 (read ‎מְחֹזִים‎ cities Che^{Isa 23:1,Heb.Hpt.}).

3. figurative of human protection, ‎פַּרְעֹה‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Isa 30:2; Isa 30:3 (both || ‎צֵּל‎ ‎מִצְרַיִם‎); ‎ראֹשִׁי‎ ‎׳‎‎אֶפְרַיִם מ‎ Ps 60:9* = Ps 108:9*, i.e. my helmet; also (of angel) Dan 11:1 (|| ‎מַחֲזִיק‎).

‎עֲוִיל‎ see II. ‎עול‎. below

Brown-Driver-Briggs References