Strength Out of Weakness

Hebrews 11:32–35

‘And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised… whose weakness was turned to strength.’

This word card follows the line in Hebrews 11 where people ‘were strengthened out of weakness’. It traces the Greek verb behind the phrase, the Latin roots that shaped later translations, and the history of the English word from Old English ‘strengðu’ back to an ancient idea of something drawn tight and made firm. French, Spanish, German, and other European versions keep the same movement: weakness becoming strength. The image of Pulteney Bridge in Bath sits with this theme — solid stone shaped by pressure, standing across the flow.

Each word card set begins with an image that captures the theme of the word. The following cards trace its story: a main word card (or two, if extended), a junior version with a paler border, an etymological breakdown showing how the word travelled through time, and a list of sources. Some sets also include cards for related words or translations across other languages. Together they show where each word came from, how it changed, and what it still carries with it.