חָזַק (b. h.; cmp. אדק, הדק, חדק) [to squeeze together,] (neut. verb) to be thick, solid; to be strong. Y. Ber. I, 2ᶜ bot. (ref. to Gen. I, 6) יֶחֱזַק הרקיע וכ׳ let the expanse become solidified, let it coagulate, congeal; Gen. R. s. 4; (Yalk. ib. 5 יתחזק, Hithpa.).
Pi. - חִיזֵּק to join, repair, tighten, strengthen. Snh. 94ᵃ (expl. חזקיה) שחי׳ את ישראל וכ׳ (Ms. M. שהחזיק, Hif.) he joined Israel to their Father &c. Ib. שחִזְּקוֹ יה the Lord strengthened him. Pes. 45ᵃ שעשוי לחַזֵּק Ms. M. where the dough in the cracks is put in for repairing the trough. Sabb. 146ᵇ (העשוי) לחַ׳ when the hole was filled up for making the vessel sound, opp. לשמר to prevent evaporation; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְחוּזָּק, pl. מְחוּזָּקִים. Sifré Num. 1 אין מְחַזְּקִים אלא המח׳ (ed. תמוחז׳) only the strong-minded it is worth while to strengthen (encourage).
Hif. - הֶחֱזִיק 1) same, v. supra.— same, v. supra.—ה׳ טובה ל־ to attach merit to, to account as merit, to be grateful. Ab. II, 8 אל תַּחֲזִיק ט׳ לעצמך do not claim credit for it (be not proud). Yoma 86ᵇ אלא שמַחֲזִיק לו ט׳ but He even gives him credit (for his sins when he repents). Men. 53ᵃ הַחֲזֵק לי וכ׳ give me credit for making Thee known &c. Keth. 68ᵃ, a. e. בואו ונַחֲזִיק וכ׳ let us be thankful to the fraudulent poor &c.; a. fr. —2) (with יד) to strengthen, to encourage, abet. Gitt. V, 9 לפי שאין מַחֲזִיקִין וכ׳ because we must not encourage (by favors) those who do wrong. Ib. ומחזיקין ידי עכו"ם וכ׳ we may encourage (greet with תחזקנה ידיכם, Zech. VIII, 9) gentiles at agricultural work in the Sabbatical year; a. fr. —3) to hold, contain. Ib. 57ᵃ אין עורו מחזיק וכ׳ its skin (once flayed) can not again cover its entire body (it shrinks). Ib. (in Chald. dict.) אפי׳ שתין … לא מ׳ it would not have room even for sixty myriads of reeds. Par. VII, 8 בשביל שתַּחֲזִיק וכ׳ in order that it (the reservoir) might hold more water. Ukts. III, 12 לא מצא … מחזיק וכ׳ the Lord found no vessel so fit to contain all blessings as peace; Deut. R. s. 5 end; a. fr. —4) (with ב) to take a hold of, seize, take possession. Ḥull. 4ᵃ, a. e. כל מצוה שהֶחֱזִיקוּ וכ׳ whatever Jewish law the Samaritans have adopted &c., v. דִּקְדֵּק. B. Mets. I, 4 וה׳ בה and took a hold of it. B. Bath. III, 3 במַחֲזִיק when one is in possession (basing his claim on possession). Ib. המַ׳ בנכסי הגר he who takes possession of the estate of a convert (who has no heirs in law). Ib. 2 ויַחֲזִיק שנה that he may be in possession for one year, v. אִסְפַּמְיָא; a. fr.; v. חֲזָקָה.—Y. Ḥag. I, 76ᶜ, a. e. שלא הֶחֱזִיקוּ בשכר וכ׳ they did not cling to the duty of maintaining teachers &c. —5) (v. חֲזָקָה) to presume, to be under a certain impression, to be convinced. Y. Kidd. IV, 66ᵇ היו מַחֲזִיקִין בו שהוא בנו וכ׳ if people were under the impression that a certain person was their neighbor’s son, but in his dying hour he declared &c. Ib. היו מ׳ אותו שהוא וכ׳ if people took him to be a relation of his; a. e.—Ḥag. 19ᵃ, v. infra.