When not being used to speak of El Gibôr - the Mighty God, it's most often used either to speak of angels or to describe soldiers who were strong and courageous warriors. The phrase, "mighty men of valour," is used a lot in the books of Chronicles, and there was even a specific group of soldiers whose courageous exploits earned them the name of, "David's mighty men."
But that strength and courage are infinite when speaking of Yahweh Gibôr or El Gibôr, the Mighty God that those Old Testament warriors served. When David described the King of Glory in Psalm 24: 8, he called Him, The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle.
When the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus, he told us, seven hundred years in advance, that one of the Messiah's names would be the Mighty God. (Isaiah 9: 6)
But our God is not only strong and mighty in the battle against evil, He is strong in other ways too. In Job 36: 5, He's described as mighty in strength and mighty in wisdom. When the prophet Zephaniah told the people that the Mighty God was in their midst to save them, he went on to describe Him in ways that range from tenderness to exuberance: "He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zeph 3: 17)
The prophet Jeremiah has a word of caution for those who consider themselves strong (Jer 9: 23 - 24) - Don't let the wise boast of their wisdom, or the strong (gibôr) boast of their strength, or the rich boast of their wealth..." The only thing worth boasting about, he says, is that we know the kindness, justice and righteousness of our mighty God.
El Gibôr, the Mighty God is not only strong and courageous within Himself; He is also able to give us strength and courage when we need them in our own battles and challenges of everyday life. And when something is really too much for us, He's like a mighty warrior who will fight on our behalf. (Ex 14: 14)
