Tanach
Divrei HaYamim II 17:12-14 דברי הימים ב י״ז:י״ב-י״ד
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וַיְהִי יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֹלֵךְ וְגָדֵל עַד־לְמָעְלָה וַיִּבֶן בִּיהוּדָה בִּירָנִיּוֹת וְעָרֵי מִסְכְּנֽוֹת׃
And Yehoshafat grew exceedingly great; and he built castles and store cities in Yehuda.
And Yehoshafat grew exceedingly great; and he built castles and store cities in Yehuda.
Rashi
בירניות. מגזרות בירה מגדלים גדולים לחוזק:
towers בִּירָנִיוֹת, derived from בִּירָה, huge towers for strength.
וערי מסכנות. ערי אוצרות לתת בהם תבואה ויין ודגן:
and store cities storage cities, to put in them wheat, wine and grain.
וּמְלָאכָה רַבָּה הָיָה לוֹ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְאַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
And he had much business in the cities of Yehuda: and men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Yerushalayim.
And he had much business in the cities of Yehuda: and men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Yerushalayim.
וְאֵלֶּה פְקֻדָּתָם לְבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם לִֽיהוּדָה שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים {ס} עַדְנָה הַשָּׂר וְעִמּוֹ גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אָֽלֶף׃ {ס}
And these are the numbers of them according to the houses of their fathers: Of Yehuda, the captains of thousands; ῾Adna the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand.
And these are the numbers of them according to the houses of their fathers: Of Yehuda, the captains of thousands; ῾Adna the chief, and with him mighty men of valour three hundred thousand.
ויהי יהושפט הולך וגדל. שלשה שנא' כלשון זה יצחק שמואל יהושפט אבל משה דוד מרדכי נאמר בהם וגדול אבל יצחק שמואל יהושפט כתוב בהם וגדל שאין נכון לומר וגדול, בשמואל כתיב ויגדל הנער שמואל עם ה' וח"ו לומר גדול עם ה' וכאן כמו כן גדל עד למעלה לכן לא הגון לומר גדול וכן ביצחק:
was becoming greater - Heb. וְגָדֵל. Scripture uses] a similar expression in reference to three people: Isaac, Samuel, and Jehoshaphat, but concerning Moses, David, and Mordecai, it says וְגָדוֹל. Concerning Isaac, Samuel, and Jehoshaphat, it says, וְגָדֵל because it is not proper to say וְגָדוֹל, great [in the context in which the word appears in the verse]. In regards to Samuel, it says, (I Sam. 2: 21): “And the lad Samuel grew up with the Lord.” God forbid that it should say, גָדוֹל עִם ה', he was great with the Lord. Here too, he [Jehoshaphat] became great to an unusual degree, גָדֵל עַד לְמָעְלָה. It is therefore improper to say וְגָדוֹל, great. The same applies to Isaac.