ek'-se-lent 'addir, yattir (Aramaic); diaphoroteros, kratistos:
The translation of various Hebrew words, chiefly of 'addir, "great," "honorable" (Ps 8:1,9;16:3;76:4); yattir, "surpassing," is Aramaic, occurring inDa 2:31;4:36;5:12,14;6:3. Other words are bachar, "to glow," "try," "choose" (So 5:15); ga'on, "mounting," "swelling" (Isa 4:2; see EXCELLENCY); gadhal, "to make or become great" (Isa 28:29), and other words occurring singly.
In the New Testament we have diaphoroteros, "greater," "better" (Heb 1:4;8:6); kratistos, "most excellent," "most noble" (Lu 1:3;Ac 23:26); ta diapheronta, "things that differ," "are preeminent" (Ro 2:18;Php 1:10); megaloprepes, "becoming to the great" (2Pe 1:17, the King James Version "a voice to him from the excellent glory," the American Standard Revised Version and the English Revised Version, margin "the Majestic Glory"); kath' huperbolen "very surpassing" (1Co 12:31, "Yet I show unto you a more excellent way," the Revised Version (British and American) "most excellent"); pleion, "greater," "fuller" (Heb 11:4; see ABEL).
W. L. Walker