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(
$
, 1926), “honor; splendor.” Cognates of this word appear only in
Aramaic. Its 31 appearances in the Bible are exclusively in poetic passages and in all
periods.
First,
refers to “splendor” in nature: “And ye shall take you on the first day the
boughs of goodly trees [literally, trees of splendor or beauty] …” (Lev. 23:40—the first
occurrence).
Second, this word is a counterpart to Hebrew words for “glory” and “dignity.” Thus
means not so much overwhelming beauty as a combination of physical
attractiveness and social position. The Messiah is said to have “no form nor [majesty];
and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2).
Mankind is crowned with “glory and honor” in the sense of superior desirability (for
God) and rank (Ps. 8:5). In Prov. 20:29
focuses on the same idea—an aged man’s
mark of rank and privilege is his gray hair. This reflects the theme present throughout the
Bible that long life is a mark of divine blessing and results (often) when one is faithful to
God, whereas premature death is a result of divine judgment. The ideas of glorious
brilliance, preeminence, and lordship are included in
when it is applied to God:
“Glory and honor are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place” (1 Chron.
16:27). Not only are these characteristics of His sanctuary (Ps. 96:6) but He is clothed
with them (Ps. 104:1). This use of
is rooted in the ancient concept of a king or of a
royal city. God gave David all good things: a crown of gold on his head, long life, and
glory or “splendor” and majesty (Ps. 21:3- 5). In the case of earthly kings their beauty or
brilliance usually arises from their surroundings. So God says of Tyre: “They of Persia
and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and
helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness [honor]. The men of Arvad with thine army
were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadim were in thy towers: they hanged
their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect” (Ezek.
27:10-11). God, however, manifests the characteristic of “honor or splendor” in Himself.
The noun
means “majesty; splendor; exaltation; adornment.” This noun
appears 5 times in the Bible. The word implies “majesty or exaltation” in Prov. 14:28: “In
a multitude of people is the glory of a King, but without people a prince is ruined” (
RSV
).
B
refers to “adornment” in Ps. 29:2.
C. Adjective.
(
$
, 3515), “heavy; numerous; severe; rich.” The adjective
occurs
about 40 times. Basically this adjective connotes “heavy.” In Exod. 17:12 the word is
used of physical weight: “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it
under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands.…” This adjective
bears the connotation of heaviness as an enduring, ever-present quality, a lasting thing.
Used in a negative but extended sense, the word depicts sin as a yoke ever pressing down
upon one: “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too
heavy for me” (Ps. 38:4). A task can be described as “heavy” (Exod. 18:18). Moses
argued his inability to lead God’s people out of Egypt because he was “slow of speech,
and of a slow tongue”; his speech or tongue was not smooth-flowing but halting (heavy;