Biblical Beauty

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. Psalm 149:4 NASB

Beautify – The influence of the Greek idea of beauty pervades the West (and now a great deal of the East). Glitzy advertising in the subway of Shanghai displays European high fashion models as the epitome of beauty. The right car, the right drink, the right body shape, the right card in your wallet and you are one of the important people. No overweight, over-the-hill, overly puritanical, overly religious need apply. In the Greek world, what is beautiful by these standards is holy. In the Hebrew world, what is holy is beautiful. And the difference between these two ideas sets the world on edge.

So it’s important to notice how the word pa’ar is used in the Tanakh. It can mean “to glorify, to beautify, to adorn” but it’s the synonyms that really tell the story. If we read this verse in its simplest form, we might conclude that beauty is an entirely spiritual matter. Those who are “saved” are beautiful to God. Somehow God does something so that the ‘anaw (the bowed down ones) are beautified. I suppose that means they have some kind of inner smile, or maybe a personal glow, or something. But who could really tell? They are still ‘anaw, a word that means poverty-stricken, oppressed, humbled, raped, humiliated. ‘anaw are in this terrible state because of some tragic circumstances, usually the direct result of an oppressing army or self-inflicted pain. That doesn’t sound beautiful to me. Ah, but then God’s deliverance (yeshua) is the beautiful part. And, yes indeed, for those who have experienced this kind of poverty, yeshua is beautiful.

But that’s not all. The synonyms of tip’ara (“beauty”) enlarge the picture. They include:

Isaiah 28:5, “The Lord will be a crown of glory (ṣĕbî), a diadem of beauty.” Psalm 96:6, “Strength (ʿōz) and beauty are in his sanctuary.” I Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness (gĕ dūllâ) and the power (gĕbûrâ) and the glory, and the victory (nēṣaḥ) and the majesty (hôd).” Exodus 28:2, 40, “Clothes … for glory (kābôd) and beauty.” Deuteronomy 26:19, “To make you high … in praise (tĕhillâ), and in name (šēm) and in honor.” Isaiah 4:2, “And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent (gāʾôn) and beauty.” Isaiah 64:11 [H 10], “Our holy (qādôš) and beautiful house.” Also Isa 63:15.^[1]

Did you get all that? Glory, strength, greatness, power, victory, majesty, praise, honor, excellence, and holiness are all used in parallel with pa’ar. No more inner quality alone. Imagine what it means to be beautified by the Lord when all of these synonyms come into play. Ah, what a sight that is!

Now what do you think about the beauty of yeshua?

Topical Index: beautify, pa’ar, tip’ara, yeshua, Psalm 149:4

^[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1726 פָּאַר. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (714). Chicago: Moody Press.