Lexical Summary
toar: Form, appearance, shape, beauty
Original Word:תֹּאַר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:to'ar
Pronunciation:TO-ar
Phonetic Spelling:(to'-ar)
KJV: + beautiful, X comely, countenance, + fair, X favoured, form, X goodly, X resemble, visage
NASB:form, appearance, handsome, resembling
Word Origin:[fromH8388 (תָּאַר - Razor)]
1. outline, i.e. figure or appearance
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be drawn, mark out
Fromta'ar; outline, i.e. Figure or appearance -- + beautiful, X comely, countenance, + fair, X favoured, form, X goodly, X resemble, visage.
see HEBREWta'ar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
taarDefinitionoutline, form
NASB Translationappearance (2), form (7), handsome (1), handsome* (1), resembling (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Lamentations 4:8 (Phoenician ; according to Schw
Idioticon 100 proposes
something gazed at, from √ = Christian-Palestinian Aramaic
gaze at); — absolute
Genesis 29:17 +; construct
Judges 8:18; suffix (Ges
§ 93q)
Isaiah 52:14,
1 Samuel 28:14; —
form, of woman,
Genesis 29:17 (E; + , "" later
Genesis 1:26, Lag
Or. ii. 62; BN 149),
Esther 2:7 (+
id.),
1 Samuel 25:3;
Deuteronomy 21:11; of man,
Genesis 39:11 (J; + ), compare
Isaiah 52:14 ( +
id.),
Isaiah 53:2 (+
id., ),
Judges 8:18, so also
1 Chronicles 17:17 (for ) Klo Perles
Anal. 68;
1 Samuel 16:18,
1 Kings 1:6;
1 Samuel 28:14; see
Lamentations 4:8 (where by metonymy =
aspect, visage); of cattle,
Genesis 41:18 (E),
Genesis 41:19 (E); tree,
Jeremiah 11:16 (Du , see
Jeremiah 46:20).
Topical Lexicon
Scope and Sense of תֹּאַרThe term denotes visible form, shape, figure, or appearance. In every passage it focuses on outward contours—whether of people, animals, or objects—so that the observer’s eye is drawn to what can be seen and assessed. Scripture employs it both positively (attractive form) and negatively (marred form), thereby inviting theological reflection on the limits of outward appraisal.
Occurrences and Thematic Groupings
1. Human Beauty and Attractiveness
Genesis 29:17; 39:6;Deuteronomy 21:11;1 Samuel 25:3;1 Kings 1:6;Esther 2:7 present תֹּאַר as a mark of physical appeal. “Rachel was shapely and beautiful” (Genesis 29:17), Joseph was “well-built and handsome” (Genesis 39:6), and Esther was “lovely in form and features” (Esther 2:7). Israel’s narrative preserves these details without embarrassment, recognizing beauty as a divine gift while never confusing it with covenant fidelity.
2. Royal and Military Bearing
Judges 8:18 describes slain men whose form was “like the sons of a king.” David is introduced to Saul as “of fine appearance” (1 Samuel 16:18), complementing his valor and skill. These texts associate pleasing form with nobility and leadership potential, yet later accounts (1 Samuel 16:7) warn that “the LORD looks not on outward appearance.”
3. Prophetic Imagery of Flourishing and Ruin
Jeremiah 11:16 pictures Judah as “a thriving olive tree, beautiful in form,” only to be consumed by judgment.Lamentations 4:8 reverses former glory: “their appearance is darker than soot.” The prophets employ תֹּאַר to contrast God-bestowed splendor with the disfigurement that sin and exile bring.
4. Agricultural and Dream Symbolism
Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41:18-19) contrasts seven cows “well-formed” with seven “ugly” ones, using bodily form as a parable of plenty and famine. The exterior condition of the animals mirrors the coming economic reality.
5. The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 52:14 testifies, “His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness,” whileIsaiah 53:2 says, “He had no form or majesty to attract us to Him.” Here תֹּאַר moves from attractive shape to repulsive distortion, underscoring the Messiah’s humiliation. The New Testament’s passion narratives echo this prophecy, showing that redemption comes through the very One from whom “men hide their faces.”
Historical and Cultural Insights
Ancient Near Eastern societies highly valued physical beauty; yet the Hebrew canon refuses to idolize it. The bridal laws ofDeuteronomy 21:11 safeguard even a captured woman’s dignity, indicating that outward allure never nullifies personhood. Royal courts (e.g., Esther) elevated attractive individuals, but God continually subverts purely visual criteria, choosing Leah over Rachel for covenant lineage, David over his taller brothers, and ultimately the crucified Christ over every outwardly impressive savior-figure.
Theological Reflections
1. The Creator’s Goodness
Pleasant form is a gift to be received with gratitude (James 1:17) yet held loosely. Scripture’s positive uses of תֹּאַר affirm the goodness of embodied life and point to the beauty of the coming resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
2. The Danger of Surface Judgment
Saul’s preference for impressive stature led to repeated missteps. Isaiah’s Servant reminds believers that divine wisdom often hides beneath unremarkable exteriors.
3. Redemption of the Marred Form
Christ’s disfigured תֹּאַר becomes the focal point of salvation. By bearing the scars of sin, He secures a glorified body for His people (Philippians 3:21). The contrast between Genesis’ handsome Joseph and Isaiah’s marred Servant previews the gospel paradox: suffering precedes exaltation.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Discernment in Leadership Selection: congregations should prize character over charisma, echoing1 Samuel 16:7.
• Compassion for the Broken:Isaiah 52–53 calls the church to embrace those whose appearance bears the marks of suffering, reflecting the Servant’s own visage.
• Hope for Restoration: Jeremiah’s ruined olive tree will yet flourish in the Messianic age (Romans 11:24-26). Even the most disfigured life can be reshaped by grace.
Summary
תֹּאַר exposes the tension between what the eye sees and what the Lord values. From Rachel’s beauty to the Servant’s mutilation, outward form both reveals and conceals spiritual reality. Its scriptural trajectory cautions against superficial appraisal, highlights God’s redemptive purposes in the broken, and directs believers toward the final transformation when every redeemed body will reflect the glory of Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
וְתֹאֲר֖וֹ ותארו כְּתֹ֖אַר כתאר תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם תָּאֳר֔וֹ תֹ֔אַר תֹ֖אַר תֹ֥אַר תֹּ֑אַר תֹּ֔אַר תֹּ֖אַר תֹּ֙אַר֙ תֹּ֛אַר תאר תארו תארם kə·ṯō·’ar kəṯō’ar keToar tā’orām tā’orōw tā·’o·rām tā·’o·rōw tō’ar ṯō’ar tō·’ar ṯō·’ar Toar tooRam tooRo vetoaRo wə·ṯō·’ă·rōw wəṯō’ărōw
Links
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Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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