Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "beautify" in the Bible encompasses both physical adornment and spiritual enhancement, reflecting God's creation and His desire for His people to embody His glory. The term is often associated with the beautification of the temple, the adornment of the bride, and the spiritual beautification of the believer.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the beautification of sacred spaces and objects is emphasized. The construction of the Tabernacle and later the Temple involved detailed instructions for creating a space that was not only functional but also beautiful, reflecting the glory of God.
Exodus 28:2 states, "Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and beauty." This verse highlights the importance of beauty in the service of God, where the garments of the priests were designed to reflect the splendor of their divine service.
The Psalms frequently speak of beauty in the context of worship and the presence of God.
Psalm 27:4 expresses a deep longing for the beauty of the Lord: "One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple." Here, beauty is associated with the divine presence and the worship experience.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, the concept of beautification extends to the spiritual realm, where believers are called to adorn themselves with virtues that reflect their faith.
1 Peter 3:3-4 advises, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight." This passage emphasizes the importance of inner beauty over external appearances, aligning with the Christian call to holiness and godly character.
The Church, as the bride of Christ, is also depicted as being beautified for her bridegroom.
Ephesians 5:25-27 describes Christ's love for the Church, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless." This imagery portrays the Church as being spiritually beautified through Christ's sacrificial love.
Theological ImplicationsTheologically, the concept of beautification in the Bible underscores the transformative power of God's grace. Just as the physical beauty of the temple and the adornment of the priests were meant to reflect God's glory, so too is the spiritual beauty of believers meant to reflect the character of Christ. The process of sanctification, whereby believers are made holy, can be seen as a form of spiritual beautification, preparing them for eternal communion with God.
Practical ApplicationFor believers today, the call to beautify oneself spiritually involves cultivating virtues such as love, humility, and gentleness. It is a reminder that true beauty is found in a life that mirrors the character of Christ. Engaging in regular worship, prayer, and study of the Scriptures are practical ways to enhance one's spiritual beauty, aligning one's life with the divine will and reflecting God's glory to the world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To make or render beautiful; to add beauty to; to adorn; to deck; to grace; to embellish.
2. (v. i.) To become beautiful; to advance in beauty.
Greek
2885. kosmeo -- to order, arrange... Cognate: 2885 (from 2889 , "world") -- properly, to
beautify, having the
right arrangement () by ; to , make , (, ). See 2889 ().
...Strong's Hebrew
6286. paar -- tobeautify, glorify... 6285, 6286. paar. 6287 . to
beautify, glorify. Transliteration: paar Phonetic
Spelling: (paw-ar') Short Definition: glorified. Word Origin a prim.
...5115a. navah --beautify
... navah. 5115b .beautify. Transliteration: navah Short Definition: praise. Word
Origin a prim. root Definitionbeautify NASB Word Usage praise (1)....
5115. navah --beautify
... 5114, 5115. navah. 5115a .beautify. Transliteration: navah Phonetic Spelling:
(naw-vaw') Short Definition: home. keept at home, prepare an habitation...
Library
Our Life is to Adorn the Gospel.
... OUR LIFE IS TO ADORN THE GOSPEL. To adorn is to make attractive, tobeautify.
We are exhorted by the apostle Paul to adorn the doctrine...
A Song of Zion Redeemed
... be gathered together unto thee, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; They
shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, And I willbeautify the house...
The Testament of Abraham. Version I.
... heart. IV. And Abraham said to Isaac his son: Go, my beloved son, into
the inner chamber of the house andbeautify it. Spread for...
"But Ye are not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit, if So be that the...
... You see in nature, God hath appointed contrarieties and varieties tobeautify the
world, and certainly, many things could not be known how good and beneficial...
Hebrews xi. 37, 38
... Let herbeautify herself, who is on the stage or the dancing platform. For
she wishes to attract all to her. But a woman who professes...
Basil -- the Creation of the World
... and unfruitful, flowers' sweet scents and fair colors, and all that which, a little
later, at the voice of God came forth from the earth tobeautify her, their...
Church Fabrics and Services.
... Thirty years or more of the present century had passed before the Church awoke to
put its material house in order, to improve andbeautify its churches, and to...
To Mrs. Sarah ) Mrs. Mary And) Abney, Mrs. Elizabeth )
... and regular account is given of Sermons at your Age; to awaken all the Children
that shall read these Songs, to furnish their memories andbeautify their Souls...
His Servants Shall Serve
... Live your own discovery. Then pass out into the City. Do all to it that
you have done at home.Beautify it, ventilate it, drain it....
The Doctrine Adorned
... turn to the dictionary, and tell you something like this: 'To "adorn" is to set
off to advantage, to add to the attractiveness, tobeautify, to decorate as...
Thesaurus
Beautify (10 Occurrences)... to embellish. 2. (vi) To become beautiful; to advance in beauty.
Multi-Version Concordance
Beautify (10 Occurrences). Exodus 8:9
...Ornament (23 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To adorn; to deck; to embellish; tobeautify; as, to ornament a room,
or a city. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ORNAMENT....
Japheth (12 Occurrences)
... The Targum of Onkelos agrees with the English Versions of the Bible, but that of
Jonathan has "God shallbeautify Japheth," as though from yaphah....
Josiah (51 Occurrences)
... In the eighteenth year of his reign he proceeded to repair andbeautify the temple,
which by time and violence had become sorely dilapidated (2 Kings 22:3, 5, 6...
Larch (3 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 60:13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine,
and the box-tree together, tobeautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will...
Fir-tree (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 60:13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine,
and the box-tree together, tobeautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will...
Tripolis
... The Seleucid monarchs, the Romans, and Herod the Great did much tobeautify the
city; the last-named building a gymnasium (Josephus, BJ, I, xxi, 11)....
Decorate (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (vt) To deck with that which is ornamental, or honorary;
to adorn; to embellish; tobeautify; as, to decorate the person; to decorate...
Magnificence (9 Occurrences)
... of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve thee: they
shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I willbeautify the house of...
Meek (23 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). Psalms 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people:
he willbeautify the meek with salvation. (KJV ASV DBY WBS)....
Resources
What does the Bible say about art? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about smudging? | GotQuestions.orgBeautify: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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