What does הָדָר (hādār) mean in the Bible?
Splendor, majesty and honor describe what a passage presents as impressive or dignified. Psalm 104 speaks of the Lord as clothed with splendor and majesty.
Hebrew · H1926
הָדָר
Splendor, majesty and honor describe what a passage presents as impressive or dignified. Psalm 104 speaks of the Lord as clothed with splendor and majesty.
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הָדָרH1926
Pronunciationhādār
What does הָדָר (hādār) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for הָדָר (H1926) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1926?
The BSB source-word alignment has 30 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and majesty (4), splendor (3), the splendor (3), and from the splendor (2), and honor (2).
Where does הָדָר (hādār) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 23:40. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (13), Isaiah (7), Ezekiel (2), Proverbs (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Splendor, majesty and honor describe what a passage presents as impressive or dignified. Psalm 104 speaks of the Lord as clothed with splendor and majesty. Proverbs describes strength and honor as the clothing of the capable woman and calls gray hair the splendor of the aged. Isaiah's servant, however, lacks the outward majesty that would attract the observers.
These uses invite attention to whose honor is described and how it is recognized. They do not establish one scale of beauty, wealth or visible success by which to rank people. Divine majesty, wise human dignity and the servant's unassuming appearance belong to different statements. Read the surrounding description before deciding what kind of splendor or honor is in view.
How the Bible Uses It
God's majesty, a woman's dignified strength and the servant's lack of attractive outward form prevent honor language from becoming a single appearance-based measure of worth.
- Ps.104.1
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The psalm addresses the Lord as clothed with splendor and majesty before portraying His work in creation, rather than assigning divine stature to human appearance.
- Prov.31.25
Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.
Strength and honor are pictured as the woman's clothing within a portrait of capable, generous and wise household activity.
- Isa.53.2
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
The observers do not find an attractive outward majesty in the servant; that description must be read with the rejection and suffering that follow.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand majesty4×1 Chronicles 16:27, Psalms 21:5, Psalms 96:6, Psalms 104:1
splendor3×Psalms 110:3, Psalms 145:5, Psalms 145:12
the splendor3×Isaiah 35:2, Lamentations 1:6
and from the splendor2×Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21
and honor2×Psalms 8:5, Proverbs 31:25
[is] majestic1×Psalms 29:4
[Zion’s] nobles1×Isaiah 5:14
and glory1×Job 40:10
and majestic1×Psalms 111:3
and splendor1×Psalms 45:3
and the splendor1×Isaiah 2:10
and Your splendor1×Psalms 90:16
honor1×Psalms 149:9
in the splendor1×Ezekiel 16:14
In your splendor1×Psalms 45:4
is the splendor1×Proverbs 20:29
majesty [is like]1×Deuteronomy 33:17
My blessing1×Micah 2:9
of majestic1×Leviticus 23:40
or majesty1×Isaiah 53:2
you splendor1×Ezekiel 27:10
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 23:40הָדָר֙toof majesticNoun - masculine singularDeuteronomy 33:17הָדָ֣רtomajesty [is like]Noun - masculine singular1 Chronicles 16:27וְהָדָר֙toand majestyConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularJob 40:10וְהָדָ֣רtoand gloryConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 8:5וְהָדָ֣רtoand honorConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 21:5וְ֝הָדָרtoand majestyConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 29:4בֶּהָדָֽר׃to[is] majesticPreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularPsalms 45:3וַהֲדָרֶֽךָ׃toand splendorConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularPsalms 45:4וַהֲדָ֬רְךָ֨׀toIn your splendorConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularPsalms 90:16וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗toand Your splendorConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLeviticus 23:40
Aligned rows30
Books represented10
Leviticus1Deuteronomy11 Chronicles1Job1Psalms13Proverbs2Isaiah7Lamentations1Ezekiel2Micah1
Source forms
וְהָדָ֣ר3xwə·hā·ḏārJob 40:10, Psalms 8:5, Psalms 104:1
וְהָדָ֥ר3xwə·hā·ḏārPsalms 96:6, Psalms 111:3, Proverbs 31:25
הֲדַ֥ר2xhă·ḏarIsaiah 35:2
הָדָ֣ר2xhā·ḏārDeuteronomy 33:17, Psalms 149:9
וּמֵהֲדַ֣ר2xū·mê·hă·ḏarIsaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21
בֶּהָדָֽר׃1xbe·hā·ḏārPsalms 29:4
בַּֽהֲדָרִי֙1xba·hă·ḏā·rîEzekiel 16:14
בְּֽהַדְרֵי־1xbə·haḏ·rê-Psalms 110:3
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular8x1 Chronicles 16:27, Job 40:10, Psalms 8:5, Psalms 21:5
Noun - masculine singular4xLeviticus 23:40, Deuteronomy 33:17, Psalms 149:9, Isaiah 53:2
Noun - masculine singular construct4xPsalms 145:5, Psalms 145:12, Isaiah 35:2
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular3xPsalms 45:3, Psalms 45:4, Psalms 90:16
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct3xIsaiah 2:10, Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular2xIsaiah 5:14, Lamentations 1:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct1xProverbs 20:29
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular1xMicah 2:9
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not rank spiritual worth by beauty, wealth or impressive presentation.
- Avoid using age or visible dignity to exempt leaders from accountability.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim an unimpressive appearance means a person lacks worth; Isaiah's servant exposes the limits of the observers' response.
- Do not claim a dignified leader possesses God's judging authority; divine majesty and human honor appear in distinct settings.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Splendor or majesty that adorns and elevates; often denotes outward glory or honorable appearance reflecting dignity
Source Gloss
magnificence , i.e. ornament or splendor
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Splendor or majesty that adorns and elevates; often denotes outward glory or honorable appearance reflecting dignity
magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor BDB: ornament Usage: beauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honour, majesty.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Dignity and majesty as attributes of a virtuous woman's character and bearing
Showing 1 selected witness from 30 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Isaiah's servant description can interrupt a careless reading of honor language. The observers see no impressive form that draws their desire, yet their unfavorable response is not the final measure of the servant's significance. Proverbs likewise portrays honor through a fuller account of wise activity and gives dignity to gray hair without turning age into divine authority.
Psalm 104's address to the Lord belongs to a different scale entirely: it praises the Creator's majesty. Job's challenge to adorn himself with splendor also occurs inside God's questions about judging and subduing the proud. These passages call for attentive distinctions. A reader should neither transfer God's authority to an impressive person nor conclude that an unimpressive appearance reveals a life without worth.
Anchor passage
Isa.53.2
Doctrinal connections
- Psalm 104:1 joins the Lord's splendor and majesty to praise of the Creator.
- Psalm 96:6 places splendor and majesty before the Lord amid the contrast with idols.
- Proverbs 31:25 pictures strength and honor within the woman's wider wise and generous conduct.
- Proverbs 20:29 recognizes gray hair as the splendor of the aged alongside youthful strength.
- Isaiah 53:2-3 describes the servant's unimpressive appearance and the observers' rejecting response.
- Job 40:10-14 places the splendor challenge within God's questions about judgment and power.
The licensed comparison gives magnificence, ornament and splendor language. The BSB also uses honor in the selected human portrait; context determines whether appearance, dignity or divine majesty is described.
From Old to New Testament
Readers can compare the tension between outward impressiveness and faithful service with Christian reflection on humility. That thematic comparison should preserve Isaiah's actual servant description and any New Testament passage's own argument; the noun alone neither identifies every servant figure nor confers divine honor on a human leader.