Original Word: תִּפְאָרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tiph'arah
Pronunciation: tif-aw-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (tif-aw-raw')
KJV: beauty(-iful), bravery, comely, fair, glory(-ious), honour, majesty
NASB: glory, beautiful, beauty, glorious, honor, adornment, boast
Word Origin: [from H6286 (פָּאַר - glorified)]

1. ornament
{abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively}

beautiful, brave, comely, fair, glorious, honor, majesty

Or tiphereth {tif-eh'-reth}; from pa'ar; ornament (abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively) -- beauty(- iful), bravery, comely, fair, glory(-ious), hono; ornament (abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively) -- beauty(-iful), bravery, comely, fair, glory(-ious), honour, majesty.

see HEBREW pa'ar

Word Origin
from paar
Definition
beauty, glory
NASB Translation
adornment (1), beautiful (8), beauty (7), boast (1), glorious (7), glory (17), honor (2), jewels* (1), pomp (1), pride (1), splendor (1).

תִּפְאָרָה noun feminine beauty, glory; — ׳תּ Isaiah 28:5; Jeremiah 48:17; elsewhere absolute and construct תִּפְאֶרֶת Isaiah 3:18 20t.; תִּפְאָ֑רֶת Proverbs 28:12 6t.; suffix תִּפְאַרְתִּי Isaiah 46:13 20t. suffix; —

1 beauty, finery Isaiah 3:18; of garments Isaiah 52:1; jewels Ezekiel 16:17,39; Ezekiel 23:26, compare 2Chronicles 3:6; flock Jeremiah 13:20; a man Isaiah 44:13; city of Samaria Isaiah 28:1,4; diadem Isaiah 28:5.

2 glory:

a. of rank: apparel of high priest Exodus 28:2,40 (P); ׳עֲטֶרֶת ת crown of glory Proverbs 4:9; Proverbs 16:31; Isaiah 62:3; Jeremiah 13:18; Ezekiel 16:12; Ezekiel 23:42; greatness of monarch Esther 1:4; house of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem Zechariah 12:7 (twice in verse).

b. of renown ׳לְשֵׁם ולת Deuteronomy 26:19; 1 Chronicles 22:5; Jeremiah 13:11; Jeremiah 33:9.

c. attribute of ׳י Psalm 71:8; 1 Chronicles 29:11; ׳שֵׁם ת Isaiah 63:14; 1 Chronicles 29:13; עֹז ׳ת Psalm 89:18; ׳זְרוֺעַ ת Isaiah 63:12; hence ׳ת in ׳יs sanctuary Psalm 96:6, ׳בֵּית תִּפְאַרְתִּ Isaiah 60:7; compare Isaiah 63:15 (of heavenly temple), Isaiah 64:10; ׳ת as ׳יs gift to Israel Isaiah 46:13; compare Isaiah 60:19 (also Psalm 89:18 above); of future fruit of land Psalm 4:2; designation of ark of ׳י Psalm 78:61.

3. a. honour of nation Israel Lamentations 2:1.

b. glorying, boasting, of individual, Isaiah 20:5; Proverbs 17:6; Proverbs 19:11; Proverbs 20:29; Proverbs 28:12; warrior Judges 4:9; monarchs Isaiah 10:12; nations Isaiah 13:19; Ezekiel 24:25, ׳מַקֵּל ת rod (sceptre) of glorying Jeremiah 48:17 (others 1).

II. פאר (doubtful √).

Scope and Thematic Overview

תִּפְאָרָה (tiphʾārāh) appears roughly fifty-one times, gathering a rich cluster of ideas: splendor, beauty, honor, majesty, renown, ornament, pride. Whether describing the immutable glory of God, the consecrated adornment of priests, or the fleeting pride of sinful nations, the word always directs the reader to recognize true glory as something bestowed by the LORD and ultimately belonging to Him alone.

Divine Splendor and Worship

At the heart of Scripture’s use of תִּפְאָרָה stands the self-revelation of God. “Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary” (Psalm 96:6). His resplendence is above both earth and heaven (Psalm 148:13), demanding universal praise. This glory is not ornamental but essential; wherever God is present—whether enthroned in heaven or dwelling among His people—there is tiphʾārāh.

Priestly and Liturgical Adornment

The word first surfaces in connection with the high-priestly garments: “Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor” (Exodus 28:2; cf. 28:40). Here תִּפְאָרָה underlines the representative role of the priesthood. Israel’s mediator must bear visible beauty that reflects the invisible holiness of Yahweh. The same idea recurs when Zion is summoned to dress herself in her “splendid garments” (Isaiah 52:1). Genuine worship, therefore, is never drab; it mirrors back to God the ordered beauty He confers.

Royal and National Majesty

Tiphʾārāh often marks the height of regal honor. Solomon “was highly exalted in the sight of all Israel and bestowed with royal majesty” (1 Chronicles 29:25), and Isaiah foresees a day when “the LORD of Hosts will be a crown of glory, a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people” (Isaiah 28:5). Nations likewise receive—or lose—splendor by divine decree (Isaiah 13:19; Nahum 2:2). The rise and fall of kingdoms teach that all civil grandeur is derivative.

Ethical and Personal Honor

Several wisdom texts apply תִּפְאָרָה to character rather than cosmetics:
• “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained along the path of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).
• “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6).
• “A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).
• “The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old” (Proverbs 20:29).

True honor is the outworking of covenant faithfulness; it inhabits relationships, restraint, and righteous vigor.

False Glory, Pride, and Judgment

Because תִּפְאָרָה can denote boastful pride, the prophets use it to expose counterfeit glory. The “proud crown, the fading flower of the beauty of Ephraim’s drunkards” is cast down (Isaiah 28:1 – 4). Tyre’s “beauty” is broken (Ezekiel 27:3 – 10), and the prince of Tyre’s heart is lifted up in his beauty only to be brought low (Ezekiel 28:17). Deborah warns Barak that “the honor will not be yours” when the battle glory goes to Jael (Judges 4:9). Wherever humans seize glory rather than receive it, judgment follows.

Prophetic Promise of Restoration

God pledges to restore Israel’s splendor after exile: “I will bring My righteousness near; it is not far away, and My salvation will not delay. I will grant salvation to Zion, and My glory to Israel” (Isaiah 46:13). The rebuilt Temple will again be adorned with tiphʾārāh (Isaiah 60:7, 13). Even the land itself will blossom: “His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree” (Hosea 14:6). Restoration is thus cast in aesthetic terms; redemption is beautiful.

Messianic Anticipation and New Covenant Fulfillment

Isaiah’s Branch is promised as “beautiful and glorious” (Isaiah 4:2), anticipating the Messiah whose intrinsic glory is veiled in His incarnation yet unveiled in His resurrection and exaltation (cf. John 1:14, though the Hebrew term there is kavod, the conceptual link remains). The New Testament’s emphasis on believers being transformed “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18) resonates with the older promise that God would clothe His people with tiphʾārāh. In union with Christ, the church inherits the beauty once reserved for priest and king (1 Peter 2:9).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Worship Leaders: Pursue excellence and ordered beauty in corporate worship, reflecting the divine splendor.
2. Pastoral Care: Encourage the aged that gray hair, when coupled with righteousness, is a God-given crown.
3. Preaching: Expose the futility of self-glory and direct hearers to the glory that comes from God alone.
4. Missions: Present the gospel as the restoration of mankind’s lost splendor, culminating in the radiant bride of Christ (Revelation 21:11).
5. Ethical Instruction: Teach that patience, restraint, and faithful relationships are expressions of true honor.

Key References

Exodus 28:2, 40; Judges 4:9; 1 Chronicles 29:25; Job 40:10; Psalm 71:8; Psalm 96:6; Psalm 148:13; Proverbs 16:31; Proverbs 17:6; Proverbs 19:11; Proverbs 20:29; Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 28:1 – 5; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 60:7, 13; Jeremiah 13:11; Ezekiel 16:14; Ezekiel 27:3 – 10; Ezekiel 28:17; Hosea 14:6; Nahum 2:2; Zechariah 12:7.

Related Hebrew Concepts

כָּבוֹד (kāḇōd) – weighty glory emphasizing honor and substance.

הֲדָר (hādār) – majesty or dignity, often paired with tiphʾārāh.

אַדֶּרֶת (adderet) – majestic mantle or splendor. Taken together, these terms enrich the Old Testament theology of glory, each adding nuance to the portrait of the God whose beauty He graciously shares with His redeemed people.

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