Hebrew word · H1927
הֲדָרָה
behadrat-
adornment
A rare noun meaning splendour, majesty, adornment. Outside this phrase it occurs only in Prov 14:28, "in a multitude of people is the king's splendour" (hadrat-melek), where it means royal glory, not clothing.
Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) adornment, glory
1a) holy adornment (of public worship)
1b) glory (of the king)
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
A rare noun meaning splendour, majesty, adornment. Outside this phrase it occurs only in Prov 14:28, "in a multitude of people is the king's splendour" (hadrat-melek), where it means royal glory, not clothing. Related words: hāḏār, "majesty, splendour" (Ps 104:1, God "clothed with splendour and majesty"; Prov 31:25, "strength and dignity are her clothing"), and the verb hāḏar, "to honour" (Lev 19:32).
- Against the English
KJV "beauty" now suggests prettiness or good looks. BSB/ESV/NIV "splendor" points to majesty. WEB/NASB "holy array" takes it as festive or priestly dress. In 1611 "beauty" still carried more of the sense of ornament and dignity.
- How it drifted
The KJV's "the beauty of holiness" became a stock phrase, used in hymns ("O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness") and in arguments for beautiful liturgy and church buildings. That shifted the phrase toward the beauty of things that look nice.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The full phrase bəhaḏraṯ-qōḏeš appears in Ps 29:2, Ps 96:9, 1 Chr 16:29 and 2 Chr 20:21, where Levitical singers go out "in holy splendour" in front of Jehoshaphat's army. In the Ugaritic Kirta epic, El comes down to the king "in his dream … in his vision (dhrt)" (KTU 1.14 I 35–37; III 50–51). F. M. Cross and others link that word, with two letters swapped, to Hebrew hdrt and read it as "appearance, theophany" (a visible appearing of God).
- Range of meaning
Splendor, majesty, honor, adornment. Outside this phrase it occurs only in Prov 14:28, 'in a multitude of people is a king's hadrat'. The related noun hadar is royal majesty and glory (Ps 45:3–4; 'hod and hadar' of God, Ps 96:6, the verse just before). The fixed phrase hadrat-qodesh appears in Ps 29:2; 96:9; 1 Chr 16:29; 2 Chr 20:21.
- Against the English
KJV 'beauty of holiness'; BSB/NIV/ESV 'splendor of (his) holiness'; WEB 'holy array'; NASB 'holy attire'; YLT 'honour of holiness'. 'Beauty' leads a modern reader to think of loveliness or good taste. The Hebrew word belongs to the language of royal dignity and honor.
- How it drifted
In 1611 'beauty' could still mean comeliness, honor and fitting dignity. It has since narrowed to visual attractiveness. The KJV line became a well-known hymn ('O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness'), which fixed the aesthetic reading in many minds.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Prov 14:28 shows the word used for a king's glory. In the Ugaritic Kirta epic (KTU 1.14 III 51), hdrt stands parallel to ḥlm, 'dream', which suggests a meaning like 'vision' or 'divine appearance'. F. M. Cross and others drew on this for the Psalms. The Septuagint reads 'court' instead (see textual notes).
From the study of 1 Chronicles 16:29
- Range of meaning
הֲדָרָה is rare. It occurs only in Ps 29:2; 96:9; 1 Chr 16:29; 2 Chr 20:21 (all with qodesh) and Prov 14:28 ('a multitude of people is a king's splendor'). It is related to the common הָדָר, 'splendor, majesty, adornment' (Ps 96:6 'splendor and majesty are before him'). Qodesh is holiness, the sphere that belongs to God. As a phrase it means 'splendor of holiness', or 'holy splendor'.
- Against the English
KJV/YLT 'the beauty of holiness'. ESV 'the splendor of holiness'. BSB and NIV 'the splendor of his holiness', which adds 'his' and so makes the splendor God's own. WEB 'holy array' and NASB's similar 'holy array/attire' make it the worshippers' sacred clothing. The Hebrew, without any possessive, leaves the question open.
- How it drifted
'Beauty' in KJV-era English meant splendor, majesty, glory. Modern hearers can take it as prettiness, or as the moral attractiveness of a holy life. Neither is what the phrase means.
- Used elsewhere in the period
2 Chr 20:21 has singers praising 'with/for holy splendor' at the head of the army. The Septuagint translates 'in his holy court(s)' (Ps 29:2; 96:9; 1 Chr 16:29). In the Ugaritic Kirta epic, the word dhrt (very close to Hebrew hdrt, with two letters swapped) parallels 'dream', meaning 'vision' (KTU 1.14 III 51). From this some scholars read 'bow down when he appears in holiness'. The Vulgate has in decore sancto, 'in holy adornment'.
Where it appears
1 Chronicles · 1
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1 Chronicles 16:29 בְּהַדְרַת־ in adornment of
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness;
Here: 'In the splendor/adornment of…'. It is a rare word for majestic splendor. Whose splendor is meant, and whether it is clothing, God's glory appearing, or a place, is debated (see studies).
2 Chronicles · 1
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2 Chronicles 20:21 לְהַדְרַת־ to adornment of
Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.”
Here: 'To/for the splendor of'. A rare word for visible glory or honour, as in Prov 14:28, where a large population is 'the splendor of a king'. Whether the splendor belongs to God or to the singers' holy clothing is debated (see Debates).
Psalms · 2
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Psalm 29:2 בְּהַדְרַת־ in adornment of
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.
Here: A rare word for majestic splendour or finery, from a root meaning honour and adornment. It can mean what someone is dressed in, how they look, or their majesty. Whose splendour is meant (the worshippers' or God's) is debated.
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Psalm 96:9 בְּהַדְרַת־ in adornment of
Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.
Here: A rare word from the root h-d-r, the language of royal majesty and honor. It may mean God's splendor, the festal clothing of the worshippers, or (on a Ugaritic parallel) God's holy appearing. In every case the picture is regal, not 'pretty'.
Proverbs · 1
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Proverbs 14:28 הַדְרַת־ [the] glory of
A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.