If, having read the main article ('Beauty and the Bible'), you are interested in more examples of how the different words for 'beauty' are used in the Bible then read on! This is not a comprehensive list – do get in touch if you want to see more, or make some searches yourself on www.biblestudytools.com where you can use the ‘interlinear’ function to look up different words - Interlinear Bible - Greek and Hebrew with Concordance (biblestudytools.com). The numbers in brackets are Strong’s numbers and relate to how the words have been catalogued. All references are from the NASB unless otherwise stated.
Yophiy (03308)
Yophiy, normally translated as 'beauty', usually describes the beauty of a person or branches of trees:
How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.
This type of beauty is taken away as a sign of judgment:
Now it will come about that
instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction;
instead of a belt, a rope;
instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp;
instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth;
and branding instead of beauty.
Though this type of beauty is clearly a good gift from God, it is misused by Israel and corrupts the heart:
"Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendour which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD.
"But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing."
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendour.
I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
Tsebiy (06643)
Tsebiy, normally translated as 'beauty', 'glory' or 'honour', is a type of beauty that is clearly a good thing (God is even described as becoming a beautiful crown), but which is defiled in judgment:
The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot. And the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is at the head of the fertile valley, will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer, which one sees, and as soon as it is in the hand, he swallows it. In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;
Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!
In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel.
Tiph'raph (08597)
Tiph'raph, normally translated 'beauty', 'splendour', or 'glory', usually describes things e.g. sheep, priestly garments, crowns, houses.
You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
Splendour and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
She [wisdom] will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments...
Towb (02896)
Towb, normally translated 'good', and meaning 'pleasant' or 'favourable', is used of people, e.g. Rebekah, Bathsheba, Esther, and baby Moses.
When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "my wife," thinking, "the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful."
The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.
Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.
No'am (05278)
No’am, meaning 'pleasantness', is the beauty, kindness and favour of the Lord which leads to peace and rest.
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us;
yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
In the NIV and NASB, the word No'am here is translated as 'favour'.
No'am can also be taken away in judgment:
And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
Once again, both the NIV and NASB translate No'am here as 'favour'. The staff of beauty/favour signifies the covenant with God’s people.
Hadar (01926) & Hadarah (01927)
Hadar (verb) and Hadarah (noun) have the sense of ornament and splendour.
And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
The NIV translates Hadarah here as 'splendour'.
Kalos (2570)
Kalos is more often translated as ‘good’ in the KJV. It is a word used to describe things (e.g. temple stones, Luke 21:5) and deeds (e.g. good works, trees producing good fruits).
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
Euprepeia (2143)
Used only once in Scripture, Euprepeia literally means 'having good appearance', or, to use an old-fashioned word, 'comeliness'.
For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
Horaios (5611)
Horaios, normally translated 'beautiful', has the sense of blooming, as a flower does in springtime!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!"
