Glory — Meaning in the Bible
Splendour, honour and weight. The glory of God is his visible presence and greatness; to glorify God is to honour him.
What it means
The Hebrew word carries the idea of weight or importance. God's glory appeared on Mount Sinai and filled the tabernacle and the temple. Exodus 24:16–17Exodus 40:34–351 Kings 8:10–11
John writes that the Word became flesh and "we saw his glory". Paul says all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, and that believers are being changed from glory to glory. John 1:14Romans 3:232 Corinthians 3:18
Key passages
- Exodus 33:18–23 — Moses asks to see God's glory.
- Exodus 40:34–35 — Glory fills the tabernacle.
- Isaiah 6:3 — The whole earth is full of his glory.
- Luke 2:9 — The glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds.
- John 1:14 — We saw his glory.
Original language
כָּבוֹד ka.vod
Hebrew · Strong’s H3519 · gloss: “glory”
The Hebrew word for glory, related to "heavy". Exodus 40:34
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
Glory means God's great brightness and greatness. When Jesus was born, the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds. Luke 2:9
Study further
- Exodus 33:12–23 Show me your glory.
- 1 Kings 8:1–11 Glory in the temple.
- John 1:1–18 Glory in the Word made flesh.