δόξα
dóxa · G1391 · Greek · 166 occurrences
Meanings
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glory, splendor
The quality of splendid, remarkable appearance
ExamplesMatthew 6:29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want.
Luke 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
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brightness, shining, radiance
The state of brightness or shining
ExamplesMatthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
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glorious power, amazing might
A manifestation of power characterized by glory
ExamplesMatthew 24:30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Mark 13:26 “And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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to praise, to glorify, praise
To speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor
ExamplesLuke 17:18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”
John 9:24 So for a second time they summoned the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this Man is a sinner.”
John 12:43 for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.
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honor, respect, status
Honor as an element in the assignment of status to a person
ExamplesLuke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:32 A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Luke 14:10 “But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you.
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greatness, glory
A state of being great and wonderful
ExamplesMatthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
Luke 12:27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
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glorious power, wonderful being
A benevolent supernatural power deserving respect and honor
ExamplesJames 2:1 My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
2 Peter 2:10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling,
Jude 1:8 Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic majesties.
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glory, heaven
A place which is glorious and as such, a reference to heaven
ExamplesColossians 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 Beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.
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pride
The reason or basis for legitimate pride
Examples1 Corinthians 11:15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her as a covering.
Ephesians 3:13 Therefore I ask you not to become discouraged about my tribulations in your behalf, since they are your glory.
Philippians 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.
How it’s used In 9 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
77 occurrences in 26 groups
- αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 27
- θεόςGod 19
- ἐγώI, we 4
- πατήρfather 4
- κύριοςLord 3
- Other words · 21 groups that occur once or twice (23) 23
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
12 occurrences in 8 groups
- αἰώνιοςeternal 2
- ἴδιοςone’s own 2
- μέλλωto be about to 2
- πολύςmany 2
- ἐμόςmy 1
- μεγαλοπρεπήςvery wonderful 1
Named alongside itApposition
9 occurrences in 7 groups
- δίδωμιto give, to grant 2
- δόξαglory 2
- δωρέομαιto give 1
- ἔχωto have 1
- θεόςGod 1
- καταργέωto abolish, to bring to an end 1
What it doesIt is the subject
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- εἰμίto be 1
- ἀναπαύωto cause to rest 1
- περιλάμπωto shine around 1
- φωτίζωto illuminate 1
What is done to itIt is the object
47 occurrences in 21 groups
- δίδωμιto give, to grant 12
- ζητέωto seek, to look for 6
- λαμβάνωto receive, to take 5
- εἴδωto know 3
- λέγωto say 3
- Other words · 16 groups that occur once or twice (19) 19
What it is said to bePredicate
12 occurrences in 9 groups
- ἄλλοςother, another 3
- Other words · 8 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- γυνήwoman, wife 1
- ὅστιςwhoever, whichever, whatever 1
- σύyou 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
49 occurrences in 10 groups
- ἐνin 30
- εἰςto 28
- μετάwith, after 8
- διάthrough 6
- ἀπόfrom 5
- πρόςto, toward, with 4
- Other words · 3 groups that occur once or twice (5) 5
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
30 occurrences in 21 groups
- πλοῦτοςriches, wealth 4
- ἔπαινοςpraise 3
- Other words · 19 groups that occur once or twice (23) 23
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 1 word
- λαμπρότης lamprótēs · G2987 · brightness, shining, radiance
- Both terms can describe visible brightness or radiance, though δόξα carries a much broader range including abstract honor, praise, and divine majesty where λαμπρότης remains focused on physical brilliance. The overlap exists primarily in contexts describing literal shining or splendor.
Contrasting words 1 word
- πάθημα páthēma · G3804 · pain, suffering, to suffer
- While πάθημα denotes suffering or hardship experienced, δόξα denotes glory or honor. These terms function as theological opposites in describing contrasting phases of Christian experience, where present suffering stands against future or resulting glory.
In the other Testament 4 words
- כָּבוֹד kâbôwd · H3519 · honor, power, dignity
- Hebrew כָבוֹד is the standard Septuagint equivalent for Greek δόξα, both denoting glory or honor as a kind of weight or radiance — whether divine splendor, human reputation, or visible magnificence.
- הָדָר hâdâr · H1926 · majesty, majestic, citron tree
- Greek δόξα (glory, honor, splendor) directly translates Hebrew הָדָר (majesty, splendor, beauty) in contexts emphasizing visible magnificence and regal splendor, particularly in descriptions of divine or royal glory.
- הוֹד hôwd · H1935 · glory
- δόξα (glory) spans a broader semantic range including both visible splendor and abstract reputation/honor, while הוֹד (beauty/majesty) concentrates specifically on the visible, aesthetic aspect of glory—the radiant splendor or majestic appearance—making it a narrower register equivalent primarily for contexts emphasizing manifest visual magnificence.
- תִּפְאָרָה tiphʼârâh · H8597 · greatness, glory, beauty
- Hebrew תִּפְאָרָה emphasizes visible beauty and ornamental splendor as manifestations of glory, while Greek δόξα focuses more broadly on radiant honor and manifest reputation; both denote glory as outwardly apparent majesty.
Semantic domains 9 entries
- Glory, heaven1.15
- Used of the heavenly realm associated with God's presence, as of the angelic host proclaiming glory to God in the highest in Luke 2:14, and the prayer that believers be made to stand blameless in the presence of God's glory with great joy in Jude 1:24.
- Glorious power, wonderful being12.49
- Used of a manifestation of divine majesty, as of God making known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory in Romans 9:23.
- Brightness, shining, radiance14.49
- Used of an intense visible light associated with divine presence, as of the glory of the Lord shining around the shepherds in Luke 2:9, and Paul unable to see because of the brightness of that light on the Damascus road in Acts 22:11.
- Pride25.205
- Used of a self-focused boasting in what should bring shame, as of those whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame in Philippians 3:19.
- To praise, to glorify, praise33.357
- Used of the honor or acclaim one receives from others, as of not receiving glory from people in John 5:41, and accepting glory from one another rather than seeking the glory that is from God alone in John 5:44.
- Glorious power, amazing might76.13
- Used of an overwhelming display of divine strength, as of the disobedient paying the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
- Glory, splendor79.18
- Used of a visible, physical magnificence admired for its own sake, as of the differing splendor among heavenly and earthly bodies, and among the sun, moon, and stars, each differing in glory, in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41.
- Greatness, glory87.23
- Used of an exalted, weighty significance attributed to something, as of momentary, light affliction producing an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison in 2 Corinthians 4:17.
- Honor, respect, status87.4
- Used of the esteem or standing a person or thing confers, as of the man being the image and glory of God, and the woman being the glory of man, in 1 Corinthians 11:7, and long hair being given to a woman as a glory in 1 Corinthians 11:15.
Word family 20 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Also from the root δοκέω
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon δόξης, ἡ (δοκέω (from Homer down), the Sept. most frequent for כָּבוד, several times for…
I. opinion, judgment, view: in this sense very often in secular writ; but in the Bible only in 4 Macc. 5:17 (18).
II. opinion, estimate, whether good or bad, concerning some one; but (like the Latinexistimatio) in secular writings generally, in the sacred writings always, good opinion concerning one, and as resulting from that, praise, honor, glory: Lk 14:10; Heb 3:3; 1 Pet 5:4; opposed to ἀτιμία, 2 Cor 6:8; opposed to αἰσχύνη, Phm 3:19; joined with τιμή, Rom 2:7, Rom 2:10; 1 Pet 1:7; 2 Pet 1:17; δόξα τίνος, praise or honor coming to someone, Lk 2:32; Eph 3:13; coming from some one, Jn 8:54; Jn 12:43; τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ Θεοῦ, Jn 12:43; Rom 3:23; persons whose excellence is to redound to the glory of others are called their δόξα: thus, ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἡ δόξα ἡμῶν, 1 Thess 2:20; ἀδελφοί ἡμῶν δόξα Χριστοῦ, 2 Cor 8:23. ζητεῖν τήν ἰδίαν δόξαν, or τήν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, Jn 7:18; Jn 8:50; of God, to endeavor to promote the glory of God, Jn 7:18: ζητεῖν δόξαν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, 1 Thess 2:6; τήν δόξαν τήν παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ, Jn 5:44; λαμβάνειν δόξαν (Latincaptare honorem) to seek to receive, catch at glory, Jn 5:41, Jn 5:44; to receive glory, 2 Pet 1:17; Rev 5:12; τήν δόξαν, the glory due (cf. Winers Grammar, 105f (100f); Buttmann, 88 (77); Ellicott on Gal 1:5, cf. Buttmann, 89 (78)), Rev 4:11; διδόναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, לַיְהוָה כָּבוד שׂוּם or (Jer 13:16) נָתַן, to give or ascribe glory to God, why and how being evident in each case from the context: thus, by declaring one's gratitude to God for a benefit received, Lk 17:18; by not distrusting God's promises, Rom 4:20; by celebrating his praises, Rev 4:9; Rev 11:13; Rev 14:7; (); (τήν δόξαν, the glory due); by rendering its due honor to God's majesty, Acts 12:23; δός δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, acknowledge that God knows all things, and show that you believe it by the confession you are about to make, Jn 9:24, cf. 1 Sam 6:5; Josh 7:19; Ev. Nicod. c. 14 (p. 622, Thilo edition, 296, Tdf. edition); cf. Grimm on 4 Macc. 1:12. εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, so as to honor God, to promote his glory (among men): Rom 15:7; 1 Cor 10:31; Phm 1:11; Phm 2:11; εἰς τήν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Rom 3:7; 2 Cor 4:15; τῷ Θεῷ πρός δόξαν, 2 Cor 1:20; πρός τήν τοῦ κυρίου δόξαν, 2 Cor 8:19: ὑπέρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, Jn 11:4; in doxologies: δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, Lk 2:14, cf. Lk 19:38; αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα, Rom 11:36; Eph 3:21; 2 Pet 3:18; ᾧ ἡ δόξα, Rom 16:27; Gal 1:5; 2 Tim 4:18; Heb 13:21; τῷ Θεῷ ἡ δόξα, Phm 4:20; τιμή καί δόξα, 1 Tim 1:17. (Even in classic Greek δόξα is a word of wide significance, ranging from one's private opinion, fancy, to public opinion, repute, renown (κλέος; cf. the relation of (φήμη to φάναι). Coupled with τιμή it denotes rather the splendid condition (evident glory), τιμή, the estimate and acknowledgment of it (paid honor).)
III. As a translation of the Hebrew כָּבוד, in a use foreign to Greek writing (Winers Grammar, 32), splendor, brightness;
1. properly: τοῦ φωτός, Acts 22:11; of the sun, moon, stars, 1 Cor 15:40f; used of the heavenly brightness, by which God was conceived of as surrounded, Lk 2:9 Acts 7:55, and by which heavenly beings were surrounded when they appeared on earth, Lk 9:31; Rev 18:1; with which the face of Moses was once made luminous, 2 Cor 3:7, and also Christ in his transfiguration, Lk 9:32; δόξα τοῦ κυρίου, in the Sept. equivalent to יְהוָה כְּבוד, in the Targum and Talmud שְׁכִינָה, Shekinah or Shechinah (see BB. DD. under the word), the glory of the Lord, and simply ἡ δόξα, a bright cloud by which God made manifest to men his presence and power on earth (Ex 24:17; Ex 40:28 (34ff), etc.): Rom 9:4; Rev 15:8; Rev 21:11, Rev 21:23; hence, ὁ Θεός τῆς δόξης (God to whom belongs δόξα ὤφθη, Acts 7:2; Χερούβειν δόξης, on whom the divine glory rests (so δόξα, without the article, Ex 40:28 (34); 1 Sam 4:22; Sir. 49:8), Heb 9:5.
2. magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace: βασιλεῖαι τοῦ κόσμου καί ἡ δόξα αὐτῶν, i. e. their resources, wealth, the magnificence and greatness of their cities, their fertile lands, their thronging population, Mt 4:8; Lk 4:6; ἡ δόξα τῶν βασιλειῶν τῆς γῆς, (Rev 21:24; τῶν ἐθνῶν, ibid.) Rev 21:26; used of royal state, splendid apparel, and the like: Mt 6:29; Lk 12:27 (Est 5:1; Josephus, Antiquities 8, 6, 5); glorious form and appearance: e. g. of human bodies restored to life, opposed to ἡ ἀτιμία which characterized them when they were buried, 1 Cor 15:43; ἡ δόξα τῆς σαρκός "omne id, quod in rebus humanis magnificum dicitur (Calvin), 1 Pet 1:24; εἶναι τίνι δόξα, to be a glory, ornament, to one, 1 Cor 11:15; universally, preeminence, excellence: 2 Cor 3:8-11.
3. majesty;
a. that which belongs to God; and a. the kingly majesty which belongs to him as the supreme ruler; so in passages where it is joined with βασιλεία, δύναμις, κράτος, ἐξουσία, and the like: Mt 6:13 Rec.; especially in doxologies, 1 Pet 4:11; 1 Pet 5:11 R G; Jude 1:25; Rev 1:6; these passage I have preferred to distinguish from those cited above, II. at the end, and yet in passages similar to each other in form it is not always clear whether δόξα is used to denote praise and honor, or regal majesty, as in Rev 7:12 ἡ εὐλογία καί ἡ δοκα καί ἡ σοφία καί ἡ εὐχαριστία καί ἡ τιμή καί ἡ ἰσχύς, Rev 19:1 ἡ σωτηρία καί ἡ δόξα καί ἡ τιμή καί ἡ δύναμις; likewise in Rev 5:12 (13). of the judicial majesty of God as exhibited at the last day, Jude 1:24. ἀνήρ εἰκών καί δόξα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, whose function of government reflects the majesty of the divine ruler, 1 Cor 11:7; (ἡ) γυνή δόξα ἀνδρός, because in her the preeminence and authority of her husband are conspicuous, ibid. β. majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity: Rom 1:23; 2 Cor 4:6; Heb 1:3; 2 Pet 1:17; 1 Pet 4:14; ἐν δόξῃ, equivalent to ἐνδόξως, i. e. as accords with his divine perfection, Phm 4:19 (cf. Meyer and Lightfoot at the passage); of the majesty of his saving grace: Rom 9:23; Eph 1:12, Eph 1:14, Eph 1:18; Eph 3:16; 1 Tim 1:11; 2 Pet 1:3 (Winer's Grammar, 381 (356)); more fully δόξα τῆς χάριτος. Eph 1:6; ὁ πατήρ τῆς δόξης, the Father whose characteristic is majesty, Eph 1:17; the majesty of God as exhibited in deeds of power: Jn 11:40; Rom 6:4 (whence δόξα for עֹז, the Sept. Isa 12:2; Isa 45:24); hence, τό κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, the might in which His majesty excels, Col 1:11.
b. majesty which belongs to Christ; and α. the kingly majesty of the Messiah, to which belongs his kingly state, the splendor of His external appearance, the retinue of angels, and the like (see in III. 1): Mk 10:37; in this sense it is said that Christ will come hereafter to set up the Messianic kingdom ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρός, clothed by the Father in kingly array, Mt 16:27; Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26; μετά δυνάμεως καί δόξης πολλῆς, Mt 24:30; Mk 13:26; Lk 21:27 cf. Mt 25:31; Tit 2:13; 1 Pet 4:13; also καθίσαι ἐπί θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, Mt 19:28; Mt 25:31, cf. 1 Sam 2:8; ἡ δόξα τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, the majesty of his Messianic power with which he will punish his adversaries, 2 Thess 1:9. β. the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellence of Christ: 2 Cor 3:18; 2 Cor 4:4; in which he excels by virtue of his nature as ὁ θεῖος λόγος, Jn 1:14; Jn 12:41; of which majesty he gave tokens in the miracles he performed, Jn 2:11 cf. Jn 11:40; ὁ κύριος τῆς δόξης, 1 Cor 2:8; Jas 2:1. γ. "the majesty (glory) of angels, as apparent in their exterior brightness, Lk 9:26; in a wider sense, in which angels are called δόξαι as being spiritual beings of preeminent dignity: Jude 1:8; 2 Pet 2:10.
4. a most glorious condition, most exalted state;
a. of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth: Lk 24:26; Jn 17:5 (where he is said to have been in the same condition before his incarnation, and even before the beginning of the world); Jn 17:22, Jn 17:24; Heb 2:7, Heb 2:9; 1 Pet 1:11, 1 Pet 1:21; τό σῶμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, the body in which his glorious condition is manifested, Phm 3:21; ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ, was taken np (into heaven) so that he is now ἐν δόξῃ, 1 Tim 3:16 (cf. Winers Grammar, 413 (385); Buttmann, 328 (283)).
b. "the glorious condition of blessedness into which it is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven": Rom 8:18, Rom 8:21; Rom 9:23; 2 Cor 4:17; Col 1:27 (twice; cf. Meyer at the passage); Col 3:4; 2 Tim 2:10; Heb 2:10; 1 Pet 5:1; which condition begins to be enjoyed even now through the devout contemplation of the divine majesty of Christ, and its influence upon those who contemplate it, 2 Cor 3:18; and this condition will include not only the blessedness of the soul, but also the gain of a more excellent body (1 Cor 15:43; Phm 3:21); cf. Lipsius, Paulin. Rechtfertigungslehre, p. 203ff; ἡ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ, which God bestows, Rom 5:2; 1 Thess 2:12; δόξα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, the same in which Christ rejoices, 2 Thess 2:14 (cf. Rom 8:17 etc.); εἰς δόξαν ἡμῶν, to render us partakers of δόξα, 1 Cor 2:7. Cf. Weiss, Biblical Theol. des N. T. § 76 d.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 9 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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