An entry in the 7 Scrolls Bible Dictionary, with every example verse shown in the Berean Standard Bible.
What is the biblical definition of glory?
In the Bible, glory is the weight, splendor and honor of God made visible. To glorify God means to recognize that worth and show it in words and life.
How often does the Bible use the word glory?
| Word form (BSB) | Times used | Verses |
|---|---|---|
| glory | 317 | 298 |
| glorious | 53 | 52 |
| glorify | 27 | 24 |
| glorified | 37 | 36 |
| All listed forms | 434 | 397 |
Books where these words appear in the most verses: Psalms (50), Isaiah (48), John (27), Ezekiel (21), Romans (20).
Most of these rows describe God's glory, but some describe human honor or pride, as when people glory in something. The counts show where the English words occur, not how each use is meant.
How we counted: a whole-word, case-insensitive search of every verse of the Berean Standard Bible (31,086 verses in our data) for each listed English form. Counts describe the English translation, not the Hebrew or Greek behind it, and include every sense of the word.
How does the Bible use glory?
What does kavod mean?
Kavod is related to the Hebrew word for heavy. A person with kavod has weight in the community: honor, standing, reputation. When the Bible speaks of God's glory, it means the full weight of who God is, made known.
That is why glory can be both seen and given. The heavens show it in Psalm 19:1. People are told to give it in Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name”. Giving glory does not add to God. It recognizes what is already true.
What was the glory in the tabernacle?
In Exodus, God's glory often appears as a cloud and fire. When the tabernacle was finished, Exodus 40:34–35 says the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD filled it. Moses himself could not go in. The same thing happens at the dedication of Solomon's temple in 1 Kings 8:11.
The glory meant God's presence was living among the people. Its loss was a disaster. When the ark was captured, a mother named her son Ichabod, saying the glory had departed (1 Samuel 4:21). Ezekiel sees the glory leave the temple in Ezekiel 10:18 and return in a later vision in Ezekiel 43:2.
How does the New Testament speak of glory?
The Greek word is doxa. John 1:14 says the Word became flesh and made a dwelling among us, and “We have seen His glory”. The language recalls the tabernacle: the presence that once filled a tent is now seen in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:6 speaks of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Glory also points forward. Romans 8:18 says present suffering is not comparable to the glory that will be revealed. Romans 3:23 says all have fallen short of God's glory, which shows what humans were made to reflect.
What does it mean to glorify God?
To glorify God is to make God's worth visible. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 that people will see good deeds and glorify the Father. Paul applies it to ordinary life in 1 Corinthians 10:31: eat, drink, do everything to the glory of God. Glory and worship are closely tied, since worship is the response to God's glory.
Key Bible verses about glory
Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.”
Exodus 33:18 BSB
Moses asks to see God's glory. The answer that follows shows that glory includes God's goodness and name.
Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:34 BSB
The glory of the LORD fills the finished tabernacle, marking God's presence among the people.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Psalm 19:1 BSB
Creation itself announces God's glory without words.
And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
Isaiah 6:3 BSB
In Isaiah's vision, the whole earth is full of God's glory.
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 BSB
The glory once seen over the tabernacle is now seen in Jesus, full of grace and truth.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 BSB
All people fall short of God's glory, the standard humans were made to reflect.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 BSB
Glorifying God reaches into ordinary acts like eating and drinking.
What are the Hebrew and Greek words behind it?
Hebrew: kavod — glory, honor, weight
From a root meaning heavy. It can describe human honor or, most often in the Bible, the visible presence and worth of God.
Greek: doxa — glory, splendor, honor
The New Testament word for glory. The related verb means to glorify, to honor or show someone's worth.
Glory vs worship: what is the difference?
Glory is about who God is: the weight and splendor of God's presence. Worship is the human response to that glory: bowing, praising, serving. Psalm 29:2 holds both in one verse. Glory is what is seen, and worship is what people do when they see it.
Why does glory matter?
Glory is one of the threads that runs from Exodus to Revelation. The cloud over the tabernacle, the temple, the incarnation in John 1 and the city lit by God's glory in Revelation 21:23 tell one connected story about God dwelling with people.
The word also explains common phrases like give glory to God. Knowing that glory means weight and worth makes those phrases concrete. You can trace this and similar words in the 7 Scrolls Bible dictionary.
Quick check
What filled the tabernacle when it was finished?
The glory of the LORD, with the cloud covering the tent (Exodus 40:34).
What name did a mother give her son when the ark was captured?
Ichabod, because the glory had departed from Israel (1 Samuel 4:21).
What do the heavens declare in Psalm 19:1?
The glory of God (Psalm 19:1).
Related Bible words
In summary
- Glory means weight, splendor and honor; the Hebrew kavod comes from a root meaning heavy.
- God's glory filled the tabernacle and temple as a sign of presence.
- John 1:14 says God's glory is seen in Jesus.
- To glorify God is to show God's worth in words and actions.