Lexical Summary hóraios: Beautiful, timely, seasonable Original Word: ὡραῖος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beautiful. From hora; belonging to the right hour or season (timely), i.e. (by implication) flourishing (beauteous (figuratively)) -- beautiful. see GREEK hora HELPS Word-studies 5611 hōraíos (from 5610 /hṓra, "an hour, the time of fulfillment") – properly, a particular hour (a "season" of time); (figuratively) beautiful in timing, hence fruitful because fully developed (prepared, as in Ro 10:15). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom hóra Definition seasonable, timely NASB Translation beautiful (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5611: ὡραῖοςὡραῖος, ὡραία, ὡραῖον (from ὥρα, 'the bloom and vigor of life,' 'beauty' in the Greek writings, who sometimes join the word in this sense with χάρις (which suggests grace of movement) or κάλλος (which denotes, rather, symmetry of form)), from Hesiod down, ripe, mature (of fruits, of human age, etc.); hence, blooming, beautiful (of the human body, Xenophon, Plato, others; with τῇ ὄψει added, Genesis 26:7; Genesis 29:17; Genesis 39:6; 1 Kings 1:6): πόδες, Romans 10:15; of a certain gate of the temple, Acts 3:2, 10; (τάφοι κεκονιάμενοι, Matthew 23:27); σκεῦος, 2 Chronicles 36:19. (Cf. Trench, Synonyms, § cvi.) Topical Lexicon Semantic Field of ὡραῖος The adjective carries the idea of attractiveness that is right or fitting for its moment. In Scripture the word therefore links visible beauty with God-ordained timing, directing attention to what is lovely because it appears when and where the Lord appoints. The Beautiful Gate and Apostolic Healing (Acts 3:2, 10) Luke twice employs ὡραῖος in naming the Temple entrance through which Peter and John regularly passed: “a man lame from birth was being carried to the gate of the temple called Beautiful” (Acts 3:2). The repetition (Acts 3:10) anchors the miracle in a place already renowned for its splendor. Josephus describes the Nicanor Gate as overlaid with Corinthian bronze that outshone even gold—an architectural emblem of Israel’s expectancy. Against this magnificent backdrop, the risen Christ demonstrates His greater glory by restoring the crippled man. The episode turns literal beauty into a stage for redemptive beauty, illustrating how God’s timing makes a life whole and draws worshipers from a spectacle of stone to the salvation embodied in Jesus Christ. External Religion versus Inner Purity (Matthew 23:27) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity” (Matthew 23:27). Here ὡραῖοι highlights the disjunction between outward appearance and inward reality. The Lord exposes religious formalism that decorates death rather than deals with sin. Situated within the seven woes, the term warns that aesthetic or ceremonial allure becomes abhorrent when it masks spiritual decay. Authentic worship must therefore unite visible conduct with hidden holiness. The Beautiful Feet of Gospel Messengers (Romans 10:15) Paul asks, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring good news of good things!” (Romans 10:15). Drawing from Isaiah 52:7, the apostle intertwines ὡραῖοι with the eschatological hope of Zion. In the Old Testament the herald’s arrival at Jerusalem signaled the end of exile; in the New Testament the preacher’s journey into every nation signals the Lord’s salvation now. Beauty is thus relocated from aesthetics to mission. The Church that delights in Christ will prize the paths that carry His word to the lost. Intertextual Connections 1. Isaiah 52:7 supplies the “beautiful feet” motif; its immediate context of Yahweh’s reign and servant-song vindication finds fulfillment in the atoning work of Jesus. Theological Reflections • God defines true beauty by alignment with His purposes; when timing and righteousness converge, loveliness is revealed. Practical Ministry Applications • Church architecture and liturgy should point beyond themselves to the living Christ, lest they become ornate yet empty gates. Summary ὡραῖος threads through the New Testament to contrast superficial attractiveness with divinely timed, gospel-centered beauty. From the Temple gate to the preacher’s feet, its occurrences invite God’s people to behold and embody the splendor that flows from sincerity, holiness, and the proclamation of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations Ωραια ωραία Ὡραίᾳ Ωραιαν ωραίαν Ὡραίαν ωραιοι ωραίοι ὡραῖοι ωραίον ωραίόν ωραίος ωραιότης ωραιότητα ωραίοτητά ωραιότητι ωραιότητί ωραιότητος ωραϊσμός ώριμος Horaia Hōraia Horaíāi Hōraíāi Horaian Horaían Hōraian Hōraían horaioi horaîoi hōraioi hōraîoi oraia Ōraia oraian Ōraian oraioi ōraioiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 23:27 Adj-NMPGRK: μὲν φαίνονται ὡραῖοι ἔσωθεν δὲ NAS: appear beautiful, but inside KJV: indeed appear beautiful outward, but INT: indeed appear beautiful inside however Acts 3:2 Adj-AFS Acts 3:10 Adj-DFS Romans 10:15 Adj-NMP Strong's Greek 5611 |
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