What Is the Glory of God? The Meaning of Glory in Scripture

We Christians talk a lot about God’s glory. We sing worship songs about it, and we desire to give the Lord all the honor and glory in our lives (Pss 86:12; 115:1; 1 Cor 10:31). But what does the word “glory” actually mean? How does Scripture define it, and what does the Bible mean when it speaks of the glory of God? Glory is a major biblical theme. Scripture brims with its language and imagery. As a result, the portrayal of God’s glory in the Bible is rich, multifaceted, and varied.1 And the glory of the Lord appears at significant moments in the biblical narrative and in Israel’s history. Although glory is a theme throughout the Bible, most OT texts about God’s glory appear in the Pentateuch, Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. In the New Testament, the theme of glory occurs most frequently in John, Romans, 2 Corinthians, 1 Peter, and Revelation. In this essay, we will examine the meaning of the key biblical terms for glory. We will then trace the theme of God’s glory in the grand narrative of Scripture by looking at some examples. As we consider this glorious topic, I invite everyone to pray Moses’s prayer, “Please show me your glory” (Exod 33:18).2 Table of contentsWhat are the Bible’s...