“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 nkjv).
You too are here in this era for such a time as this.
Esther’s story sort of reads almost like a fairytale—except it isn’t at all fantasy. It’s real history, and history pregnant with providence. You remember her story. Esther was an orphan girl, raised in obscurity, with no crown, no palace, no fancy or quality clothes, no promise of greatness initially seen. Yet in God’s design, this one young woman was chosen to stand in the gap and rescue an entire people. The Jews.
Her beauty caught a king’s eye, but it was her courage that caught God’s. When faced with a decree of genocide, Esther could have shrunk back with doubts, whispering the words we’ve all thought at some point: “I’m just one person.” Yet she fasted, prayed with the right address attached, and stepped forward. And God used her obedience to alter the destiny of nations.
And Mordecai’s words to her still echo today: “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
Think about it. That question is not really so ancient—it is in the present tense. You are not here by accident young man, young woman.. or you older person. God has created you on purpose and woven you into this exact moment of history.
George Barna research reveals to us that 75% of practicing Christians believe they have a calling from God, but fewer than 20% feel confident they’re actually living it out. Fear, busyness, distractions (like from your phone or mine) or a sense of insignificance could hold many people back. Don't let it. See the Lord earnestly today.
But insignificance is a lie related to the born again Christian. In Christ, one person really matters. Their thoughts, attitudes, words, and random ideas coming from God and His word can influence people towards Christ.
God, with one prayer whispered.. can shake a nation or kingdom. One act of obedience can change a generation.
Fanny Crosby, physically blind yet radiant, was used of God. She was a hymn writer of over 8,000 hymns, and once said, “I do not think of the past. I do not worry about the future. I live each day to do what I can, and God takes care of the rest.” Esther lived that truth—and so can we.
Think for a moment of D.L. Moody, that young shoe salesman who became one of history’s great evangelists (fisher of men and women, soul-winners). He once heard someone say, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.” Moody replied, “By God’s grace, I will be that man.” Well, Esther could have said something similar: “By God’s grace, I will be that woman.”
The call of Esther is the call to us all: to rise, to stand, to use what you've been given (outwardly ugly or lovely), to use all the tools for God and His people, to step boldly into the moment that God has given to us.
He does not need a crowd to accomplish his purposes—He needs one willing sold-out heart (to Jesus Christ).
So, let us be the Esthers of our day, by faith using what we have, where we are at, for Him. Let us pray fervently, earnestly, and speak courageously, living faithfully, and trusting God’s invisible hand of providence where we live. And when those of history look back, may it be said of us as it was of her: “They were ordinary, but they believed God—and God used them to accomplish the extraordinary.”
Man, I love the book of Esther. She came into a serious time of crisis and needed to make some unselfish choices..so she did that right. Go recheck out her whole story. I especially like chapter 4. What do we see?
- An irrepressible grief that was felt. You know that a crisis does not really make a person; it merely shows what that person is really made of. Believers are like tea bags in a sense..their real strenght comes out in HOT WATER. In spite of the danger involved there where Esther was, Mordecai publicly displayed his own grief and let the people know his position on what was going on. He would not stand by and do nothing when the authorities were about to literally slaughter innocent Jewish people, including their children.
- An inaccessible king that ruled. It could have gone real bad real fast. Oriental monarchs back in the day were supposed to hear only good news but some hear more than that. They reigned in a world of illusion, sheltered from reality. Many elities today live far from the pains they cause people. Even the queen back in Esther's day had to have permission to talk to the king! How different it is with the King of kings--our Lord Jesus. He has worn the sackcloth of sorrow before, He knows how we commoners feel, and He gives us free access to His throne as we pray in Jesus' name (See Heb. 10:19–22).
- An incomparable opportunity not to be missed. God has chosen to use people to accomplish His good purposes, and Esther was God’s prepared servant for that very hour (See v. 14; Eph. 2:10). God accomplishes His purposes even if we disobey His particular call, but we are the losers. If we don't obey Him, he will choose to use someone else in our place. Mordecai did not want Esther’s gifts; but he wanted her life surrendered to the Lord so she could be used with her gift for His glory. She made a good decision -- she became a living sacrifice to accomplish the work of God (Rom. 12:1). Don't miss the Lord or His will for you, but recognize exactly what He wants and go for it with Him leading you. Live discerning His will from His Spirit and Word.
I love How Mordecai Chose to Be a Good Influence - A Protector
The man with a beautiful character inside. He once quietly sat at the king’s gate and now he steps forward to use what he has for God. What do you do with the influence that God has given to you?
He was God’s chosen instrument going to pull it off? How would Gopd do it.. preserving His own Jewish people. Mordecai’s response to wicked Haman’s decree was not private but very public—he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and cried bitterly at the very entrance of the palace. He went public and wasn't embarrassed to live for God--will you do that for Jesus and the gospel? He made the choice and remained bold -- unashamed to be identified with God and his people.
Esther, sheltered in the palace, was unaware of the crisis unfolding outside. She hadn’t seen the king for thirty days straight and likely knew little of the empire’s political maneuverings toward evil.
When she sent Mordecai clothing to cover up all his mourning, he simply refused it, wanting to inform her—and instead sent her a copy of the decree itself. Let her read and decide. She needed to grasp the urgency of the situation--there wasn't much time to act.
Here we see two types of believers: those who remain joyful because they are oblivious to what is happening, and those who grieve because they clearly understand the times. We are to watch and pray, but Kurt how do we do that in a world that's now filled with so much fake news? Well, it's not that easy to do.
Mordecai saw it firsthand and then influenced Esther to do what was right.. to be involved in rescuing. Will you be involved in rescuing souls for Jesus? He has a part (saving) and we can have a part as well (living as witnesses and sharing the Good News -- verbally witnessing to the lost).
When Esther hesitated in verse 11, was she making excuses or merely stating facts? Either way, Mordecai reminded her that her position offered her no guarantee of safety. “Do not think that you alone will escape,” he warned.
Then came his very familiar words of truth: “If you remain silent, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.” Mordecai trusted in God and in His covenant with Abraham. He knew that while people may fail here, God and His unchangeable promises never will.
Esther’s reply showcases her spiritual growth but she didn't care about how she came off to the masses: she did not rush forward impulsively, but called for fasting and prayer. There is a time to pray fervently--today is that time as well.
Then, strengthened in her faith in God, Esther resolved to act decisivly. “If I perish, I perish.”
She loved the Lord. She didn't love her own life more than God and His will for her. She loved not her life to the end, even though married to a wealthy ruler. Like the three Hebrews in Daniel 3, she was ready to surrender her beauty and life.. everything for obedience to the Lord.
Beautiful Esther could no longer remain hidden and silent behind walls. Light cannot stay concealed under a bushel--it's not right! Ya gotta go shine for Jesus, we all need to reflect His holy light to the four corners of the globe where people live. We go, we learn their culture and language. We look to God for empowering to live the life and we tell them the whole nine yards of the gospel until they understand and respond to God.
Esther basically stands alongside several.. even Joseph of Arimathea in the New Testament, who for a time lived as a secret agent believer.. a secret disciple, but he stepped forward in a critical moment to go bury the body of Jesus (John 19:38–42). That body would be raised up and seen by over 500 eyewitnesses. God sometimes keeps His people in the shadows until the hour comes for them to act wisely. Sadly, some remain in the shadows outside of God's will for them way too long as well.
The spiritual parallels are sobering for us. Satan still schemes to destroy God's Jewish people, and Christians today. Millions remain under the sentence of death today without Christ. They need to hear. Some Christians resemble the king in Esther's story—indifferent, distracted, and content with their comfort not knowing the truth. Others, like Mordecai, grieve and intercede for others while knowing the truth.. feeling the weight of eternal souls to pray for. God can save those people you come in contact with! So what's your part and my part in all of this? Ask God and read His word. It's so simple a child could understand Him.
And still others, like Esther, step out into great risk and sacrifice of self.. to plead on behalf of the lost. Will you stand in the gap.. and act?
The question remains: Which are you? What's your living and verbal witnessing like? What's your prayer life like?
True Beauty outside.. inside?: God’s View Verses The World’s Obsession
Most people in this world will never meet society’s definition of outward beauty ever, yet every believer can shine with the kind of beauty that never fades away — the loveliness of Christ within reflected outward is great cuz He is Great! Scripture reminds us, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Prov. 31:30).
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," goes the old saying. Behold the most beautiful One.. long and stay focused.
Why Do People Pay So Much Money And Live for Outward Beauty?
People have been ditched, dropped and dumped in this life. Have you been rejected, forsaken and forgotten? I think broken people chase after beauty because they long for real love, acceptance, and worth. So many people desire to fill that inner empty void inside. Yet external beauty cannot fill the soul’s emptiness like knowing Jesus can. The world today equates outward beauty with power, attraction, and success, but God measures the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). You can get right with God and maintain a beautiful right heart in His presence. You can be forgiven in Christ!
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Studies show that the global beauty industry is worth over $600 billion annually, with Americans spending on average $722 per person, per year on cosmetic products and services.
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Plastic surgery procedures have increased by over 30% in the last decade, reflecting society’s hunger for a fleeting perfection.
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Yet research also shows that happiness levels among those who rely on beauty treatments remain largely unchanged, proving external makeovers cannot heal internal wounds.
Who Has a Story of True Beauty
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Joni Eareckson Tada is a beautiful person, the real deal — Paralyzed at 17, she could not display the physical beauty the world exalts. Yet her radiant faith, courage, and compassion have inspired millions worldwide through her art, books, and ministry to the disabled. Her joy in Christ makes her “beautiful with salvation.”
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Teresa's sacrificial service for the poor was very beautiful and practical — Not sure where she stood with the gospel. Frail, wrinkled, and far from society’s beauty standards was she, yet her kind service of love for the poor made her recognized as one of the most “beautiful” people in modern history. I hope I get to meet her and others like her one day. She once said: “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” She sure did a lot of beautiful deads with a good attitude. She just lived to give. Jesus gave far more for us. Again, not sure where she stood spiritually. What's so important for all of us is to first give your life away to Christ, be saved and to serve him. We believers are to work from salvation, but not for salvation.
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Fanny Crosby, a real Christian — Though blind, she penned over 8,000 beautiful hymns of truth, seeing with her heart what her eyes could not see. Her legacy of faith and worship continues to adorn the church with eternal beauty to this day.
People today eagerly pursue outward beauty instead of inner beauty.. instead of sacrificial service. It's because they believe this will win them real love here, but the world's love rooted in outward appearance, is so fickle and fragile. People are broken. They are so hungry and looking for God's agape love in so many wrong places today. Stop that. People are thirsty for the Holy Spirit too and the Work that only He can do. God’s agape love is steadfast, unconditional, and eternal. When His love and Spirit fills a person, they go on to reflect a beauty that those of this world cannot figure out, or even go on to imitate. Let Jesus in, and let Him live through you.
Peter reminds us, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment… Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Pet. 3:3–4).
Outward beauty in and of itself is so So SO fleeting and life here is brief (until the millennium rule of Jesus here), but outward beauty surrendered to God can become lovely in application with some appropriate words, attitude and actions mixed in—I mean humbly serving other, giving, forgiving, and reflecting Christ's light to those lost in the world. That is the kind of beauty in Christ that never fades away. It's eternal. Only what's done in and with Christ will last.
What's your Character like? True Beauty is in a life lived for Jesus.
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A.W. Tozer: “The true test of beauty is how closely it aligns with Christ, who is altogether lovely.”
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Elisabeth Elliot: “The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman.”
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Amy Carmichael: “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.”
God Calls You To Jesus And To Following Him
Do you currently serve the Lord, or another, or yourself? Outward beauty just fades like grass (Isaiah 40:6–8), but inner beauty — a heart clothed with kindness, humility, and love — grows brighter with age and glorifies God. Peter’s exhortation still rings true: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment.. rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Pet. 3:3–4).
Proverbs 31:30 - "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," goes the saying. 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
1 Peter 3:3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
2 Corinthians 4:16 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Psalms 139:14 - I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
1 Samuel 16:7 - But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Galatians 3:26-27 - So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Ezekiel 28:17-18 - Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
Matthew 23:28 - In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Q: Who was noted for their beauty in the Bible? Sarah, the wife of Abraham was. Tamar, the daughter of David was. Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and King David was (David really blew it, committing serious crimes. Many ask why was BATHsheba outside bathing where she was? Did she think he was away at war like normal?)
While people of this world spend billions of bucks chasing after a certain look and after love.. but what they see quickly vanishes in a mirror. God gives us the opportunity to reflect Christ’s beauty for such a time as this and to share the gospel message. That never fades away, a life lived for him..it just won't fade away. God the Father can use even our scars, wrinkles, gifts and or limitations to magnify Christ's glory here. Point to Jesus like the Holy Spirit does!
Some use their gift for God and good reasons while others have used it for self. God sees the heart. I don't, so I'm not always to say who or where.
Mr. John Williams, The Ritz's London Executive Chef once said: "'César Ritz always insisted to have a peachy pink glow, and that was to actually help make rich ladies look beautiful.' If the ladies looked beautiful, the gentlemen would follow." They'd all hang around and spend more money. César Ritz would experiment with the color of the lamp-shades at the Ritz Tea in London until he landed at a peachy pink color.
Please avoid that selfish sin of lust! People fall due to the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
You know how the world still puts a high premium on youth and outward beauty. It's for different reasons.
Do you have either.. or try to gain some of this beauty--not really many have both. If you do, what do you do with it?
Will believers have both in heaven? Not sure, but I think believers up there will be seen in their prime years (with new bodies looking recognizable according to their original bodies) around 25 years or so (might be a bit different for each one according to God's plan and how fast they developed and matured). Yeah, unlike the bodies in hell. All humans will be fitted with bodies that go through eternity.
Regardless of what you do with your various gifts, you are incredibly valuable to God. You are gifted and talented as God's creation and oftentimes in ways that others are not. Listen, if you are a child of God (and you can be today), I would say that you are like a quality piece of art. Not yet a finished masterpiece as you'd like to be, believer, but beautiful in a unique sort of way just the same. You're not an accident.. even if you were considered an accident by your parents.
Q: Will you use what God has given you to glorify Him? Yes, will you emply what you have where you are or in other Lands.. to expand His church and Kingdom according to His Word? I encourage you to do that in and for Christ.
Sarah
Genesis 12:11
beautiful in looks
יְפַת־מַרְאֶ֖ה
yəp̄aṯ- mar’eh
Beautiful but still had to wait. When you live by faith (like she and Abram had to), you make your decisions on the basis of the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), and you seek to glorify God alone (Rom. 4:19–20). True faith is not in a hurry; it is willing to wait (Isa. 28:16; Heb. 6:12). Faith obeys God in spite of circumstances or consequences, and it is not afraid of what others may say or do (Heb. 11:29–30).
Genesis 12:14
that she was very beautiful
כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד
kî- yāp̄āh hî mə’ōḏ
Rebekah
Genesis 24:16
very good looking
טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד
ṭō-ḇaṯ mar’eh mə’ōḏ
Rachel
Genesis 29:17
beautiful in form and beautiful in looks
יְפַת־תֹּ֖אַר וִיפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה
yəp̄aṯ- tō’ar wîp̄aṯ mar’eh
Joseph
Genesis 39:6
Beautiful in form and beautiful in looks
יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה
yəp̄êh- ṯō’ar wîp̄êh mar’eh
Moses
Exodus 2:2
good [looking]
ט֣וֹב
ṭōwḇ
Samson’s Sister-in-law
Judges 15:2
[more] good [looking]
טֹובָ֣ה
ṭōwḇāh
Whaat? No way! I know, it was pretty complicated. Samson’s wife was given away. Some acts of treachery were indeed done. The Philistine father had no reason to assume that Samson would not be back, nor had Samson given word about not returning. He, as a Philistine, did not want his daughter marrying the enemySee v. 15:2 I ..thought. This flimsy excuse by the father was an effort to escape the trap he was in. He feared the Philistines if he turned on the new husband, yet feared Samson, so he offered his second daughter as a way out. This was insulting and unlawful (cf. Lev. 18:18). Read the story.
Saul
1 Samuel 9:2
and good [looking] … good [looking]
ט֣וֹב … וָט֔וֹב
wāṭōwḇ … ṭōwḇ
David
1 Samuel 16:12
beautiful eyes and good looking
יְפֵ֥ה עֵינַ֖יִם וְטֹ֣וב רֹ֑אִי
yəp̄êh ‘ênayim wəṭōwḇ rō’î
1 Samuel 16:18
and a man with a fine figure
וְאִ֣ישׁ תֹּ֑אַר
wə’îš tō’ar
1 Samuel 17:42
beautiful in looks
יְפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה
yəp̄êh mar’eh
Abigail
1 Samuel 25:3
And beautiful in form
וִ֣יפַת תֹּ֔אַר
wîp̄aṯ tō’ar
More on Abigail -- she had been married to Nabal “Fool” but he died from a stroke when drunk. An appropriate name in view of his foolish behavior huh (v. 25). Abigail. “My father is joy.” The wife of Nabal who was intelligent and beautiful in contrast to her evil husband from the house of Caleb. David married her.
Bathsheba
2 Samuel 11:2
good looking
טֹובַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה
ṭōwḇaṯ mar’eh
We remember David from two occasions -- his giant-killing, and from his time with outwardly attractive Bathsheba. How we wish that “the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5) and her were not in the Bible, but it is here for our warning and learning. Believers can thank God that our sins are not written down for everyone to read as these sins were logged!
Disobedience. David saw and then acted. Ya can't unsee some things, but it's the long look and that second look that can get you. You start on the path to sin when you neglect duty. David was in more danger in Jerusalem than with his army on the battlefield. He had laid aside his armor (Eph. 6:10ff.), allowed his eyes to wander, and lust just took over (James 1:14–15). He allowed it to.
Deception. Be sure your sin will find you out. Like our first parents, we try to cover our sins (David did that), but God will find us out (Gen. 3:7; Prov. 28:13). David the adulterer became a liar and a schemer, and then a murderer. One sin led him into another one. Uriah was one of David’s mighty men (2 Sam. 23:39). While David was sinning, Uriah and his fellow soldiers were risking their lives for him on the battlefield.
Displeasure. From the human point of view, the scheme had worked (the two cheaters were now married), but God saw and was not pleased. See what David wrote in Psalms 5:4 and 11:5, and note Proverbs 6:16–19 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8.
Before you yield to temptation.. look back and recall God’s goodness to you; look ahead and remember “the wages of sin”; look around and think of all the people who may be ill-affected by what you do; look up in holy fear asking God for the strength to say no (1 Cor. 10:13).
Tamar (Daughter of David and sister of Absalom)
2 Samuel 13:1
beautiful
יָפָ֖ה
yāp̄āh
Absalom (Son of David)
2 Samuel 14:25
Absalom is especially praised for his good looks:
“Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his beauty (yāp̄eh-יָפֶ֛ה). From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him” (2 Sam. 14:25).
More on Absalom here.
Tamar (Absalom’s daughter)
2 Samuel 14:27
beautiful in looks
יְפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה
yəp̄aṯ- mar’eh
Wicked, rebellious Absalom had named his beautiful daughter after his sister Tamar.
Abishag (David’s Nurse)
1 Kings 1:3-4
beautiful ..very beautiful
יָפָ֣ה עַד־מְאֹ֑ד… יָפָ֔ה
yāp̄āh … yāp̄āh ‘aḏ- mə’ōḏ
David was cold in his old age, cuz circulatory problems plagued King David so he had trouble keeping warm. The royal staff proposed a solution that a young virgin nurse watch over him and, at night, warm him with her body heat. This was in harmony with the medical customs of that day; both the Jewish historian Josephus (first century A.D.) and the Greek physician Galen (second century A.D.) record such a practice. See 1:3 Abishag the Shunammite. Not just a little bit, Abishag was a very beautiful teenager from the town of Shunem, in the territory of Issachar located 3 mi. N of Jezreel (Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4; 2 Kin. 4:8). Though from the same town, she is not to be identified with the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon (6:13). See 1:4 the king did not know her sexually. Although apparently joining David’s harem (cf. 2:17, 22–24), Abishag remained a virgin.
Adonijah (Son of David)
1 Kings 1:6
very good looking
טֹֽוב־תֹּ֙אַר֙ מְאֹ֔ד
ṭōwḇ tō’ar mə’ōḏ
Vashti
Esther 1:11
The king wanted to “show off her beauty (yāp̄əyāh-יָפְיָ֔הּ) because she was good looking (ṭōwḇaṯ mar’eh-טֹובַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה).”
See 1:9 Queen Vashti might have been a bit conceited. Greek literature records her name as Amestris. She gave birth (ca. 483 B.C.) to Ahasuerus’ third son, Artaxerxes, who later succeeded his father Ahasuerus on the throne (Ezra 7:1). See 1:12 Vashti refused the king. Her reason is not recorded in the Bible, although suggestions have included that 1) her appearance would have involved lewd behavior before drunken men, or 2) that she was still pregnant with Artaxerxes. Not sure why.
Girls for Xerxes’ Harem
See Esther 2:2
good looking
טֹובֹ֥ות מַרְאֶֽה
ṭōwḇōwṯ mar’eh
Esther
Esther 2:7
beautiful in form and good looking
יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטֹובַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה
yəp̄aṯ tō’ar wəṭōwḇaṯ mar’eh
The selection of Esther (vv. 1–18) and the detection of the plotters (vv. 19–23) may seem to be events that do not belong together, but they were both part of God’s plan to save His people. Esther’s coronation was a grand public affair, while Mordecai’s service to the king was rather private. But God would use Esther’s position and Mordecai’s service to fulfill His purposes.
You may be prone to believe that God works only in the “important events” of life. All events are important if you are living in the will of God. Mordecai was not immediately rewarded for saving the king’s life, but God would take care of it at the right time (chap. 6). Do your duty today, and let God take care of the consequences.
Job’s Daughters
Job 42:15
beautiful
יָפ֛וֹת
yāp̄ōwṯ
The Lovers
In Song of Songs, the man is called beautiful (masculine: yāp̄eh-יָפֶ֤ה) in Song 1:16. The woman is called beautiful (feminine: yāp̄āh) in Song 1:8, 15; 2:10, 13; 4:1, 7; 5:9; 6:1, 4, 10; 7:1.
Daniel and other Jewish men chosen for Persian training
Daniel 1:4.
and good looking
וְטֹובֵ֨י מַרְאֶ֜ה
wəṭōwḇê mar’eh
King of Tyre
Ezekiel 28:12
perfect in beauty
וּכְלִ֥יל יֹֽפִי
ūḵəlîl yōp̄î
Are There Beautiful People in the Septuagint? Yes.
Of course, to me, the most beautiful person among all Universes there are is Jesus Christ. What a winsome Person with such perfect and lovely character to focus on! In the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament), which was written in Greek roughly between 250 BCE–100 CE, more people have been described as beautiful.
Is It More than Merely Skin Deep?
In the Hebrew Bible and Septuagint, outward beauty is a desirable quality in men and in women (and thus children were produced). But was there something more behind the idea of beauty than just superficial appearances?
For some, like Moses and Saul, their good looks apparently signified that they were special. For others, like Joseph and Esther, being beautiful is an important element of their stories. For still others, their outward beauty may also have been an indication of character.
