📖 Biblical Definition
To display, declare, and magnify the infinite worth, beauty, and majesty of God — making His character visible and known. Glorifying God is the chief end of human existence (Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever"). Creation glorifies God by reflecting His attributes (Ps. 19:1). The church glorifies God through worship, obedience, and witness. Christ supremely glorifies the Father through His perfect obedience and the salvation of His people. All of history is the unfolding drama of God glorifying Himself through His Son.
📜 KJV Continual Tense
In KJV: glorifieth — ongoing, mutual giving of glory.
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In John 15:8 — "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" — the continuous glorification is happening through ongoing fruit-bearing. Not a one-time glorification but a perpetual one.
The high-priestly prayer of John 17:1: "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." The mutual giving of glory between Father and Son is rendered with verb forms whose aspect is ongoing.
The continuous tense reminds us: God's glory is a present concern, not deferred to "someday."
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
GLO'RIFY, v.t.
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GLO'RIFY, v.t. [L. gloriosus.] To honor; to extol; to praise; to magnify and honor with praise and thanksgiving. "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31. To make glorious; to exalt to glory, or to celestial happiness. "And whom he justified, them he also glorified." Rom. 8:30. To exalt in estimation; to honor.
📖 Key Scripture
1 Corinthians 10:31 — "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Matthew 5:16 — "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
John 17:4 — "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do."
Romans 8:30 — "And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Psalm 19:1 — "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Contemporary culture has repurposed "glorify" to describe any form of praise or promotion — we "glorify violence," "g...
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Contemporary culture has repurposed "glorify" to describe any form of praise or promotion — we "glorify violence," "glorify celebrity," or "glorify self-care." This evacuates the word of its theocentric content, making anything or anyone a legitimate object of glorification. Within the church, shallow worship culture often "glorifies" the worship experience itself (the emotional atmosphere, the band, the production quality) rather than God — turning glorification into entertainment and God into a prop for human satisfaction.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
G1392 — δοξάζω (doxazō) — to glorify, honor, magnify, praise; the primary NT word for glorifying God G139...
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G1392 — δοξάζω (doxazō) — to glorify, honor, magnify, praise; the primary NT word for glorifying God
G1391 — δόξα (doxa) — glory, splendor, radiance; what is both ascribed to and displayed by God
H3513 — כָּבַד (kābad) — to be heavy, weighty, honored; to glorify is to acknowledge God's weightiness and worth
H1984 — הָלַל (hālal) — to praise, boast in, shine; glorifying God through exuberant praise
Usage
"The Heidelberg Catechism asks why we were created: 'To glorify God' — a purpose that gives meaning to every moment of ordinary life."
"Christ glorified the Father not by grand theological speeches but by finishing the work He was given — teaching us that faithful obedience is the purest form of glorification."
"A life that glorifies God is not a performance but an overflow — the natural radiation of a soul filled with the knowledge of God's worth."