The Hebrew verb hadar means to honor, to adorn with splendor, to exalt, or to swell up with majesty. It conveys the visible, glorious quality of something elevated and noble. The related noun hod and hadar describe the magnificent splendor of royalty, age, and above all, of God Himself.
Hadar and its noun form pervade the Psalter's language of worship. God is described as clothed in 'splendor and majesty' (Psalm 104:1), and the call to 'worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness' (Psalm 29:2; 96:9) centers the worshipping community on divine beauty rather than human achievement. In Leviticus 19:32, hadar is used for honoring the elderly — a lateral application of the same concept of recognizing inherent dignity. The Suffering Servant passage (Isaiah 53:2) uses its absence — 'no beauty or majesty to attract us' — as a Messianic paradox, showing that true glory can wear humility.