Honor הָדַר

We are in chapter nineteen of Leviticus with our word for today. הָדַר honor, be honored, boast, swell, be large. It is used 6 times in the Old Testament, twice in our chapter. Our word is used in the sense to be or become partial, showing favoritism for any reason. Exodus 23:2-3 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor תֶהְדַּ֖ר shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. It is also used in the sense to be respected, to be shown respect or esteem. Lamentations 5:12 Princes are hung up by their hands; no נֶהְדָּֽרוּ respect is shown to the elders. Both of these senses are how our word is used twice in our chapter today. Leviticus 19:15, 32 You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or תֶהְדַּ֖ר defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor … You shall stand up before the gray head וְהָדַרְתָּ֖ and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Both of these themes of favoritism and respect are seen throughout the Bible. Here are some New Testament examples. James 2:1, 9 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism … But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. Romans 13:7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Our word is also used in the sense to be glorious, to be characterized by grandeur. Isaiah 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who הָד֣וּר is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Our word is also used in the sense to exalt or praise. Proverbs 25:6-7 Do not תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. We find Jesus quoting this Proverb in his parable about humility which I will close with. Luke 14:7-11 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”