Fair
Fair
(properly , yapheh’, ). Travellers inform us that in hot countries the greatest difference imaginable subsists between the complexions of the women. Those of high condition seldom go abroad, and are ever accustomed to be shaded from the sun with the greatest attention, and their skin is consequently fair and beautiful. But women in the lower ranks of life, especially in the country, being, from the nature of their employments, more exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, are in their complexion remarkably tawny and swarthy. Under such circumstances, a high value would of course be set by the Eastern ladies upon the fairness of their complexions, as a distinguishing mark of their superior quality, no less than as an enhancement of their beauty. This notion appears to have obtained as early as the time of Abraham (Gen 12:11-13). Thus, also, how natural is the bride’s self-abasing reflection in Son 1:5-6, respecting her tawny complexion among the fair daughters of Jerusalem, who, as attendants on a royal marriage, were of the highest rank. Roberts observes, in reference to the daughters of Job being very fair (Job 42:15), “The word fair may sometimes refer to the form of the features as well as the color of the skin; but great value is attached to a woman of a light complexion. Hence our English females are greatly admired in the East, and instances have occurred where great exertions have been made to gain the hand of a fair daughter of Britain. The acme of perfection in a Hindu lady is to be of the color of gold.” SEE BEAU’TY.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Fair
far: The word translated in the King James Version from 9 Hebrew and 4 Greek expressions has nowhere in the Bible the modern sense of blond, fair-skinned. The translation of Isa 54:11, fair colors, refers to the cosmetic use of , pukh, stibium, antimony powder, with which black margins were painted around the eyelids, so as to make the eyes appear large and dark. The stones of rebuilt Jerusalem, beautifully laid in their black mortar, are compared with such eyes. We can distinguish the following varieties of meaning: (1) Beautiful, attractive, , tobh, , yaphah, , yapheh; Aramaic , shappr; Septuagint , kalos; in the New Testament , asteos. This latter word is in both places where it is found used of Moses (Act 7:20; Heb 11:23, the Revised Version (British and American) goodly), and means literally, town bred (as opposed to boorish), polite, polished in manners, urbane, then nice, pretty. (2) Pure, free of defilement, the Revised Version (British and American) clean, , tahor (Zec 3:5). (3) Fair speech, plausible, persuasive (, lekah, Pro 7:21; , eulalos, Sirach 6:5; compare , euloga, Rom 16:18). (4) Making a fine display (, euprosopen, Gal 6:12, to make a fair show). (5) Good (of weather) (, zahabh, golden, clear, Job 37:2, Job 37:2, the Revised Version (British and American) golden splendor); , euda (Mat 16:2).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Fair
asteios (G791) Fair, Beautiful, Proper
horaios (G561)
kalos (G2570) Beautiful
Asteios is used twice in the New Testament (Act 7:20; Heb 11:23), and on both occasions it is applied to Moses. This use is derived from Exo 2:2, where the Septuagint uses asteios as equivalent to the Hebrew tb. In Act 7:20, to theo (G2316) is added to asteios, which has perplexed interpreters, as the many different translations of this verse show: gratus Deo,”pleasing to God” (Vulgate); “loved of God” (Wycliffe); “a proper child in the sight of God” (Tyndale); “acceptable unto God” (Cranmer, Geneva, and Rheims); and “exceeding fair” (authorized Version). The authorized Version’s translation is probably the most accurate, since it understands to theo as a heightening of the high quality it extols. For a similar idiom, note Jon 3:3 : polis (G4172) megale to theo, which may be translated “an exceedingly great city.” In Heb 11:23, many English versions translate asteios as “a proper child.” It would not be easy to improve upon this, though “proper” here is a little out of date.
Asty, the base of asteios, indicates asteios’s starting point and explains its successive changes. First of all, one who has been born and bred (or at least reared) in the city and who therefore is urban is asteios. The one who is urban also may be assumed to be urbane, and this testifies to the gracious civilizing influences of the people whose contact he has enjoyed. Thus asteios has a certain ethical tinge that is real, though perhaps not very profound. Such a person is implicitly contrasted with the agroikos the churl, the boor, and the “hay-seed.” In an instructive passage in Xenophon, the asteioi are described as eucharites, as obliging and gracious, according to the humbler uses of that word. Assuming that the higher culture that city-bred persons enjoy is manifested in their appearance, which is molded by humanizing influences, asteios came to be understood as fair and comely, as suggesting beauty, though not generally of a higher character. Plutarch contrasted the asteios and the aischros (G150) or positively ugly. Judith is asteia (Jth. 9:23).
Horaios is used frequently in the Septuagint, where it represents a large variety of Hebrew words. In the New Testament, horaios is only used four times.The steps by which it came to mean “the beautiful” in all of these passages are few and easy to trace. In this world everything that is subject to the laws of growth and decay has its “hour,” or hora (G5610), that period when it attains its greatest grace or beauty. This hora, or turning point of its existence and the time when it is at its loveliest and best, produces horaios, which first referred to that which is timely. In Xenophon, horaios thanatos (G2288) is timely death because it is honorable. Next, horaios came to refer to the beautiful.
Asteios and horaios came to mean the same thing, so that “fair” or “proper” or “beautiful” are appropriate translations of either word. But asteios and horaios arrived at these same meanings by different paths, which began from different images. One word belongs to the realm of art, the other to the realm of nature. Asteios indicates neatness, symmetry, and elegance, and thus beauty. It generally refers to something small, even when proposed for our admiration. Aristotle admitted that small persons (hoi mikroi, G3398) may be asteioi and symmetroi, or “dapper and well-shaped,” but he refused to call them kaloi.Horaios is different. Although all things that belong to the passing world eventually perish, along with their grace, they still have their “hour,” however brief, that season of their highest perfection. This last concept is part of horaios.
Although the higher moral aspects and uses of kalos are interesting to note, especially the way the term can be used to refer to beauty and to goodness, we will not deal with this aspect of the word. Only when kalos refers to physical aspects of beauty can it be compared with horaios. Initially, kalos referred to beauty, especially from the Greek viewpoint of that which is harmonious and complete, of something in which all the parts are balanced and proportionate. Basil the Great did an excellent job of distinguishing kalos and horaios:
To horaion differs from to kalon; that which is developed at the suitable time to its fitting prime is called horaion, as the fruit of the vine, which has fulfilled its own mission toward its fruition through the season of the year and is ready for enjoyment; kalon is that which is harmonious in the composition of its parts, possessing a grace blooming in it.
Fuente: Synonyms of the New Testament
Fair
lit., “of the city” (from astu, “a city;” like Lat. urbanus, from urbs, “a city;” Eng., “urbane;” similarly, “polite,” from polis, “a town”), hence, “fair, elegant” (used in the papyri writings of clothing), is said of the external form of a child, Act 7:20, of Moses “(exceeding) fair,” lit., “fair to God;” Heb 11:23 (RV, “goodly,” AV, “proper”). See BEAUTIFUL, GOODLY, Note.
denotes “fair weather,” Mat 16:2, from eudios, “calm;” from eu, “good,” and dios, “divine,” among the pagan Greeks, akin to the name for the god Zeus, or Jupiter. Some would derive Dios and the Latin deus (god) and dies (day) from a root meaning “bright.” Cp. the Latin sub divo, “under a bright, open sky.”
“beautiful, fair, in appearance,” is used as part of the proper name, Fair Havens, Act 27:8. See BETTER, GOOD.
Notes: (1) In Rom 16:18 eulogia, which generally signifies “blessing,” is used in its more literal sense, “fair speech,” i.e., a fine style of utterance, giving the appearance of reasonableness.
(2) In Gal 6:12 the verb euprosopeo, “to look well,” lit., “to be fair of face” (eu, “well,” and prosopon, “a face”), signifies “to make a fair of plausible show,” used there metaphorically of making a display of religious zeal.