behold

The idea of looking and beholding is common in Scripture. We frequently encounter the English word “behold” as a translation of the Greek ἰδοὺ (idou). It’s a singular imperative form of a word that means “see,” so this phrase literally means something like “look.”

This word “behold” is used in the Gospels and elsewhere in the Bible when an author wants to call his audience’s attention to something. It’s a method of pointing at a particular occurrence in the text that is especially noteworthy, and it always involves a sense of the visual.

related topics: light; Epiphany

you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

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