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 Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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