52 Bible Verses about Outward Appearance

You will recognize them by their fruits: they do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, [do they]? In the [same] way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree to produce good fruit.read more.
Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As a result, you will recognize them by their fruits.

"For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of [his] evil [treasury] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In the [same] way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit [is] good, or make the tree bad and its fruit [is] bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say good things [when you] are evil? For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person from his good treasury brings out good [things], and the evil person from his evil treasury brings out evil [things].read more.
But I tell you that every worthless word that they speak, people will give an account for it on the day of judgment! For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned."

My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.

Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

A heart of gladness will make good {countenance}, but in sorrow of heart a spirit is broken.

Do not regard your female servant as {worthless}, but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this." Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him." And she said, "May your female slave find favor in your sight." Then the woman went on her way and ate [something], and {her face did not look sad any longer}.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit will dry out bones.

{Immediately} {human fingers} appeared and they wrote {opposite} the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching the palm of the hand that was writing. Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and {his hip joints gave way} and {his knees knocked together}.

But he looked gloomy at the statement [and] went away sorrowful, {because he had} many possessions.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!read more.
In the [same] way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

And the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with its mouth, and with its lips it honors me, and its heart is far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught,

For he went up like shoot before him, and like root from dry ground. He had no form and no majesty that we should see him, and no appearance that we should take pleasure in him. [He was] despised and rejected [by] men, a man of suffering, and acquainted with sickness, and like {one from whom others hide their faces}, [he was] despised, and we did not hold him in high regard.

"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves.

But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness and wickedness. Fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give [as] charitable giving the things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

For such people [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore [it is] not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

which [things] {although they have}, to be sure, an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and unsparing treatment of the body, {do not have any value} against the indulgence of the flesh.

Do not neglect hospitality, because through this some have received angels as guests without knowing [it].

If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses would not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole man well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to outward appearance, but judge according to righteous judgment!"

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these [things], and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, "You are the ones who justify themselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts! For [what is] [considered] exalted among men [is] an abomination in the sight of God.

You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone.

You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ's, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself [is], so also [are] we.

My brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality. For if someone enters into your assembly in fine clothing with a gold ring on his finger, and a poor person in filthy clothing also enters, and you look favorably on the one wearing the fine clothing and you say, "Be seated here in a good place," and to the poor person you say, "You stand or be seated there by my footstool,"read more.
have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Because you are saying, "I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,

{When they came}, he saw Eliab and said, "Surely his anointed one [is] before Yahweh!" But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For [God does] not [see] what man sees, for a man {looks on the outward appearance}, but Yahweh {looks on the heart}."

then you shall hear in heaven the place of your dwelling, and you shall forgive and act and give to the man whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you alone know the heart of all the sons of man.

then may you yourself hear from the heavens, your dwelling place, and forgive and give to each according to all his ways, since you know the heart of the children of humankind,

O Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know [me]. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought from afar.

All the ways of a man [are] pure in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the spirit.

Every way of a man is upright in his [own] eyes, but Yahweh weighs hearts.

And his {breath} [is] in the fear of Yahweh. And he shall judge not by his eyesight, and he shall rebuke not by {what he hears with} his ears. But he shall judge [the] poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for [the] needy of [the] earth with rectitude. And he shall strike [the] earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill [the] wicked person with the breath of his lips. And righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

And he said to them, "You are the ones who justify themselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts! For [what is] [considered] exalted among men [is] an abomination in the sight of God.

But from those {who were influential} (whatever they were, [it makes] no difference to me, {God does not show partiality})--for those who were influential added nothing to me.

And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

And [while] all the people were listening, he said to the disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like walking around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, who devour the houses of widows and pray lengthy [prayers] for the sake of appearance. These will receive more severe condemnation!"

Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full!

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have [an answer] for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

As many as are wanting to make a good showing in the flesh, these are attempting to compel you to be circumcised, only so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outer person is being destroyed, yet our inner [person] is being renewed day after day. For our momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory {beyond all measure and proportion}, [because] we are not looking at what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen [is] temporary, but what is not seen [is] eternal.

Behold, you delight [in] truth in the inward parts, and in [the] hidden [parts] you make me to know wisdom.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; he takes no pleasure in the legs of the man. Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, the ones who hope for his loyal love.

For the Jew is not {one outwardly}, nor [is] circumcision {outwardly}, in the flesh. But the Jew {is one inwardly}, and circumcision [is] of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, whose praise [is] not from people but from God.

And it happened [that] as he drew near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "Look now, I know that you are a woman beautiful of appearance, and it shall happen [that], if the Egyptians see you, then they will say, 'This [is] his wife,' then they will kill me but let you live. Please say you are my sister so that it will go well for me on your account. {Then I will live} on account of you."read more.
And it happened [that] as Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she [was] very beautiful. And the officials of Pharaoh saw her, and they praised her [beauty] to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.

And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and {he did not worry about anything} except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was {well built and handsome}. And it happened [that] after these things his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."

He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man. There was not a man from the {Israelites} more handsome than he [was]; from his shoulders up, he was taller than all the people.

So he sent and brought him. Now he [was] ruddy with beautiful eyes and of {handsome} appearance. And Yahweh said, "Arise, anoint him, for this [is] he."

The name of the man [was] Nabal, and the name of his wife [was] Abigail. Now the woman [was] wise and beautiful, but the man [was] stubborn and {mean}, and he [was] as his heart.

It happened {late one afternoon} [that] David got up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the king's house, and he saw a woman bathing on her roof. Now the woman {was very beautiful}. David sent and inquired about the woman, and [someone] said, "[Is] this not Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

As far as Absalom, there was not a more handsome man in all of Israel to admire so much; from the sole of his foot up to his crown, there was no physical defect on him. When he shaved his head, it would happen {every year}, which he did because [it was] heavy on him, he would shave it off and weigh the hair of his head: two hundred shekels {by the king's weight}.

Let your adornment not be the external [kind], braiding hair and putting on gold jewelry or putting on [fine] clothing, but the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable [quality] of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is highly valuable in the sight of God. For in the [same] way formerly the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves [by] being subject to their own husbands,

Likewise also the women should adorn themselves in appropriate clothing, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold jewelry or pearls or expensive clothing, but with good deeds which are fitting for women who profess godliness.