Quick Definition
honorable
Strong's Definition
venerable, i.e. honorable
Derivation: from G4576 (σέβομαι);
KJV Usage: grave, honest
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σεμνός, σεμνή, σεμνόν (σέβω), from (Homer h. Cer., others), Aeschylus, Pindar down, august, venerable, reverend; to be venerated for character, honorable: of persons (A. V. grave), 1Ti_3:8; 1Ti_3:11; Tit_2:2; of deeds, Php_4:8. (Cf. Trench, § xcii.; Schmidt, chapter 173, 5.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σεμνός semnos 4x
august, venerable; honorable, reputable, Php_4:8 ;
grave, serious, dignified, 1Ti_3:8 ; 1Ti_3:11 ; Tit_2:2
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σεμνός , -ή , -όν ,
( < σέβομαι ),
[in LXX : Pro_6:8 ; Pro_8:6 ; Pro_15:26 , 2Ma_6:11 ; 2Ma_6:28 ; 2Ma_8:15 , 4Ma_5:36 ; 4Ma_7:15 ; 4Ma_17:5 * ;]
1. reverend, august, venerable, in cl . of the gods and also of human beings.
2. grave, serious; of persons: 1Ti_3:8 ; 1Ti_3:11 , Tit_2:2 ; of things: Php_4:8 ( v. Tr., Syn. , § xcii; Cremer , 37; MM , xxii).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σεμνός [page 572]
For σεμνός , august, venerable, worthy of respect, as applied to persons , cf. Preisigke 4094 .8 (A.D. 8) ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὴν σεμνὴν Ἶσιν , and PSI I. 41 .9 (iv/A.D.), where a wife describes herself as sprung ἐκ σεμνῶν γονέων καὶ ε [ὐδ ]ο̣κ̣[ί ]μων . The adj. is very common in sepulchral inscrr., e.g. Kaibel 558 .1f. (ii/A.D.)
Σεμνὴν Πενελόπην ὁ πάλαι βίος , ἔσχε δὲ καὶ νῦν
σεμνὴν Φιλικίταν , οὐ τάχα μιοτέρην ,
ib . 635 Καλλίτεκνον σεμνὴν ὅδε τύμβος ἔχει σε , Ἀφροδείτη , (ii/A.D.), 637 .1 (ii/A.D.), 642 .12 (iii/iv A.D.), and 673 .6 (iii/iv A.D.).
For σεμνός in relation to places we may cite P Ryl II. 110 .3 (A.D. 259) where Hermopolis is described as πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης [ἀρχαίας λ ]αμπρᾶς καὶ σεμνοτάτης , the great, ancient, illustrious and most august city : cf. P Lond 1157 verso .3 (A.D. 246) (= III. p. 110), and BGU IV. 1024 viii. 7 (iv/A.D.) τὸ σεμονὸν ( l . σεμνὸν ) τοῦ βουλευτηρίου .
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
σεμνός σεμνός, ή, όν [Etym: σέβομαι] "revered, august, holy, awful": properly of certain gods; at Athens esp. of the Furies, σεμναὶ θεαί or Σεμναί, Trag. ; ς. τέλη their rites, id=Trag. then of things divine, Hhymn. , Trag. ; ς. βίος a life "devoted to the gods", Eur. ; σεμνὰ φθέγγεσθαι ῀ εὔφημα, Aesch. ; τὸ ς. "holiness", Dem. of human beings, "reverend, august, solemn, stately, majestic", Hdt. , attic of things, Aesch. , etc.; οὐδὲν ς. nothing "very wonderful", Arist. ; σεμνόν ἐστι, c. inf., 'tis a "noble, fine" thing to . . , Plat. in bad sense, "proud, haughty", Trag. : —in contempt or irony, "solemn, pompous, grand", Aesch. , etc.; σεμνὸν βλέπειν to look "grave and solemn", Eur. ; ὡς ς. οὑπίτριπτος how "grand" the rascal is! Ar. ; ὡς ς. ὁ κατάρατος id=Ar. adv. -νῶς, Eur. , etc.: comp. -ότερον, Xen.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
σεμνός, -ή, -όν
(σέβομαι), [in LXX: Pro.6:8 8:6 15:26, 2Ma.6:11 2Mac 6:28 2Mac 8:15, 4Ma.5:36 4Mac 7:15 4Mac 17:5 * ;]
__1. reverend, august, venerable, in cl. of the gods and also of human beings.
__2. grave, serious; of persons: 1Ti.3:8 3:11, Tit.2:2; of things: Php.4:8 (see Tr., Syn., § xcii; Cremer, 37; MM, xxii).†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Dignified (4586) semnos
Dignified (worthy of respect - NIV) (4586) (semnos) (see also word study on related word semnotes) means honorable, august (marked by majestic dignity or grandeur), venerable (stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age), reverent or behaving with reverent propriety. It refers to the character that evokes special respect.
Semnos is used 4 times in the NT and is translated dignified(2), honorable(1), men of dignity(1)...
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (note)
1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
1 Timothy 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
The behavior of these older men is serious in the right way. It does not describe the demeanor of a person who is a gloomy killjoy, but the conduct of the man who knows that he lives in the light of eternity, and that before very long he will leave the fallen race of men for the glorious presence of God. The dignified person is never frivolous, trivial, or superficial. He does not laugh at immorality, vulgarity, or anything else that is sinful and ungodly. Nor does he laugh at that which is tragic or at the expense of others. These older men have learned the value of time and opportunity. They are better than younger men at accepting and comprehending their own mortality, the imperfections of this present world, and the inability of material things to bring true joy and lasting, deep satisfaction. They have seen utopian ideas fail and have learned how short-lived and disappointing euphoric emotional experiences can be.
Matthew Henry writes that
"levity is unbecoming in any, but especially in the aged; they should be composed and stayed, grave in habit, speech, and behaviour; gaudiness in dress, levity and vanity in the behaviour, how unbeseeming in their years!"
SENSIBLE: sophronas: (Titus 1:8; Acts 24:25; 1Cor 9:25; Gal 5:23; 2 Pe 1:6; Mk 5:15; Lk 8:35; Ro 12:3; 2Cor 5:13; 1Pet 4:7)