What did Jesus Look Like?

Had a discussion with a friend and he asked "Do we really know what Jesus looked like? How tall was he? Color of hair, etc..? Do the paintings really portray the accuracy?" The best answer I could find was here.. Any thoughts? Outside of Scripture, it's only speculation.

"As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind"
-Isaiah 52:14

Isaiah 53 gives a clear picture.....NOTHING in him that would cause one to desire him outwardly!!

True. Isaiah 53:2 - For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

Sounds like his outward appearance shouldn't be important. Which I think is a good message for humanity in general.

1 Samuel 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

If you recall Athens was a Greek city which Paul said was "wholly given over to idolatry".

The Bible is full of condemnation, both old and new testaments, for those who make idols, or engage in any kind of idolatry.

As we know, all sin is born first in the mind, then flows outward... Jesus is very adamant about that to the point of condemning even thoughts as sin.

An interesting occurance happened with Jesus during His life. Some Greeks (coming from a country given over to idols) went to Phillip, and asked if they could please "see" (a Hebrew word which means "to perceive with the eyes") Jesus. (John 12:20-21)

So when Jesus was told of this request, His response was to "see" him by faith, as shown in the following response:

John 12:23 “And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, an angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

We Glorify HIM not by imagining Him in human form, but rather, by seeing Him for what He truly is, and we see that not through imaginings of a human form, but rather we have sight by faith and serve Him in this capacity.

Great answers and discussion. Thank you all. Although there's centuries in time between the world in 2020 and when Paul preached to Athens or the city of Corinth, I don't think culture is that much different in the respects of how people are too focused on earth than on the spiritual and eternal.
Unfortunately, this is true outside and inside church walls, at least in my neck of the woods. Colossians 3:1; 2 Corinthians 4:18

Read about His life and death and you know exactly what He looks like. He looks like grace and truth.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say Jesus looked like a 1st century middle eastern Jew.

In response to the OP scripture. I found that when I was in my early teens (reading) and I used that to conclude that Jesus was physically not "seemly" (not the word I used at the time).

It took me all of 2 older people to tell me otherwise. I used to go around like I had found a trivia answer they no one had ever mentioned so in a way I'm glad I was "sobered" by their response.

at the time they told me that scripture was in reference to his appearance at the crucifixion and not generally speaking.



I'm not familiar with the scripture in post 2. I don't have any real image other than that it is hard to escape the stereotypical one on some level. I rarely think about nor find it of much utility.

Of curiosity for me at present is the typically longer haired portrayal and why. There's quite a bit about hair requirements in scripture (and also in the NT) so it seems relevant.

I don't think Jesus had long hair.

1 Corinthians 11:14 KJV

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

No one on earth knows exactly.. We can only say he was a person of Jewish appearance of 2000 years ago..

I do not believe we should be attempting to make any paintings or carvings or moldings of Jesus..

In fulfilling prophecy Jesus was known to be a Nazar, or a Nazarite. The Nazarite did not cut his hair. Now thie prophecy is also fulfilled in that He lived in Nazareth whose people were Nazars.

Also, fulfilling prophecy, Nazar translates as Branch. He is the Branch spok3en of by the Prophets of God.

I don't think Jesus observed Nazarene traditions like not drinking grape juice, and not going near dead bodies. He turned water into wine and He drank grape juice. He raised Lazarus back to life.

No, it doesn't. God has designed hair to grow without considering the length at which it become shameful in a particular culture.

The word is "Nazirite", which is distinctly different from "Nazarene". The former is devoted to God in specific ways; the latter hails from the town of Nazareth.

The prescribed actions of a nazarite were statues of thwe law, not traditions, however you are correct aabout Jesus, Yeshua. Jusst as He did not follow the law in stoning the woman caught in adultery, and as He taught agains any and all laws that did not contain mercy, He was in total understanding of what las to follow, what laws to fulfill, and what las were bad...++

Yeah I have read that typically men's hair grows shorter than females on average even when it is let grow out.

At the same time, I saw a guy once with dreadlocks down to his knees at a national park. I asked him and he said it has grown past his feet before. It didn't seem particularly shameful to me, just impressive that he had grown his hair for a few decades. Perhaps this is just something my eyes aren't open to, I haven't ever had long(er) hair until the last two years.

I think it's in Deut about priests not shaving their heads or having it too long. Then again, how would that apply to us? It'd be a stretch to say the levitical priesthood regulations apply for the priesthood of the NT.


I'm not sure what the scripture in Corinthians means other than that Roman style (much like American) it's simply traditional.

Long hair is for covering.

But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
1 Corinthians 11:15 KJV


For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
1 Corinthians 11:7 KJV


Some men with long hair look like a woman. But some still manage to look manly. But looks are deceiving. Most homosexuals today look manly with all those muscles. Yes God looks at the heart but maybe God still wants male and female to appear as clearly as male or female. That is why He considered cross dressing as abomination.