Rooted in the verb sebomai ('to revere'), this adjective describes persons or things that inspire a gravity of respect. In classical Greek it was reserved for gods and sacred rites, but the New Testament applies it to the everyday conduct of believers. Paul pairs it with words like 'true,' 'just,' and 'pure' in Philippians 4:8, painting a portrait of the mind worthy of meditation. In the Pastoral Epistles it defines the character expected of deacons (1 Tim 3:8), their wives (1 Tim 3:11), and older men (Titus 2:2) — a quality not of stuffy formality but of a life that naturally draws honor.