So I was wondering where "Lo and Behold" came from. I've read it in numerous places, and I knew (roughly) that I meant something like a surprised version of look. So here's the skinny on this term, found at: randomhouse.
Lo is basically a shortened form of the word "look", and is commonly seen in old english texts (such as the bible). What's funny is that the word behold means the same thing (to behold something is to look at it). So basically, it means look and look. Brilliant eh?
oh, please. It's for emphasis. Mr. smarty-pants.
Emphasis is usage -- "looky here" is meaning. I was going for meaning, not usage. Ms Smartie-Pants. ;-)
"Lo and behold" is a biblical term. It appears in the "The Melchizedek" translation of the Bible in Revelation 6:12. I was just searching for the exact quote, and came across your site as well as an online Melchizedak bible, from which I quote:
"Then I beheld when the idea of Mind uncovered the sixth illusion of error, and lo and behold, there was breaking up of the visible forms of error, and the inverted symbol of Soul became as a black hole, absorbing all light, so when viewed through a polluted atmosphere, reflected light appeared as red clay, or erroneous Adam."
http://www.melchizedek.com/mz_bible/revel/rev_c06.htm
Lo actually is a command to look at something "Lo over there," if you will.
Behold is also a command to see something (or, better explained, to comprehend something). Seemingly the same there are differences.
You can look at something without seeing it. I believe the use of both words together means "look and comprehend!"