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Posts tagged ‘Fear the Lord’

Understanding ‘Fear the Lord’ in the Bible

What does it mean when the Bible says to Fear the Lord? There are several Hebrew words that translate into our word fear. Here are some of them along with Bible verses where they appear.

Strong’s H2342 – ḥûl: חוּל chûwl, khool; or חִיל chîyl; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert:—bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

  • Psalms 96:9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

 Strong’s H3372 – yārē’: יָרֵא yârêʼ, yaw-ray’; a primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten:—affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), × see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

  • Exodus 14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.
  • Leviticus 19:14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.
  • Leviticus 25:43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.
  • Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
  • Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
  • Deuteronomy 6:2  That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Strong’s H3373 – yārē’: יָרֵא yârêʼ, yaw-ray’; from H3372; fearing; morally, reverent:—afraid, fear (-ful).

  • Exodus 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
  • Psalms 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
  • Psalms 22:23  Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

Strong’s H3374 – yir’â: יִרְאָה yirʼâh, yir-aw’; feminine of H3373; fear (also used as infinitive); morally, reverence:—× dreadful, × exceedingly, fear(-fulness).

  • Psalms 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
  • Psalms 19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
  • Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Strong’s H4172 – môrā’: מוֹרָא môwrâʼ, mo-raw’; or מֹרָא môrâʼ; or מוֹרָה môwrâhxlit môrâh corrected to môwrâh; (Psalm 9:20), from H3372; fear; by implication, a fearful thing or deed:—dread, (that ought to be) fear(-ed), terribleness, terror.

  • Psalms 9:20 Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
  • Isaiah 8:13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Strong’s H6343 – paḥaḏ פַּחַד pachad, pakh’-ad; from H6342; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling):—dread(-ful), fear, (thing) great (fear, -ly feared), terror.

  • 2 Chronicles 17:10 And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

As you can see, fear has a variety of degrees of meanings. Sometimes fear means to be reverent and respectful. Other times fear means to be alarmed. At the bare minimum when we fear God, we need to be extremely respectful and morally reverent.