what is fear in the bible

What does God mean when he asks us to be holy as he is holy. Question: "What does the Bible say about having a phobia?" Jacob describes the Lord as the "Fear of Isaac" his father ( Gen 31:42 ; cf. Through this four part series, we’re digging into Scripture to learn how we can overcome our chronic fear, worry, anxiety and depression using the tools God has provided to us through His Word. While the normal meaning of fear as dread or terror is retained in the theological use of the terms, a special nuance of reverential awe or worshipful respect becomes the dominant notion. "Fear" is certainly a prominent element in Old Testament religion; the "fear of God" or of Yahweh, "the fear of the Lord," is indeed synonymous with religion itself (Psalms 34:11; Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 11:2,3; Jeremiah 2:19; Ecclesiastes 12:13, "the whole duty of man," the Revised Version, margin "the duty of all men"). The Bible has a lot to say about fear. The Bible says that "we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world...and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. Proverbs 1:7 perfectly depicts this: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction”. The first type is beneficial and is to be encouraged. of Strong's Definitions: 01481 guwr goor "Fearful" (timid) is the translation of yare' (Deuteronomy 20:8; Judges 7:3); "to be feared," yare' (Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 28:58; compare Psalms 130:4); in Isaiah 35:4, it is the translation of mahar, "hasty," "them that are of a fearful heart," margin "Hebrew hasty"; perhaps, ready to flee (for fear). The phrase first appears in 2 Chronicles 19:7 and then again two verses later. the Revised Version (British and American) gives frequently a more literal rendering of the words translated "fear.". Join us for Prayerline Bible Study 424-203-8400 – Passcode:648568 then # Monday Evenings – 6:00 p.m. PST Lesson # 37 – 05/18/2011 The Lord’s Prayerline Bible Lesson – What Does The Bible Say About Fear … The "fear of the Lord" is a frequent phrase in Apocrypha, and is highly exalted, e.g. The Bible has a lot to say about fear. yare', "I am fearfully (and) wonderfully made," so the Revised Version (British and American); "and" is not in the text, so that "fearfully" may be equivalent to "extremely," to an awesome degree; compare Psalms 65:5, "by terrible things .... in righteousness"; 66:3, "How terrible are thy works (yare' "fearful "); the Septuagint, Peshitta, Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) have "Thou art fearfully wonderful. A “spirit of fear” will hinder your walk with the Lord. A spirit of fear is foolish, while fearing God is the beginning of wisdom. This equation appears most prominently in covenant contexts, especially in Deuteronomy, where the appeal is to serve the Lord as evidence of proper recognition of his sovereignty. "Fear" sometimes stands for the object of fear (Proverbs 10:24; Isaiah 66:4); for the object of worship (Genesis 31:42,53, "the God of Abraham, and the Fear of isaac," pachadh). Ecclesiasticus 1:11-30; the idea of it became gradually more and more elevated; in 2:15,16 it is joined with the love of God. How do we define it? The fear that the Bible tells us to avoid is concern mixed with anxiety or dread; it is the feeling of alarm we have when we expect trouble or danger. More common by far are the reactions of fear by God's people as they contemplate who he is and what he has done. The first kind of fear is the fear of the Lord, which is healthy and to be encouraged. – – – Here are some other videos people like: Jesus Takes On the Coronavirus: Fear of God or of his manifestations appears in the Bible either in the abstract, in which just the idea of God alone generates this response, or in particular situations such as theophany or miracle, the occurrence or performance of which produces fear. You have to understand that ancient Hebrew is a very “word poor” language. Fear is that feeling in the pit of our stomach which can be little, such as “butterflies” or it could be great terror, such that prevents us from interacting with others and sometimes even keeps us shut up inside of our house. 22:3) (50-51). The fundamental and original idea expressed by these terms covers a semantic range from mild easiness to stark terror, depending on the object of the fear and the circumstances surrounding the experience. Deilos, "fearful," "timid," occurs in Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40; Revelation 21:8, "Their part shall be .... the second death"; phoberos, "fearful," "terrible" (Hebrews 10:27,31); phobetron, "something fearful," "a terrible sign or portent" (Luke 21:11, Revised Version (British and American) "terrors"). When we fear the Lord, we reverence Him and show that we love Him. —Teaching point three: Fear can become a personality trait. In the New Testament dread, or fear of God in the lower sense, is removed; He is revealed as the loving and forgiving Father, who gives to men the spirit of sonship (Romans 8:15; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18); we are invited even to come "with boldness unto the throne of grace," with confidence, assurance (parrhesia), which, however, may have its literal meaning of free "utterance" (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19); but there remains a filial fear and sense of awe and of the greatness of the issues involved (Romans 11:20; Ephesians 5:21, the Revised Version (British and American) "of Christ"; 1 Timothy 5:20; Hebrews 4:1); all other fears should be dismissed (Matthew 8:26; 10:26-28,31; Luke 12:32); in Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5, "fear" is used in the sense of "stand in awe of," so perhaps Luke 23:40; to "fear God" is sometimes used in the New Testament as equivalent to religion (Luke 18:4; Acts 10:2,35; 13:16,26, used of proselytes); in Hebrews 10:27, it is said that if Christ be willfully rejected, nothing remains but "a fearful looking for (the Revised Version (British and American) "expectation") of judgment," and 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," in which places "fearful" means "terrible," something well to be feared. But fear of God also produces fear of wrath and judgment in those who do not know him or who refuse to serve him. In the New Testament the chief words are phobos, "fear," "terror," "affright" (Matthew 14:26; 28:4,8; Luke 21:26; 1 John 4:18, etc. "Fear" is the translation of many words in the Old Testament; the chief are: yir'ah, "fear," "terror," "reverence," "awe," most often "the fear of God," "fear of Yahweh" (Genesis 20:11; 2 Chronicles 19:9, etc. Many Christians like to soften this up by taking away the fear God can instill by casting people into hell and replacing this with fear meaning “respect”. ); also of "fear" generally (Job 22:4; Isaiah 7:25; Ezekiel 30:13, etc. ); pachadh, "fear," "terror," "dread" (Genesis 31:42,53; Deuteronomy 11:25; 1 Samuel 11:7 the King James Version; Job 4:14; Isaiah 2:10 the King James Version, etc.). ), and phobeo, "to put in fear" (both used of ordinary fear) (Matthew 1:20; 10:26; 28:5; 2 Corinthians 12:20, etc. Genesis 22:12 | View whole chapter | See verse in context And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fear est God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. It is a fear ful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. However, throughout the Bible, only two types of fear can be found. The principal fear was for the holy temple. Pray through them. But some beg to differ. The first type of fear is fear of the Lord. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The fear of man and of evils are dangers to be avoided, from which the fear of God delivers (Numbers 14:9; 21:34; Psalms 23:4; 31:14, etc.). Usually, however, the fear of the Lord is an inducement to obedience and service: to fear God is to do his will. Proud member What does it mean to fear the Lord? Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Doing a web search on the question "What is the opposite of fear– yields some interesting results. In time, however, fear of God or of manifestations of the divine became a subcategory of fear in general and thus developed a theological signification pervasively attested throughout the Bible. v. 53 ), suggesting that Isaac had such reverential submission to the Lord that the Lord, to him, was the embodiment of fear. All rights reserved. 1. The cause of fear. Each issue highlights new, ready-to-download Bible studies at ChristianBibleStudies.com, and other tools to help you become a dynamic teacher of God’s Word. They are 1. —Teaching point one: Everyone experiences fear. ", "Fearfulness" occurs In Psalms 55:5 (yir'ah); Isaiah 21:4 (pallatsuth), the Revised Version (British and American) "horror"; Isaiah 33:14 (re`adhah, "trembling"), "Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites," the Revised Version (British and American) "Trembling hath seized the godless ones.". Dwell on them. Sign Up For Our Newsletter Hebrews 11:7 | View whole chapter | See verse in context By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I don’t mean that as an insult (it’s not) but the Hebrew language has relatively few words. Welcome to the Facing Fear series. The second kind of fear the Bible talks about is a "spirit of fear" (see 2 Timothy 1:7), which is a hindrance to our life and walk with God. 2. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief. "Fear" is the natural consequence of sin (Genesis 3:10; 4:13,14; Proverbs 28:1); it comes as a punishment (Deuteronomy 28:25,28). The Bible has a lot to say about how we can handle stress. Fear of God is a combination of awe, fear that one may have in the presence of an angel, deep reverence, honor, and respect. As such it is a sentiment commanded and to be cherished toward Yahweh (Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 6:13; Joshua 4:24; 1 Samuel 12:24; Job 6:14; Psalms 33:8; 34:9; Proverbs 23:17; Ecclesiastes 5:7, etc.). Below you will find a link to two extensive lists of examples of these found throughout Scripture. So what is fear? Godly Fear and Earthly Fear. It is the belief that, although we cannot tangibly see God, we know that He is present and working in our lives. The Lord as King demands and deserves the awesome respect of his people, a respect that issues in obedient service. It is an essential element in the worship and service of Yahweh (2Ki 17 often; Psalms 2:11, etc. Bibliography Information Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil. Read these Bible verses on fear. Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Salem Media Group. Fear of God also lies at the heart of successful living in the world. Perhaps the most famous fear quote of all time came from Franklin D. Roosevelt at his first Inaugural Address, which occurred in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.". How do we define it? Orr, James, M.A., D.D. Such healthy fear enables one to praise God ( Psalm 22:23 ; Rev 14:7 ); to enjoy benefits and blessings at his hand ( Psalm 34:9 ; Psalms 103:11 Psalms 103:13 Psalms 103:17 ); to rest in peace and security ( Psalm 112:7-8 ); and to experience length of days ( Prov 10:27 ; 19:23 ). ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. While fear may always be a part of our lives, how we respond to our fear is what matters the most. The word afraid is found over 200 times in the Bible, and the word fear is found 53 times in the Psalms alone. ); it is a Divine qualification of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:2,3). Followers of Christ are not to live in a state of anxiety. Fear is a natural and, in its purpose, beneficent feeling, arising in the presence or anticipation of danger, and moving to its avoidance; it is also awakened in the presence of superiors and of striking manifestations of power, etc., taking the form of awe or reverence. fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. To fear God is to know him and to know him is to fear him. Fear has been said to be the source of religion, but religion can never have originated from fear alone, since men are impelled to draw nigh with expectation to the object of worship. Overview. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. But the Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God, so we make a mistake when we downplay it. In time, however, fear of God or of manifestations of the divine became a subcategory of fear in general and thus developed a theological signification pervasively attested throughout the Bible. ); of the fear of God, the noun (Romans 3:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1), the verb (Luke 18:4; 23:40, etc. The word afraid is found over 200 times in the Bible, and the word fear is found 53 times in the Psalms alone. There are, thus, two sides of the fear of the Lord that which produces awe, reverence, and obedience, and that which causes one to cower in dread and terror in anticipation of his displeasure. Anxiety; solicitude. Bible Answer: The phrase “fear of the Lord” occurs twenty-five times in the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Speak them out loud and trust that they are true yesterday and today and forever. Fear as a response to God and his deeds is so important an aspect of biblical faith and life that Fear actually occurs as an epithet of God himself. When a spirit of fear brings death, the fear of the lord offers life. Breathe deep. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. What does the Bible say about faith vs. fear? This "fear of Yahweh" is manifested in keeping God's commandments, walking in His ways, doing His will, avoiding sin, etc. Fear of the Lord. Fear of earthly troubles and, 2. I began to hunt for examples of fear and anxiety in the Bible, and I … This type of fear does not necessarily mean to be afraid of something. There are at least two kinds of fear mentioned in the Bible. SCRIPTURE: Psalm 25:15; 27:1–3; Proverbs 29:25; Hebrews 12:1. The Bible calls this kind of fear “the spirit of fear”. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. I often hear people explain the fear of the Lord as a mere respect or reverence. While the normal meaning of fear as dread or terror is retained in the theological use of the terms, a special nuance of reverential awe or worshipful respect becomes the dominant notion. We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in ourselves. Compiled & Edited by BST & Crosswalk Staff, Bible Dictionaries - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fear, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Encyclopedias - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fear, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Fear is a spirit of torment sent out by our enemy the devil. 3. From the beginning of Scripture and throughout its pages, fear is present and acted upon. {grin} Are you curious too? It is the true wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalms 25:14; Proverbs 1:7; 15:33); it gives life (Proverbs 10:27, etc. Wisdom literature makes it clear that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a fear equated with the "knowledge of the Holy One" ( Prov 9:10 ; 1:7 ; Psalm 111:10 ). ), blessedness (Psalms 128:1,4), sufficiency (Psalms 34:9), Divine friendship (Psalms 25:14), protection (Psalms 34:7), deliverance (Psalms 85:9), forgiveness (Psalms 130:4). Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. The Bible gives us an idea of what this is. The object of fear. This is an in-depth Bible study on fear and faith. (Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 6:13,14; 2 Samuel 23:3; Psalms 34:4,9 parallel Proverbs 8:13; 16:6). —Teaching point two: Fear affects every area of a person's life. The main Hebrew and Greek words translated fear in the Bible can have several shades of meaning, but in the context of the fear of the Lord, they convey a positive reverence. If you are not completely satisfied with the product you purchase, please, Walking the way of grace in the midst of our grief. The Hebrew verb yare can mean “to fear, to respect, to reverence” and the Hebrew noun yirah “usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. So as usual, I decided to find out for myself. We find this in 2 Timothy 1:7, which says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” As mentioned previously fear of the Lord is a fear of awe, reverence or respect. There is no separate Hebrew of Greek lexeme describing fear of God so presumably such fear was from earliest times, the same kind of reaction as could be elicited from any encounter with a surprising, unusual, or threatening entity. 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love. ); deilia, "timidity," "fear," occurs in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear," the Revised Version (British and American) "a spirit of fearfulness"; ekphobos, "frightened out (of one's senses)," "greatly terrified" (Hebrews 12:21; compare Deuteronomy 9:19; The Wisdom of Solomon 17:9 the King James Version); apo tes eulabeias is translated (Hebrews 5:7) "(of Christ) who was heard in that he feared," the Revised Version (British and American) "having been heard for his godly fear"; so all the Greek commentators; eulabeia, properly, "caution," "circumspection," is used in the New Testament for godly fear (Hebrews 12:28, the Revised Version (British and American) "reverence and awe," margin as the King James Version); compare eulabes (Luke 2:25; Acts 2:5; 8:2); eulabeomai, "to act with caution" (Acts 23:10). Christianity Today strengthens the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. ); yare', "to be afraid," "to fear," "to reverence" (Genesis 15:1; Leviticus 19:3,14; Deuteronomy 6:2, etc. This … Enter a meditation minute and see what happens when the words of Jesus become a real-time conversation with you about fear. I must remind you that the Old Testament was written by Hebrews, to Hebrews, in a Hebrew culture, and in the Hebrew language. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". Of some ten Hebrew nouns and eight verbs that are regularly translated "fear, " "to fear, " "to be afraid, " and the like, only one of each is commonly used in the Old Testament and they both spring from the root yr (the noun being yira [h'a.rIy] or mora [a'r/m] and the verb yare [aer"y]). For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. Answer: The Bible mentions two specific types of fear. 365 Fear Bible Verses. So what is fear? Answer: A phobia is an extreme fear or dislike of something without a rational reason for the feeling. Bible stories about fear abound. General Editor. But, we should not be surprised. Meanwhile, in the bible, … This is the kind of fear that love casts out and the kind of fear that is a snare. It’s been said that there are 365 “Fear Not” verses in the Bible – one for each day of the year. I Peter 3:14 – But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Slow down. Phobias are usually classified as anxiety disorders, and most people who suffer from phobias recognize that their fears are not reflective of … This Bible study helps us define this universal emotion. 5 Types of Fear in the Bible My main point of contention with modern day teachers, preachers, and song-artists is that they often do not nuance which fear they are talking or singing about. Where a spirit of fear debilitates, fear of the Lord empowers. As unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. But although the element of dread, or of "fear" in its lower sense, is not always absent and is sometimes prominent in the earlier stages especially, though not exclusively (Exodus 23:27, 'emah; 1 Samuel 11:7; 2 Chronicles 20:29; Psalms 119:120; Isaiah 2:10,19,21), it is more the feeling of reverent regard for their God, tempered with awe and fear of the punishment of disobedience. Next time you find yourself face to face with fear or anxiety, let these 10 Bible verses remind you of God’s sovereignty over all that seeks to cause you to give in. Natural fear is not wrong; in fact it is inherently human. The New Testament employs phobos and phobeo almost exclusively as noun and verb, respectively, and these are the terms consistently used by the Septuagint to translate Hebrew yira [h'a.rIy] or mora [a'r/m] and yare [aer"y]. The second type is a detriment and is to be overcome. 4. 1915. In Psalms 90:11 the King James Version has "According to thy fear so is thy wrath," the Revised Version (British and American) "and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee"; the meaning probably is "thy wrath is in proportion to thy fear.". Fear is a natural and, in its purpose, beneficent feeling, arising in the presence or anticipation of danger, and moving to its avoidance; it is also awakened in the presence of superiors and of striking manifestations of power, etc., taking the form of awe or reverence. “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25. It leads you to be prudent when confronted with danger (Prov. "Entry for 'FEAR'". Bible verses related to Fear from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. The masses of Christ followers are left thinking that "we are no longer slaves to fear." Thy angel becomes a fear. The phrase occurs twenty-three times in the Old Testament and two times in the New Testament. Examples of the latter are Israel's fear of the Lord following the exodus deliverance ( Exod 14:31 ) and the fear of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, when he saw the angel of the Lord ( Luke 1:12 ). Variations of do not fear or fear not is about 100 times in the Bible. Therefore, if you want to understand what it means, you need to look at what the Hebrews say it means, specifically what their words mean. We have higher expectations than simply anticipating trouble. 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