φοβέω G5399
To fear, be afraid; to reverence or stand in awe of God; encompasses terror before danger and worshipful awe before the divine.
Fear in Scripture is never a single emotion. This verb spans the full spectrum — from the raw terror of disciples in a storm (Matt 14:26) to the reverent awe that marks true worship (Luke 1:50, 'His mercy is on those who fear Him'). The passive-deponent form (phobeomai) makes the one who fears the grammatical subject of an experience that overtakes them. Acts 10 uses it three times of Cornelius the God-fearer, where 'fearing God' is practically a technical term for Gentile devotion. Spanish captures the range with 'temieron' (they were terrified) alongside 'temed' (revere!), while German 'sich fürchten' maintains the reflexive vulnerability of being seized by fear.
Senses
1. be afraid, fear — To be afraid, to experience fear or alarm in the face of danger, threat, or the supernatural. This dominant sense (83 occurrences) covers human terror before storms (Matt 14:26), fear of authorities (Matt 10:28), dread of bad news (Matt 1:20 — 'do not be afraid'), and alarm at divine manifestations. Spanish 'temieron/temáis' and German 'sich fürchten' consistently render this visceral, involuntary fear. The angelic 'Fear not!' (me phobou) presupposes this very human reaction to the overwhelming. 83×
AR["تَخافوا","تَخافوهُم","تَخَافُوا","تَخَافُونَ","تَخَفنَ","خافوا","خَافُوا","خَافُوهُ"]·ben["তোমরা-ভয়-করো","ভয়-কর","ভয়-করবে","ভয়-করো","ভয়-কোরো","ভয়-পেয়েছিল","ভয়-পেল"]·DE["fürchtet","sich-fuerchten"]·EN["fear","feared","were-afraid","you-should-fear"]·FR["craindre"]·heb["אֶלָּא-יִרְאוּ","יָרְאוּ","פִּחֲדוּ","פָּחֲדוּ","תִּירְא-וּ","תִּירְאוּ","תִּירָאוּ","תִּפְחֲדוּ"]·HI["डरे","डरो","डरो।","दरे","दरो"]·ID["mereka-takut","takut","takutilah","takutlah","yang-harus-ditakuti"]·IT["temere"]·jav["ajrih","ajrih.","ajrih;","ajriha","ajriha,","sami-ajrih,"]·KO["두려워.","두려워하라","두려워하지","두려워하지-말라","두려워할지","두려워했다"]·PT["temais","temais,","temei","temeram"]·RU["бойтесь","бойтесь,","убоялись"]·ES["temed","temieron","temáis"]·SW["-","kumwogopa","kuwaogopa","msiogope","mwogopeni","ogope","ogope;","waliogopa","waliogopa,","waogope"]·TR["korkmalısınız","korkmayın","korktular","korkun"]·urd["ڈر-گئے","ڈرتے-تھے","ڈرو","ڈرو،","ڈرے"]
Matt 1:20, Matt 9:8, Matt 10:26, Matt 10:28, Matt 10:28, Matt 10:31, Matt 14:27, Matt 17:6, Matt 17:7, Matt 21:46, Matt 27:54, Matt 28:5 (+38 more)
2. reverence, stand in awe of God — To reverence, worship, or stand in awe of God — a settled disposition rather than a momentary fright. Luke 1:50 ('His mercy is on those who fear Him') and Acts 10:2, 22, 35 (Cornelius as 'God-fearing') use this sense as virtually a religious identity marker. The fear here is not terror but profound respect that shapes one's whole life. Spanish 'teme/temed' in this context carries reverent weight, and the repeated 'God-fearing' construction in Acts shows this had become a recognized category for devout Gentiles. 11×
AR["اتَّقوا","الخائِفينَ","خائِفُ","خَائِفٌ","خَائِفُ","يَتَّقُونَهُ","يَخافونَ","يَخافُ"]·ben["ভয়-কর","ভয়-করা","ভয়কারী","ভয়কারীদের","ভয়কারীরা","যে-ভয়-করে"]·DE["fürchtet","sich-fuerchten"]·EN["fear","fearing"]·FR["craindre"]·heb["הַיָּרֵא","יְרְאוּ","יְרֵא-","יְרֵא-הָ-","יְרֵאֵי","יְרֵאָיו","יִרְאֵי","יִרְאָיו","יָרֵא"]·HI["डरता-है","डरने-वाला","डरनेवाला","डरनेवाले","डरनेवालों","डरो","भय-करने-वाला"]·ID["takut","takut,","takut-akan","takutilah","yang-takut"]·IT["temere"]·jav["ajrih","ajrih,","ajriha.","ingkang-ajrih","tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-ajrih"]·KO["경외하라","두려워하는","두려워하는-자","두려워하는-자-는","두려워하는-자들-에게","두려워하는-자들아","두려워하는-자들이여","두려워하지"]·PT["que-teme,","que-temem","temei.","temendo"]·RU["Боящийся","бойтесь.","боящиеся","боящийся","боящимся"]·ES["que-temen","teme","temed","temiendo","temiéndole"]·SW["amchaye","anayeogopa","mcheni","mnaomwogopa","mwenye-kumcha","waliolicha","wamchao","wanaomcha"]·TR["korkan","korkanlar","korkanlara","korkanlaradır","korkun"]·urd["درنے-والا،","درو۔","ڈرتا-تھا","ڈرنے-والا","ڈرنے-والو","ڈرنے-والوں","ڈرنے-والوں-پر","ڈرنے-والے"]
3. sense 3 — A single occurrence in Eph 5:33 where a wife is called to 'fear' (phobetai) her husband — not cringing terror, but a respectful regard that mirrors the church's reverence for Christ (the immediate context). English 'she might fear,' Spanish 'respete,' and German 'sich fürchten' each approach this differently: Spanish notably chooses 'respete' (respect) rather than a fear word, revealing how translators interpret this as deference within a relationship rather than either dread or worship. 1×
AR["تَهابَ"]·ben["ভয়-করে"]·DE["sich-fuerchten"]·EN["she-might-fear"]·FR["craindre"]·heb["תִּירָא"]·HI["वोह-दरे"]·ID["dia-menghormati"]·IT["temere"]·jav["piyambakipun-ngajeni"]·KO["두려워하라"]·PT["reverencie"]·RU["боялась"]·ES["respete"]·SW["amheshimu"]·TR["kocasini"]·urd["عزت-کرے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
φοβέω, 3rd.pers. plural imperative φοβεόντων Refs 5th c.BC+: Ionic dialect imperfect φοβέεσκον Refs 8th c.BC+: future -ήσωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐφόβησα Refs 8th c.BC+ —passive and middle, Ionic dialect Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect imperative φοβεῦ or φοβέο, Refs: Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural imperfect φοβέοντο Refs 8th c.BC+: future φοβήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist passive ἐφοβήθην Refs 8th…