H0367 H0367
Terror, dread, or fear -- the paralyzing awe inspired by God, enemies, or death; once, terrifying idols or images.
A feminine noun from a root conveying raw, visceral fear, appearing mostly in poetry and elevated prose. It describes the dread that falls upon people from God's own presence (Exod 15:16; 23:27; Deut 32:25), the terror of enemies (Josh 2:9; Isa 33:18), the fear inspired by a king (Prov 20:2), and the 'terrors of death' that overwhelm the psalmist (Ps 55:4-5). The mysterious 'dread and great darkness' that fell on Abraham (Gen 15:12) uses this same word. In one distinctive occurrence (Jer 50:38), multilingual evidence diverges sharply: Spanish renders it 'imagenes horribles' and Arabic uses 'idols,' suggesting concrete objects of terror rather than the abstract emotion -- likely terrifying cult images associated with Babylon.
Senses
1. terror, dread, fear — The abstract emotion of terror, dread, or paralyzing fear. Used of divine dread falling on nations (Exod 15:16, paired with pakhad; Exod 23:27), existential anguish (Gen 15:12, 'dread and great darkness'), fear of enemies (Josh 2:9; Isa 33:18), the terror of death (Ps 55:4-5), and the awe inspired by royal power (Prov 20:2). German 'Schrecken' and Spanish 'terror' consistently reflect the raw, visceral quality of this fear. 16×
AR["أَهْوَالٌ", "أَهْوَالَكَ", "الرُّعْبُ", "بِ-رُعْبٍ", "رَهبَتِي", "رُعبي", "رُعبُكُم", "رُعْبًا", "رُعْبٌ", "رُعْبٌ.", "رُعْبُ", "وَ-أَهوالُ", "وَ-رُعْبَكَ", "وَرُعْبُهُ"]·ben["-ভয়ে", "আতঙ্ক", "আমার-ভয়", "এবং-আপনার-ভয়", "ও-তাঁর-ভয়", "ও-ভয়গুলি", "তোমাদের-ভয়", "তোমার-ভয়", "ভয়", "ভয়কে", "ভীতি"]·DE["Amittai", "Schrecken", "[אימה]", "[אימת]", "[אמים]", "[באימה]", "[ואמתו]", "[ואמתך]", "dein-Schrecken", "dein-terrors", "mein-terror", "terror", "und-terrors-von"]·EN["and-His-terror", "and-dread-your", "and-terrors-of", "dread", "in-fear", "is-terror", "my-terror", "on-terror", "terror", "terror-of", "terrors", "your-terror", "your-terrors"]·FR["[אימה]", "[באימה]", "dread", "effroi", "et-effroi", "et-son-épouvante-lui", "et-ton-épouvante-toi", "mon-terreur", "mon-épouvante-moi", "terreur", "ton-terror", "épouvante"]·heb["אימה", "אימיך", "אימים", "אימת", "אימתה", "אימתי", "אימתכם", "ב-אימה", "ו-אימות", "ו-אימתו", "ו-אימתך"]·HI["आतंक", "और-उसका-भय", "और-तेरा-भय", "तुम्हारा-भय", "तेरा-भय", "दर", "भय", "भय-था", "भय-मेरा", "मेरा-भय"]·ID["dalam-ketakutan", "dan-kengerian-Mu", "dan-kengerian-Nya", "kengerian", "kengerian-Ku", "kengerian-Mu", "ketakutan", "ketakutan-ketakutan", "ketakutan-terhadapmu", "keteganganku", "menakutkan"]·IT["[אימה]", "[אמיך]", "[באימה]", "[ואימות]", "dread", "e-e-His-terror-suo", "e-e-dread-your-tuo", "is-terror", "mio-terror", "mio-terror-mio", "terror", "terror-di", "terrors", "tuo-terrore", "è-terror"]·jav["ajrih", "ajrih-Kawula", "ajrih-sampeyan", "bebaya-Panjenengan", "gegirisi", "ing-ajrih", "lan-kagegiran-Panjenengan", "lan-kagegiran-Panjenengannipun", "mawon-ajrih", "nggegirisi", "nuwuhaken-ajrih.", "pagiris", "pagiris-kula", "tiyang-duraka", "wedi"]·KO["공포가", "공포들이", "그리고-그의-공포-가", "그리고-당신의-공포-가", "그리고-두려움-들-이", "나의-두려움을", "나의-두려움이", "너희의-두려움이", "당신-의-두려움들-을", "두려움을", "두려움이", "두려움이니라", "두려움이다", "에-두려움"]·PT["com-terror", "e-seu-terror", "e-terrores-de", "e-teu-terror", "meu-terror", "pavor", "terror", "terror-de", "terror.", "terrores", "teus-terrores", "vosso-terror"]·RU["в-страхе", "и-ужас-Свой", "и-ужас-Твой", "и-ужасы", "о-ужасе", "страх", "страх-ваш", "страх-мой", "ужас", "ужас-Мой", "ужасы", "ужасы-Твои"]·ES["el-terror", "en-temor", "hay-terrores.", "mi-terror", "temor", "terror", "terrores-de-ti", "vuestro-terror", "y-Tu-terror", "y-su-terror", "y-terrores-de"]·SW["hofu", "hofu-ya", "hofu-yangu", "hofu-yenu", "hofu-zako", "kwa-hofu", "na-hofu-yake", "na-hofu-yako", "na-vitisho", "ni-hofu", "ni-wa-kutisha", "vitisho"]·TR["dehset", "dehseti", "dehsetler", "dehsetlerini", "dehşet", "korku", "korkum", "korkumu", "korkunuz", "korkusudur", "korkuyla", "ve-dehseti", "ve-korkun", "ve-korkusu"]·urd["اور-اُس-کا-خوف", "اور-تیرا-خوف", "اپنا-خوف", "بِ-خوف-میں", "تمہارا-خوف", "تیرے-ہولناک-کام", "خوف", "دہشت", "دہشت-ہے", "دہشتیں", "میرا خوف", "وَ-دَہشَتیں"]
Gen 15:12, Exod 15:16, Exod 23:27, Deut 32:25, Josh 2:9, Ezra 3:3, Job 9:34, Job 13:21, Job 20:25, Job 33:7, Job 39:20, Job 41:14 (+4 more)
2. terrifying things or idols — Concrete objects of terror -- frightful images or idols that inspire dread. In Jeremiah 50:38, the multilingual evidence points away from abstract fear: Spanish renders 'imagenes horribles,' Arabic and Swahili translate as 'idols,' while English gives 'terrors' in a context describing Babylon's cult objects. This sense likely refers to the terrifying carved figures of Babylonian worship, representing a metonymic extension from the emotion to the thing that causes it. 1×
AR["وَبِالْأَصْنَامِ"]·ben["আর-ভয়ানকদের-দ্বারা"]·DE["[ובאימים]"]·EN["and-by-terrors"]·FR["[ובאימים]"]·heb["ו-ב-אימים"]·HI["और-में-भयानक-चीजों"]·ID["dan-dengan-patung-patung-mengerikan"]·IT["[ובאימים]"]·jav["lan-dhateng-reca-ingkang-medeni"]·KO["그리고-에-두려운-것들"]·PT["e-em-ídolos-terríveis"]·RU["и-о-страшилищах"]·ES["y-con-imágenes-horribles"]·SW["na-kwa-vinyago"]·TR["ve-de-korkunç-putlarla"]·urd["اور-خوفناک-چیزوں-پر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֵימָה17 n.f. terror, dread (Talm. id., cf. As. imtu, DlW)—א׳ Gn 15:12 +; אֵימָ֫תָה Ex 15:16 (cf. Ges§ 90, 2 R. b); cstr. אֵימַת Pr 20:2; sf. אֵימָתִי Ex 23:27; אֵמָתִי Jb 33:7, etc.; pl. אֵימִים Je 50:38; אֵמִים Jb 20:25; אֵימוֹת ψ 55:5; sf. אֵמֶיךָ ψ 88:16;—terror, dread (mostly poet.), inspired by י׳ Ex 15:16 (song in E ‖ פַּחַד) 23:27 (E) Dt 32:25 Jb 9:34; 13:21 cf. 33:7; 20:25 ψ 88:16 (‖…