H1204 H1204
To terrify, frighten, startle; in the Piel, to cause terror; in the Niphal, to be terrified or dismayed.
A word that echoes with dread through the poetic books, בָּעַת captures sudden, overwhelming terror — the kind that falls upon a person without warning. Job uses it more than any other biblical author, crying out, 'You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions' (Job 7:14), and later, 'terrors are turned upon him' (Job 18:11). The Arabic cognate بَغَتَ ('to come upon suddenly') illuminates the root's core: this is not slow-building anxiety but terror that strikes. Spanish 'aterrorizar' and French 'effrayer' both preserve this sudden, causative quality. The Niphal passive appears in dramatic moments — Esther 7:6, where Haman 'was terrified' before the king and queen, and Daniel 8:17, where the prophet falls prostrate in terror before the angelic vision.
Senses
1. terrify — To terrify, frighten, or startle someone — the Piel causative sense, where an agent or force inflicts terror upon another. This is the dominant usage, appearing throughout Job and the Psalms: an evil spirit 'terrified' Saul (1 Sam 16:14-15), torrents of destruction 'terrified' David (2 Sam 22:5; Ps 18:5), and Job repeatedly accuses God of terrifying him (Job 7:14; 9:34; 13:21). Spanish 'aterrorizar' and French 'effrayer' both capture the causative force. The darkness that 'claims' the day in Job 3:5 uses this same verb, personifying blackness as an agent of dread. 13×
AR["أَرْعَبَتْنِي", "أَرْعَبَتْهُ", "أَفْزَعَتْنِي", "أَفْزَعَنِي", "تُبَغِّتُكَ", "تُرعِبُكَ", "رَوَّعْتَني", "لِيُرَوِّعْهُ", "وَ-بَغَتَتْهُ", "يُرَوِّعْني", "يُرْعِبُ", "يُرْعِبُهُ", "يُرْعِبْنِي"]·ben["আপনাকে-ভয়-দেখাচ্ছে", "আমাকে-ভয়-দেওয়াক", "আমাকে-ভয়-পেয়েছিল", "এবং-তাকে-ভয়-দেখাল", "তুমি-ভয়-উৎপাদন-করেছ-আমাকে", "ত্রস্ত-করল-আমাকে", "ভয়-উৎপাদন-করুক-তাকে", "ভয়-করাবে-তোমাকে", "ভয়-করিয়েছিল-আমাকে", "ভয়-দেবে", "ভয়-দেয়-তাকে", "ভীত-করাবে-তাকে", "ভীত-করুক-আমাকে"]·DE["[בעתהו]", "[בעתתני]", "[יבעתהו]", "[תבעת]", "[תבעתך]", "[תבעתני]", "terrified-mich", "terrifying-du", "und-terrified-ihn"]·EN["You-frighten-me", "and-terrified-him", "let-terrify-it", "let-terrify-me", "terrified-me", "terrifies", "terrifies-him", "terrifies-me", "terrify-him", "terrify-me", "terrifying-you", "will-frighten-you"]·FR["[בעתתני]", "effrayer", "effrayer-lui", "et-terrifié-lui", "terrifiant-tu", "terrifié-moi"]·heb["ביעתתני", "בעתוהו", "ו-בעתת-ו", "יבעתו-ני", "יבעתוהו", "יבעתוני", "מבעתת-ך", "תבעת", "תבעתך", "תבעתני"]·HI["उसे-भयभीत-करेंगे", "और-दरअय", "घबराता-है-तू-मुझे", "डरा-दिया-मुझे", "डराएँ-उसको", "डराएगा", "डराएगा-उसे", "डराएगा-तुझे", "डराया-मुझे", "दरअति-है-तुझे", "मुझे-डराए"]·ID["Engkau-mengejutkanku", "akan membuatmu takut", "biarlah-menakutinya", "dan-mengejutkannya", "membuatku-takut", "membuatnya-takut", "menakutiku", "menakutkan", "menakutkan-aku", "mengejutkanmu"]·IT["[בעתתני]", "[יבעתוני]", "atterrito-me", "e-atterrito-lui", "terrifying-tu", "terrorizzare", "terrorizzare-suo"]·jav["badhe-nggegirisi-panjenengan", "dipunajrih-ajrihi", "lan-ngganggu-piyambakipun", "medeni", "medeni-kawula", "medeni-piyambakipun", "mugi-medeni-piyambakipun", "ndamel-ajrih-kula", "ngganggu-panjenengan", "nggegirisi-kawula", "nggegirisi-kula"]·KO["괴롭히고있다-너를", "그리고-괴롭혔다-그를", "나를-두렵게-하게-하라", "나를-두렵게-하게-하소서", "너를-두렵게-하다", "놀라게-하신다-나를", "놓라게-하였으니", "두렵게-하기를-그것을", "두렵게-하나니", "두렵게-하리라", "두렵게-했다-나를", "두렵게-했었도다"]·PT["O-aterrorizam", "assustem-o", "aterrorizando-te", "aterrorizas-me", "aterrorizavam-me", "aterrorizou-me", "e-aterrorizava-o", "me-aterrorizaram", "me-espante", "o-aterrorizam", "te-aterrorizará", "vos-espantará"]·RU["да-устрашат-его", "и-устрашал-его", "обуял-меня", "ужасали-меня", "устрашает-меня", "устрашает-тебя", "устрашаешь-меня", "устрашают-его", "устрашит", "устрашит-меня", "устрашит-тебя"]·ES["Lo-aterran", "aterrorizará", "aterróricenlo", "lo-aterran", "me-aterraron", "me-aterras.", "me-aterrorices", "me-aterrorizaron", "me-aterrorizó", "me-espante.", "te-aterroriza", "te-espantará", "y-lo-aterrorizó"]·SW["iliniogopesha", "ilinitisha", "imenisumbua", "inamtisha", "inayokusumbua", "isinitishe", "itakuogopesha", "na-akamsumbua", "na-waishtue", "unanitisha", "utawatisha", "zinamtisha"]·TR["korkutmasın-beni", "korkutsun-beni", "korkutsun-onu", "korkuttu-beni", "korkutur", "korkutur-onu", "korkutur-seni", "korkutuyor-seni", "ve-korkuttu-onu", "ürkütürsün-beni"]·urd["اور-ڈرانے-لگی-اُسے", "تجھے-ڈرا-رہی-ہے۔", "خوفزدہ کریں-اُسے", "خوفزدہ-کرتا-ہے-مجھے", "دہشت زدہ کرے گا تجھے", "ڈرائے-اُسے", "ڈرائے-مجھے", "ڈرائے-گی", "ڈراتی-ہے-اُسے", "ڈرایا-مجھے"]
1 Sam 16:14, 1 Sam 16:15, 2 Sam 22:5, Job 3:5, Job 7:14, Job 9:34, Job 13:11, Job 13:21, Job 15:24, Job 18:11, Job 33:7, Ps 18:4 (+1 more)
2. be terrified — To be terrified, dismayed, or overcome with fear — the Niphal passive, where the subject experiences terror rather than inflicting it. All three occurrences mark moments of dramatic encounter with overwhelming power: David 'was terrified' before the angel of the LORD at the threshing floor (1 Chr 21:30), Haman 'was terrified' before the king and queen when his plot was exposed (Esth 7:6), and Daniel 'was terrified' and fell on his face before the interpreting angel (Dan 8:17). Spanish distinguishes these clearly — 'fue aterrorizado,' 'se aterró,' 'me espanté' — each shading the passive experience differently. 3×
AR["ارْتَعَبَ", "فَزِعْتُ"]·ben["ভয়-পেয়েছিল", "ভীত-হল", "ভীত-হলাম"]·DE["[נבעת]", "[נבעתי]"]·EN["I-was-terrified", "he-was-terrified", "was-terrified"]·FR["[נבעת]", "terrifier"]·heb["נבעת", "נבעתי"]·HI["डर-गया", "डर-गया-मैं", "डरा-हुआ-था"]·ID["aku-terkejut", "ia-takut", "ketakutan"]·IT["[נבעת]", "[נבעתי]"]·jav["jirih", "kagirisan", "kula-ajrih"]·KO["놓람다", "두려웠다", "두려웠으니"]·PT["aterrorizado", "estava-aterrorizado", "me-aterrorizei"]·RU["ужаснулся", "устрашился-я"]·ES["fue-aterrorizado", "me-espanté", "se-aterró"]·SW["aliogopa", "kutoka-mbele-ya", "nilitishika"]·TR["korkmuştu", "korktu", "korktum"]·urd["ڈر-گیا", "ڈر-گیا-تھا", "ڈر-گیا-میں"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בָּעַת] vb. fall upon, startle, terrify (Arabic بَغَتَ come or happen suddenly, NH בָּעַת Hiph. startle; so Aramaic בְּעֵת Pa. ܒܥܶܬ Aph.)— Niph. (late prose) Pf. נִבְעַת 1 Ch 21:30, נִבְעָ֑ת Est 7:6; נִבְעַתִּי Dn 8:17;—be terrified, abs. Dn 8:17; c. מפני 1 Ch 21:30 Est 7:6. Pi. (mostly poet.) Pf. 3 fs. sf. בִּעֲתָ֑תְנִי Is 21:4, וּבִעֲתַ֫תּוּ 1 S 16:14; 3 pl. sf. בִּעֲתֻהוּ Jb 18:11; Impf. 3…