יָרֵא H3373
Fearing, revering; as adjective or participle: one who fears God (pious reverence) or one who is afraid (emotional dread).
Yare as an adjective or verbal participle sits at the intersection of two profoundly different human experiences: the awe-filled reverence of the pious before God, and the trembling dread of the terrified. The plural construct 'those who fear YHWH' (yir'e YHWH) becomes almost a technical designation for the faithful community in the Psalms and Wisdom literature — a spiritual identity marker rather than an emotional description. German distinguishes the two poles well: fürchtend ('fearing/revering') for the religious sense versus Furcht ('dread') for raw terror. Spanish similarly toggles between el que teme a Dios ('one who fears God') and temeroso ('fearful, anxious'). The word's genius is that both senses share a root insight: the proper response to the living God is not casual comfort but trembling attentiveness.
Senses
1. those who fear (plural) — The collective plural — 'those who fear [YHWH/God]' — functioning as a near-technical designation for the community of the pious, appearing 20 times primarily in the Psalms. In Ps 22:23 the psalmist calls 'you who fear YHWH, praise him!' and in Ps 33:18 God's eye is upon 'those who fear him.' French ceux qui craignent and Spanish los que temen both preserve the participial-collective structure. This is less about emotional terror and more about covenantal identity: the yir'e YHWH are those who align their lives under God's authority. 20×
AR["الخائِفينَ","الخَائِفُو","الَّذِينَ-يَخْشَوْنَكَ","خائفي-","خائِفو","خائِفي","خائِفيهِ","خَائِفِي","خَائِفِينَ","خَائِفِيهِ","مُتَّقيهِ","مُتَّقِي","يا-خائِفي","يَا-خَائِفِي"]·ben["তাঁকে-ভয়-করে-যারা","তাঁর-ভক্তদের","তাঁর-ভয়কারীদের","ভয়কারী","ভয়কারীরা","যারা-তাঁকে-ভয়-করে","যারা-তোমাকে-ভয়-করে","যারা-ভয়-করে","যিহোবা-ভক্তদের","যিহোবা-ভক্তরা"]·DE["Leute-fürchtend","[יראי]","der-fürchten","fearing","jene-der-fürchten","jene-der-fürchten-ihn","jene-fürchtend","jene-fürchtend-du","jene-fürchtend-ihn"]·EN["fearers-of","fearing","ones-fearing","those-fearing","those-fearing-Him","those-fearing-You","those-fearing-him","those-who-fear","those-who-fear-him","who-fear"]·FR["ceux-qui-craignent","craignant","fearing","à-craignant"]·heb["יראי","יראי-ו","יראיו","יראיך","ל-יראי-ו"]·HI["अपने-डरनेवालों-में","उससे-डरने-वालों","एलोहीम-से-डरनेवालो","जो-डरते-हैं","डरने-वाले","डरने-वालो","डरने-वालों-को","डरनेवालो","डरनेवालों","डरनेवालों-उससे","डरनेवालों-उससे-के","डरनेवालों-की","तेरा-नाम-डरनेवालों-की"]·ID["orang-orang-yang-takut","orang-yang-takut-akan","takut-akan","yang-takut-akan","yang-takut-akan-Nya","yang-takut-kepada-Mu","yang-takut-kepada-Nya"]·IT["fearing","timorato","timoroso"]·jav["Ingkang-wedi-asih","Tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-wedi-asih-dhateng","Tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-wedi-asih-dhateng-Paduka","ingkang-ajrih","ingkang-ajrih-Panjenengan-ipun","ingkang-ajrih-dhateng-Panjenenganipun","ingkang-wedi","kang-ajrih-dhumateng","tiyang-ingkang-ajrih","tiyang-ingkang-ajrih-dhateng-Panjenenganipun","tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-wedi-asih-dhateng","tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-wedi-asih-dhateng-Paduka"]·KO["경외하는-자들","경외하는-자들-아","경외하는-자들-을","경외하는-자들-이","경외하는-자들-이여","그-를-경외하는-자-들-에게","그-를-경외하는-자-들-을","그를-경외하는-자들을","그를-경외하는-자들의","두려워하는-자-들-의","두려워하는-자-들이여","두려워하는-자들-아","두려워하는-자들-을","두려워하는-자들-의","두려워하는-자들아","두려워하는-자들을"]·PT["Os-que-te-temem","Os-que-temem","dos-que-o-temem","dos-que-temem","os-que-O-temem","os-que-o-temem","os-que-te-temem","os-que-temem","que-O-temem","que-o-temem","que-temem","tementes-de"]·RU["-боящимися-Его","Боящиеся","Боящиеся-Тебя","боящиеся","боящиеся-","боящиеся-Тебя","боящимися-Его","боящимся","боящихся","боящихся-Его","к-уповающим"]·ES["Los-que-te-temen","Los-que-temen-a","a-los-que-temen-a","de-los-que-le-temen","los-que-le-temen","los-que-lo-temen","los-que-te-temen","los-que-temen","los-que-temen-a","los-que-teméis","temerosos-de-"]·SW["Mnaomcha","mnaomcha","mnaomwogopa","mnaoogoopa","wa-wanaoogopa","wamchao","wanaokuheshimu","wanaokuogopa","wanaomcha","wanaomuogopa","yeye"]·TR["Ondan-korkanlara","Ondan-korkanların","korkanlar","korkanlara","korkanlara-","korkanlara-O'ndan","korkanları","korkanları-","korkanların-O'ndan","korkanlarından","korkanlarının"]·urd["-اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-کے","اس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں","اس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-پر","اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-سے","اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-پر","اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-کی","اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-کے","جو-تجھ-سے-ڈرتے-ہیں","خدا-ترس","ڈرنے-والو","ڈرنے-والوں","ڈرنے-والوں-کو","ڈرنے-والے","ڈَرنے-والوں-"]
2. God-fearing, revering (singular) — The singular adjectival use describing an individual as 'God-fearing' or 'one who reveres God' — 15 occurrences concentrated in narrative characterization. Job is introduced three times with this epithet (Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:3), and Abraham proves himself yare 'elohim at the Akedah (Gen 22:12). Obadiah is described as 'fearing YHWH greatly' (1 Kgs 18:3). Spanish el que teme and German einer fürchtend both render the substantival participial usage. The sense denotes habitual piety and moral seriousness, not a momentary feeling. 15×
AR["الْخَائِفُ","تَخَافُ","خائِفَةُ-","مُتَّقِي","وَ-خائِفُ","وَيَتَّقي","يَتَّقي","يَتَّقِي","يَخافُ","يَخَافُ"]·ben["এবং-ভয়কারী","এবং-যে-ভয়-করে","ভয়-কর","ভয়-করে","ভয়কারী","যে-ভয়-করে","যে-ভয়-করে-"]·DE["[יראת]","einer-fürchtend","fuerchtend","fuerchtete","fürchtend","gottesfürchtig","und-er-sah"]·EN["and-fearing","but-he-who-respects","fearer-of","fearing","fears","one-fearing","who-fears"]·FR["[ירא]","craignant","et-craignant","un-fearing"]·heb["ו-ירא","ירא","יראת-"]·HI["और-डरनेवाला","डरता","डरता-था","डरता-है","डरने-वाला","डरने-वाली-","डरनेवाला"]·ID["dan-takut-akan","dia-takut","orang-yang-takut","takut","takut-akan","tetapi-yang-takut","yang-takut","yang-takut-akan"]·IT["e-timorato","temendo","temette","timorato","uno-fearing"]·jav["ajrih","ingkang-ajrih","kang-ajrih-asih","lan-ajrih","lan-tiyang-kang-wedi","tiyang-ingkang-ajrih","wedi"]·KO["경외하는","경외하는-자","경외하는-자이냐","경외하며","경외한다","그러나-경외하는-자-는","그리고-두려워하는","두려워하는","두려워하는-자","두려워하다"]·PT["e-quem-teme","e-temente-a","que-teme","quem-teme","teme","temedor-de","temendo","temendo-","temente","temente-a"]·RU["а-боящийся","боится","боящаяся-","боящийся","и-боящийся"]·ES["el-que-teme","que-teme","que-teme-a-","teme","teme-a","temeroso","temeroso-de","y-el-que-teme","y-temeroso-de"]·SW["akimcha","amchaye","amchaye-","anamcha","anaogopa","anayemcha","kumcha","lakini-anayeheshimu","na-anamcha","unamcha"]·TR["korkan","korkan-","korkanısın","korkar","ve-korkan"]·urd["اور-خوف-کرنے-والا","اور-ڈرنے-والا","خوف-کرنے-والا","خوف-کرنے-والی","ڈرتا-تھا","ڈرتا-ہے","ڈرنے-والا"]
Gen 22:12, 1 Kgs 18:3, Job 1:1, Job 1:8, Job 2:3, Ps 25:12, Ps 128:1, Ps 128:4, Prov 13:13, Prov 14:2, Prov 14:16, Prov 31:30 (+3 more)
3. afraid, fearful — Afraid, fearful — the emotional-dread sense, appearing 10 times in contexts of human anxiety and terror. In Deut 20:8 the officers ask 'who is fearful and fainthearted?' before battle; in Gen 32:11 Jacob confesses 'I am afraid' before meeting Esau. Judg 7:3 uses the same battle-fear idiom. Spanish temeroso and the French and German untranslated bracketed forms [ירא] both reflect the difficulty of mapping this emotional sense when the same root carries such heavy theological freight. The distinction from senses 1-2 is clear: here the fear is directed at human threats, not at God. 10×
AR["أَخَافُ","الْخَائِفُ","خائِفٌ","خَائِفٌ","خَائِفُونَ","يَخَفْ"]·ben["ভয়-কর","ভয়-করছ","ভয়-করল","ভয়-করলেন","ভয়-করি","ভয়-করে","ভীত"]·DE["Furcht","[ירא]","[יראים]","aengstlich","der-fearful","fearing","fears","fuerchtete","fürchtend"]·EN["afraid","are-fearing","fear","fearing","fears","he-fear","the-fearful"]·FR["[ירא]","[יראים]","craignant","crainte","effrayé","fearing","fears","le-fearful"]·heb["ה-ירא","ירא","יראים"]·HI["डरता","डरता-हूँ","डरता-हूं","डरता-है","डरते-हो","डरने-वाला","डरा","डरा-वह"]·ID["aku-takut","ia-takut","takut","takuti,","yang-takut"]·IT["[יראים]","fearing","il-fearful","impaurito","teme","temere","temette","timoroso"]·jav["ajrih","ingkang-ajrih"]·KO["두려우면","두려운-자와","두려워하나니라","두려워하는","두려워하였느니라","두려워하였다","두렵다","두렵습니다"]·PT["temeis","temendo","temeroso","temes","temeu","temo"]·RU["-боящийся","боитесь","боится","боишься","боюсь","убоялся"]·ES["el-temeroso","temeroso","temes","temiendo","temió","temo","teméis"]·SW["alimwogopa","aliogopa","anaogopa","anayeogopa","mnamwogopa","ninaogopa","unaogopa"]·TR["korkak","korkan","korkarım","korktu","korkuyorsan","korkuyorsunuz","korkuyorum"]·urd["ڈرا","ڈرتا-ہوں","ڈرتا-ہے","ڈرتے-ہو","ڈرنے-والا"]
4. to/for those who fear (with lamed) — The prepositional dative construction 'to/for those who fear him/you' — 6 occurrences where the lamed prefix creates a benefactive frame. Ps 25:14 declares 'the secret of YHWH is for those who fear him'; Ps 31:19 marvels at the goodness 'stored up for those who fear you.' The Spanish a los que le temen and German für jene fürchtend faithfully render the 'for the benefit of' structure. Semantically this is the same reverential community as sense 1, but the grammatical frame shifts from subject to indirect object — God acts on behalf of his fearers. 6×
AR["لِ-خائِفيكَ","لِ-خائِفيهِ","لِخائِفيهِ","لِخَائِفِيكَ","لِخَائِفِيهِ"]·ben["তাঁর-ভক্তদের-জন্য","তাঁর-ভয়কারীদের-কাছে","তোমার-ভক্তদের-জন্য","তোমার-ভয়কারীদের-জন্য","যারা-তাঁকে-ভয়-করে","যারা-তাঁকে-ভয়-করে-তাদের"]·DE["für-jene-fürchtend-du","ist-für-jene-fürchtend-ihn","zu-jene-der-fürchten-du","zu-jene-der-fürchten-ihn","zu-jene-fürchtend-ihn"]·EN["for-those-fearing-You","is-for-those-fearing-him","to-those-fearing-Him","to-those-who-fear-You","to-those-who-fear-him"]·FR["à-craignant"]·heb["ל-יראי-ו","ל-יראי-ך","ל-יראיו"]·HI["-तेरे-डरनेवालों-को","अपने-डरने-वालों-को","उससे-डरनेवालों-को","डरनेवालों-उससे-को","ले-डरनेवालों-उससे-के-साथ-है","ले-डरनेवालों-तुझ-से"]·ID["bagi-yang-takut-akan-Dia","kepada-yang-takut-kepada-Nya"]·IT["timorato"]·jav["bumi","dhateng-tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-wedi-asih-dhateng-Panjenenganipun","dhumateng-tiyang-ingkang-ajrih-ing-Panjenenganipun","kanggé-ingkang-ajrih-Panjenengan-ipun","kanggé-ingkang-ajrih-dhateng-Panjenengan","kanggé-ingkang-ajrih-dhateng-Panjenenganipun"]·KO["경외하는-자들-에게","경외하는-자들-을-위하여","그-를-경외하는-자들-에게","그-를-두려워하는-자들-에게","두려워하는-자들-에게","주를-경외하는-자들에게"]·PT["aos-que-O-temem","aos-que-o-temem","aos-que-te-temem","dos-que-o-temem","para-os-que-te-temem","é-para-os-que-o-temem"]·RU["боящимся-Его","боящимся-Тебя","для-боящихся-Его","для-боящихся-Тебя","к-боящимся-Его","у-боящихся-Его"]·ES["a-los-que-le-temen","a-los-que-te-temen","para-los-que-le-temen","para-los-que-te-temen"]·SW["kwa-wanaokuhofua","kwa-wanaomcha","kwa-wanaomuogopa","wanaokugopa","wanaomcha"]·TR["korkanlar-için-senden","korkanlara","korkanlara-","korkanlara-O'ndan","korkanlarına","senden-korkanları-için"]·urd["-اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-کے-لیے","-تجھ-سے-ڈرنے-والوں-کے-لیے","اپنے-ڈرنے-والوں-کو","لَ-ڈَرنے-والوں-تُجھ","لِ-اُس-سے-ڈرنے-والوں"]
5. fear (nominal use) — A nominal or abstract use where the form functions as the noun 'fear' or 'reverence' rather than describing a person — 3 occurrences. In Isa 29:13 the people's 'fear of me' (yir'atam) has become mere rote commandment, and in Jonah 1:10 and 1:16 the sailors 'feared a great fear.' The shift from adjectival to nominal is confirmed by the multilingual evidence: Spanish temor ('fear' as noun), French il verra, and German er sieht all struggle with the ambiguity, suggesting a genuine categorial boundary rather than a contextual shade of the participial form. 3×
AR["خَشْيَتُهُمْ","خَوْفًا"]·ben["তাদের-ভয়","ভয়"]·DE["[יראתם]","er-sieht"]·EN["a-commandment","a-fear"]·FR["[יראתם]","il-verra"]·heb["יראה","יראתם"]·HI["डर-उनका","भय"]·ID["ketakutan","takutnya"]·IT["[יראתם]","timoroso"]·jav["ajrih","ajrihipun"]·KO["그들의-경외함이","두려움-을"]·PT["seu-temor-de-Mim","temor"]·RU["страх-их","страхом"]·ES["su-temor","temor"]·SW["hofu","hofu-yao"]·TR["korku","korkulari"]·urd["اُن-کا-ڈر","ڈر"]
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
יָרֵא adj. verb. v. supr. Pt.