H3374 H3374
Fear, reverence, awe; ranging from terror before danger to devout piety toward God
The feminine noun from the root yare', covering a spectrum from raw terror to worshipful reverence. Its most theologically significant use is in the construct phrase 'fear of the LORD' (yir'at YHWH), a foundational concept in Wisdom literature where it serves as 'the beginning of knowledge' (Prov 1:7). Yet the same word can denote sheer dread, as when the psalmist confesses that 'fear and trembling come upon me' (Ps 55:5). German 'Furcht' and French 'crainte' mirror this same breadth, serving for both religious awe and ordinary terror.
Senses
1. reverential awe of God — Reverential awe and piety directed toward God, almost always in construct with a divine name: 'fear of the LORD,' 'fear of God,' 'fear of the Almighty' (Gen 20:11; Prov 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:16; 19:23; 22:4). This sense dominates the Wisdom tradition, where yir'at YHWH is the foundation of moral and intellectual life. Spanish 'temor de' and French 'crainte de' regularly appear in this devotional register. 34×
AR["بِمَخافَةِ","في-مَخافَةِ","مَخافَة","مَخافَةَ","مَخافَةُ","مَخافَةِ","مَخَافَةَ","مَخَافَةُ","وَ-مَخَافَةَ","وَ-مَخَافَةِ","وَتَقْوى"]·ben["-এর-ভয়","এবং-ভয়","ও-ভয়","ও-ভয়ের","ভয়","ভয়ে"]·DE["Furcht","[ויראת]","[יראת]","der-fürchten-von","fürchten-von","ist-der-fürchten-von","und-Furcht"]·EN["and-fear-of","and-the-fear-of","fear-of","in-the-fear-of","is-the-fear-of","the-fear","the-fear-of","with-the-fear-of"]·FR["crainte","crainte-de","dans-crainte","et-crainte","et-crainte-de"]·heb["ב-יראת","ו-יראת","יראת"]·HI["और-डर","और-भय","और-भय-","दर","भय","भय-","भय-में"]·ID["Dalam-takut-akan","Takut-akan","adalah-takut-akan","dan-takut-akan","dengan-takut-akan","takut","takut-akan"]·IT["e-timore","in-timore","timore","timore-di"]·jav["Wedi-asih","ajrih","ajrih-dhateng","ing-wedi-asih-dhateng","kanthi-wedi-asih-dhateng","lan-ajrih","lan-wedi-asih-dhateng","wedi","wedi-asih","wedi-asih-dhateng"]·KO["경외함-과-함께","경외함-에","경외함-은","경외함-을","경외함-이","경외함은","경외함을","경외함이","그리고-경외함-을","두려움-은","두려움의","두려움이"]·PT["No-temor-de","O-temor","Temor-de","com-temor-de","e-temor-de","o-temor","o-temor-do","temor-de","é-o-temor"]·RU["Страх","в-страхе","и-богобоязни","и-страх","и-страха","страх","страх-","страха","страху"]·ES["El-temor-de","En-temor-de","Temor-de","el-temor-de","en-temor-de","temor-de","y-de-temor-de","y-temor-de"]·SW["Hofu","Hofu-ya","Kumcha","hofu-ya","katika-hofu-ya","kumcha","kumkhofu","na-hofu-ya","na-kumcha","ni-hofu-ya","ni-kumcha"]·TR["korkusu","korkusudur","korkusunda","korkusunu","ve-korkusu","ve-korkusunu"]·urd["اور-خوف","خوف","خوف-میں","خوف-ہے","ڈر"]
2. fear or dread — Ordinary fear, dread, or terror experienced in response to danger or an intimidating presence, without religious connotation. Psalm 55:5 pairs it with trembling (re'adah), and Isaiah 7:25 uses it of fear that makes places uninhabitable. Deuteronomy 2:25 employs it alongside pachad ('dread') for the terror God puts upon nations. The emotional intensity distinguishes this from the reverent posture of sense 1. 7×
AR["التَّقْوَى","بِ-خَوْفٍ","بِ-مَخَافَةِ","خَوفٌ","خَوفُ","خَوْفًا","مَخافَةِ"]·ben["ভয়","ভয়ে","ভয়ে-"]·DE["Furcht","Furcht-von","[יראה]","[יראת]","er-sieht","fürchten","mit-fürchten"]·EN["fear","fear-of","with-fear"]·FR["[יראת]","crains-de","crainte","crainte-de","dans-il-verra","il-verra"]·heb["ב-יראה","יראה","יראת"]·HI["डर","डर-से","भय","भय-के-कारण","भय-में","भय-से"]·ID["dengan-takut","ketakutan","rasa-takut","takut","takut-akan"]·IT["[יראת]","timore","timore-di","timoroso"]·jav["ajrih","kalayan-wedi-asih","manah"]·KO["경외함","두려움-과","두려움-에","두려움-으로","두려움을","두려움이"]·PT["Temor","com-temor","temor","temor-de"]·RU["в-страхе","со-страхом","страх","страха"]·ES["con-temor","temor","temor-de"]·SW["Hofu","hofu","hofu-ya","hofu-ya-Mungu","kwa-hofu-ya","na-furahini"]·TR["korku","korku-ile-","korkusunda","korkusunun","korkusuyla","korkuyu"]·urd["خوف","خوف-سے","خوفِ-خدا-کو","ڈر","ڈر-کے","ڈَر"]
3. fearsome, awe-inspiring — An attributive or predicative use in Ezekiel 1:18 describing the awe-inspiring appearance of the living creatures' wheel rims -- 'fearsome' or 'terrible.' English 'and fearsome' and Spanish 'y temor' reflect this adjectival function. The single occurrence suggests it may be an extension of the noun into quasi-adjectival territory, though some scholars emend the text. 1×
AR["وَ-مَهيبَةٌ"]·ben["আর-ভয়ংকর"]·DE["[ויראה]"]·EN["and-fearsome"]·FR["et-il-verra"]·heb["ו-יראה"]·HI["और-भयावना"]·ID["dan-dahsyat"]·IT["e-timoroso"]·jav["lan-medeni"]·KO["그리고-두려운"]·PT["e-temor"]·RU["и-страх"]·ES["y-temor"]·SW["na-hofu"]·TR["ve-korku"]·urd["اور-ڈراؤنے"]
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
† יִרְאָה n.f. fear;—יר׳ Ez 30:13 + 6 times; cstr. יִרְאַת Gn 20:11 + 27 times; sf. יִרְאָתִי Je 32:40; יִרְאָתוֹ Ex 20:20; יִרְאָֽתְךָ Jb 4:6 + 3 times; יִרְאָתֶ֑ךָ ψ 5:8 + 2 times;— 1. fear, terror Is 7:25 Ez 30:13; י׳ גְדוֹלָה great fear Jon 1:10, 16; ‖ פַּחַד Dt 2:25; ‖ רעד(ה) ψ 2:11; 55:6. 2. a terror = obj. of terror, ‖ גֹּבַהּ Ez 1:18 (del. Co). 3. fear of God, reverence, piety יִרְאַת…