H6342 H6342
To dread, be in terror, tremble with fear; also reverential awe; Hifil: to cause trembling.
A verb that reaches from gut-level terror to holy reverence. At its core, pachad describes the visceral, body-shaking dread that overwhelms a person facing danger or divine power. Job's haunting confession — 'the thing I dreaded has come upon me' (Job 3:25) — captures its most primal register. Yet in Psalm 119:161, the same root describes the psalmist's heart standing in awe before God's word, showing how biblical Hebrew uses a single root to span the spectrum from paralyzing fear to worshipful trembling. The Piel intensifies this into chronic, sustained dread (Isa 51:13).
Senses
1. Qal: to dread, be afraid — The standard Qal sense of fearing, dreading, or being afraid — a broad-spectrum fear directed at threats, enemies, or uncertain futures. Deuteronomy 28:66-67 pairs it with cognate accusative ('you shall dread with dread') to describe the terror of covenant curse. Job 3:25 and 23:15 show deeply personal dread. Spanish 'temerás/temeré' and German 'erschrecken' both reflect the directional, object-oriented nature of this fear. 16×
AR["أَخَافُ","ارْتَعَبُوا","تَخَافُ","خَافَتْ","خَافُوا","خِفْتُهُ","فَزِعُوا","وَ-أَخَافُ","وَتَخَافُ","وَيَخافونَ","وَيَخَافُونَ","يَخَافُ","يَخَافُوا"]·ben["আমি-ভয়-করব","আমি-ভয়-করেছিলাম","আর-তারা-ভয়-করবে","এবং-আমি-ভয়-করি","এবং-তুমি-ভয়-পাবে","এবং-ভয়-করবে","ও-ভীত-হবে","তারা-ভয়-পেয়েছিল","তারা-ভয়-পেল","তুমি-ভয়-করবে","ভয়-করবে","ভয়-করেছিল-","ভয়-পেয়েছে","ভীত-হবে"]·DE["[ואפחד]","[ופחדו]","[פחדתי]","[תפחד]","du-Schrecken","erschrecken","sie-gefürchtet","sie-waren-in-Schrecken","sie-waren-in-gross-Schrecken","und-Schrecken","und-du-Schrecken","und-erschrecken"]·EN["Are-terrified","I-dreaded","I-will-fear","and-I-dread","and-be-in-dread","and-they-will-fear","and-tremble","and-you-dread","they-feared","they-were-in-dread","they-were-in-great-dread","will-be-in-dread","you-dread","you-will-be-afraid"]·FR["et-terreur","et-trembler","et-tu-dread","trembler","tu-dread"]·heb["אפחד","ו-אפחד","ו-פחד","ו-פחדו","ו-פחדת","יפחד","פחדו","פחדו-","פחדתי","תפחד"]·HI["और-डरेंगे","और-डरेगा","और-मैं-डरता-हूँ","डरा-मैं","डरे","डरेगा","मैं-डरूंगा","वे-डर-गए","वे-डरे"]·ID["Takut","akan-takut","aku-takut","aku-takuti","dan-aku-gentar","dan-mereka-akan-datang-dengan-gentar","dan-mereka-akan-takut","dan-takut","dan-takut-engkau","engkau-takut","mereka-ketakutan","mereka-takut"]·IT["Io-dreaded","[ופחדו]","e-e-Io-dread","e-spaventarsi","e-tu-dread","fu-atterrito","spaventarsi","tu-dread","voi-will-essere-afraid"]·jav["Ajrih","ajrih","botén","kawula-ajrih","lan-ajrih","lan-kawula-wedi","lan-piyambakipun-badhé-ajrih","lan-sami-geter","panjenengan-ajrih","piyambakipun-wedi","tiyang-tiyang-ajrih","wedi"]·KO["그들이-두려워했다","그리고-그들이-두려워하리라","그리고-두려워하나니","그리고-두려워하리니","그리고-두려워하리라","두려울-것이다","두려워하는","두려워하리니","두려워하리라","두려워하였다","두려워하였도다","두려워했다-내가"]·PT["Temeram","e-temerá","e-temerás","e-temerão","e-temo","temeram","temeras","temerei","temerá","temerás","temi","tremeram"]·RU["Устрашились","боялись","будешь-бояться","буду-бояться","и-будешь-бояться","и-страшусь","и-устрашатся","и-устрашится","испугались","убоишься,","убоялись","убоялся-я","устрашились-","устрашится"]·ES["temerás","temeré","temieron","temieron-","temí","tendrá-miedo","y-temerán","y-temerás","y-tendrá-miedo","y-tengo-temor"]·SW["Wameogopa","ataogopa","hutaogopa","na-kuogopa","na-ninaogopa","na-utaogopa","na-watamjia-kwa-hofu","na-wataogopa","niliogopa","ogopa","sitaogopa","utaogopa","waliogopa"]·TR["Korktu","korkacagim","korkacak","korkacaksın","korkarsın","korktular","korktular-","korktum","ve-korkacak","ve-korkacaklar","ve-korkacaksın","ve-korkarım","ve-korku-ile-gelecekler"]·urd["اور-ڈرتا ہوں","اور-ڈریں-گے-وہ","اور-ڈرے-گا","اور-ڈرےگا","اور-کاںپیں-گے","وہ-ڈرے-ہیں","ڈر-گئے","ڈرا-میں","ڈروں-گا","ڈرے","ڈرے-گا","ڈرےگا","ڈَرے-"]
2. Qal: to tremble, be terrified — An intensified Qal usage emphasizing the somatic dimension — physical trembling, shaking, heart-pounding terror. Isaiah 44:8, 11 uses it rhetorically ('do not tremble!') to contrast Israel's fear with God's sovereignty. In Micah 7:17, nations 'come trembling' from their strongholds. The overlap with sense 1 is real, but the bodily emphasis distinguishes this cluster. French 'trembler' consistently renders this physical register. 5×
AR["أَرْتَعِدُ","تَرْتَعِبُوا","وَ-يَخْفُقُ","يَرْتَعِبُونَ","يَفْزَعُونَ"]·ben["-এবং-কাঁপবে","আমি-ভয়-পাব","তারা-ভয়-পাবে","ভয়-করবে","ভীত-হবে"]·DE["[יפחדו]","erschrecken","soll-ich-sein-afraid","und-Schrecken"]·EN["and-will-tremble","dread","shall-I-be-afraid","they-will-be-in-dread","they-will-dread"]·FR["et-terreur","trembler"]·heb["אפחד","ו-פחד","יפחדו","תפחדו"]·HI["और-धड़केगा","डरें","डरो","थरथराऊँगा-मैं","वे-डरेंगे"]·ID["dan-akan-berdebar-debar","mereka-akan-takut","takut"]·IT["[יפחדו]","e-spaventarsi","fu-atterrito","spaventarsi"]·jav["Mugi-giris","badhé-ajrih","giris","kula-geter","lan-badhe-deg-degan"]·KO["그리고-떨릴-것이다","두려워하라","두려워하리라","두려워하며","무서워하리이까"]·PT["e-temerá","temais","temerão","terei-medo"]·RU["бойтесь","и-затрепещет","устрашатся","устрашусь"]·ES["teman","temblaré","temerán","y-temerá"]·SW["na-utaogopa","nitatetemeka","ogope","wataogopa"]·TR["korkacaklar","korkarım","korku-duyacaklar","korkun","ve-korkacak"]·urd["اور-دھڑکے-گا","خوف-کھاؤں-گا","وہ-ڈریں-گے","ڈرو","ڈریں-گے"]
3. Piel: to be in great fear — The Piel stem intensifies fear into a sustained, habitual state of dread. Proverbs 28:14 uses it positively — 'blessed is the one who is always in dread' — meaning the person who maintains a constant posture of reverent caution. Isaiah 51:13 uses it negatively of chronic terror before an oppressor. German 'von Schrecken' captures the overwhelming quality of this intensified fear. 2×
AR["وَ-تَفْزَعِينَ","يَخافُ"]·ben["-এবং-তুমি-ভয়-পাচ্ছ","যে-ভয়-করে"]·DE["und-erschrecken","von-Schrecken"]·EN["and-you-fear","who-fears"]·FR["et-trembler","trembler"]·heb["ו-תפחד","מפחד"]·HI["और-तूने-डरा","डरने-वाला"]·ID["dan-kamu-takut","yang-takut"]·IT["chi-fears","e-spaventarsi"]·jav["Lan-panjenengan-ajrih","kang-ajrih"]·KO["그리고-두려워하였느냐","두려워하는"]·PT["e-temeste","que-teme"]·RU["боящийся","и-страшишься"]·ES["que-siempre-teme","y-temiste"]·SW["anayeogopa","na-unaogopa"]·TR["korkan","ve-korkarsun"]·urd["اور-تو-ڈرتی-رہی","ڈرنے-والا"]
4. Qal: to stand in awe — A reverential sense where dread shades into holy awe. In Psalm 119:161, princes persecute the psalmist, yet his heart 'stands in awe' (pachad) of God's words — not fear of punishment, but trembling wonder before divine speech. This sense bridges the gap between terror and worship, showing how the same root can serve both. The single attestation suggests this is a contextual coloring rather than a fully distinct lexical sense. 1×
AR["رَهِبَ"]·ben["ভয়"]·DE["ist-in-Ehrfurcht"]·EN["is-in-awe"]·FR["trembler"]·heb["פחד"]·HI["डरता-है"]·ID["takut"]·IT["fu-atterrito"]·jav["wedi"]·KO["나-의-마음-이"]·PT["tremeu"]·RU["трепещет"]·ES["tembló"]·SW["huogopa"]·TR["korkar"]·urd["ڈرا"]
5. Hifil: to cause to tremble — The Hifil causative: to make someone tremble, to terrify. Job 4:14 describes Eliphaz's nocturnal vision — 'dread came upon me... which made all my bones tremble.' The causative construction places the agency on the fearful experience itself (or a divine agent behind it), rather than on the person trembling. This is the only Hifil occurrence, but it completes the verbal paradigm logically. 1×
AR["أَرْعَبَتْ"]·ben["ভয়-উৎপাদন-করেছিল"]·DE["[הפחיד]"]·EN["it-made-to-tremble"]·FR["trembler"]·heb["הפחיד"]·HI["डरा-दिया"]·ID["ditakutkan"]·IT["esso-made-a-tremble"]·jav["medeni"]·KO["떨리게-했다"]·PT["fez-tremer"]·RU["содрогнулось"]·ES["hizo-temblar"]·SW["yaliogofya"]·TR["korkuttu"]·urd["ڈرا-دیا"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† פָּחַד vb. dread, be in dread, in awe (NH Hithp. (rare), Ecclus 41:12 Imv. פחד על fear for; 𝔗 פַּחְדָּא n.);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. פָּחַד ψ 119:161, וּפ׳ consec. Is 19:16; 60:5; 1 s. פָּחַדְתִּי Jb 3:25, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִפְחָ֑ד Is 19:17; 2 ms. תִּפְחָ֑ד Dt 28:67 +, etc.;— 1. be in dread, abs. Dt 28:66; Is 12:2; 33:14; 44:8, 11 ψ 78:53; Pr 3:24; לֹא פ׳ Je 36:24 sign of callousness; c. acc. cogn.…