By: Richard D. Eutsler, Sr.

What does it mean to fear God?

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

One implication of the above scriptures is that you cannot fear God if you think well of yourself.

The fear of God is a choice.

Proverbs 1:29  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

In context this verse is read as follows:

20 &  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22  How long, ye simple ones [low or abnormally low intelligence], will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24  Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27  When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32  For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Tithing is an act (i.e. choice) manifesting one’s fear of God.  See Deut. 14:22-23.

22 &  Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

23  And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

We are to dwell in the fear of the Lord all day long.

Proverbs 23:17  Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Deuteronomy 4:10  Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

The fear of God is one of our two duties before God.

Ecclesiastes 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Deuteronomy 8:6  Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

Deuteronomy 10:12  And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Deuteronomy 10:20  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

How does one come to understand the fear of God?

Proverbs 2:1-9

1 &  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2  So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

6  For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7  He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8  He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9  Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

In order to show the people the fear of God, you must execute the judgments of God.

Deuteronomy 13:4  Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. [false prophets were put to death]

Deuteronomy 13:11  And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. [those who turned the people to follow other gods were put to death]

Deuteronomy 17:8-13

8 &  If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

9  And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:

10  And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:

11  According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.

12  And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

13  And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

Deuteronomy 19:15-21

15  One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16  If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17  Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18  And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19  Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20  And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21  And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New Testament equivalent of these judgments would be to thrust these out of the church.

Benefits of fearing God?

Beginning of Knowledge

Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Beginning of Wisdom

Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Is the instruction of wisdom.

Proverbs 15:33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

The Lord takes pleasure in you

Psalms 147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Health – Proverbs 3:7-8

7   Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Fountain of Life.

Proverbs 14:27  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:23  The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

One of the keys to material prosperity.

Proverbs 22:4  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Prolongeth Days.

Deuteronomy 6:2  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Proverbs 10:27  The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Moses commands the kings (Deuteronomy 17:18-20) that will be set up after him as follows:

18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Strong Confidence.

Proverbs 14:26  In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Causes one to keep His commandments and depart from evil

Deuteronomy 6:2  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son=s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deuteronomy 6:24  And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

[Read Deuteronomy 6 in its entirety.  Basically, the fear of the Lord is spoken of from the perspective that it will provoke us to keep His Word, forget Him not and allow Him to bless us always.]

Proverbs 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Proverbs 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 19:23  The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Leviticus 19:14  Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:32  Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 25:17  Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 25:36  Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Leviticus 25:43  Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Mercy

Luke 1:50  And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Authority

Exodus 18:21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

The above passage relates to Jethro’s counsel to Moses, which Moses followed choosing able men out of all Israel, making them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens.  Exo. 18:13-27

Definitions from Strongs

There are __ Hebrew words translated fear and ___ Greek words.

4172, 6342/6343, 367, 1674

03372/03373/03374 B typically used in reference to the fear of God.

6440, 2342, 6206 – also used in reference to the fear of God.

2844, 1481, 4032/4034, 7461, 3025, 2731, 7267, 7374, 1763

 

Greek Words

5399, 5401, 870, 820, 1167 (spirit of fear), 2124/2125, 1630

 

Hebrew Words translated “fear” in reference to fearing God.

03374 hary yir=ah yir?aw=

from 03373; n f; {See TWOT on 907 @@ “907b”}

AV?fear 41, exceedingly + 01419 2, dreadful 1, fearfulness 1; 45

1) fear, terror, fearing

1a) fear, terror

1b) awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear)

1c) fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety

1d) revered

 

03372 ary yare= yaw?ray=

a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 907} {See TWOT on 908}

AV-fear 188, afraid 78, terrible 23, terrible thing 6, dreadful 5, reverence 3, fearful 2, terrible acts 1, misc 8; 314

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

 

Greek Words translated “fear” in reference to fearing God

5399 fobew phobeo fob?eh=?o

from 5401; TDNT?9:189,1272; v

AV-fear 62, be afraid 23, be afraid of 5, reverence 1, misc 2; 93

1) to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away)

1a) to put to flight, to flee

1b) to fear, be afraid

1b1) to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm

1b1a) of those startled by strange sights or occurrences

1b1b) of those struck with amazement

1b2) to fear, be afraid of one

1b3) to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm)

1c) to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience

For Synonyms see entry 5841