'Fear' in the Bible

The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.

Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’

Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.”

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict last night.”

The God of Abraham, and the gods of Nahor—the gods of their father—will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live.

But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear Yahweh our God.”

Moses responded to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you will fear Him and will not sin.”

You must not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you are to fear your God; I am Yahweh.

“You are to rise in the presence of the elderly and honor the old. Fear your God; I am Yahweh.

You are not to cheat one another, but fear your God, for I am Yahweh your God.

Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you.

You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.

But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’

But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.’

The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people before Me, and I will let them hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.’

If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commands always, so that they and their children will prosper forever.

Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.

Fear Yahweh your God, worship Him, and take your oaths in His name.

The Lord commanded us to follow all these statutes and to fear the Lord our God for our prosperity always and for our preservation, as it is today.

the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, the strong hand and outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you fear.

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul?

You are to fear Yahweh your God and worship Him. Remain faithful to Him and take oaths in His name.

No one will be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put fear and dread of you in all the land where you set foot, as He has promised you.

You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful to Him.

You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, in the presence of Yahweh your God at the place where He chooses to have His name dwell, so that you will always learn to fear the Lord your God.

It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.

They met you along the way and attacked all your stragglers from behind when you were tired and weary. They did not fear God.

Gather the people—men, women, children, and foreigners living within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law.

Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

They sacrificed to demons, not God,to gods they had not known,new gods that had just arrived,which your fathers did not fear.

This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.”

My brothers who went with me caused the people’s hearts to melt with fear, but I remained loyal to the Lord my God.

“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh.

I said to you: I am Yahweh your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites whose land you live in. But you did not obey Me.’”

The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. It must return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!” For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them.

If you fear the Lord, worship and obey Him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow the Lord your God.

Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.

Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

The God of Israel spoke;the Rock of Israel said to me,“The one who rules the people with justice,who rules in the fear of God,

so that they may fear Youall the days they live on the landYou gave our ancestors.

may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,and do according to all the foreigner asks You for.Then all the people on earth will know Your name,to fear You as Your people Israel doand know that this temple I have builtis called by Your name.

When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahweh. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should fear Yahweh.

They are still practicing the former customs to this day. None of them fear the Lord or observe their statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments the Lord commanded the descendants of Jacob. He had renamed him Israel.

The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them; do not serve them; do not sacrifice to them.

Instead fear the Lord, who brought you from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him, and you are to sacrifice to Him.

You are to be careful always to observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you; do not fear other gods.

Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you. Do not fear other gods,

but fear the Lord your God, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

so that they may fear Youand walk in Your waysall the days they live on the landYou gave our ancestors.

may You hear in heaven in Your dwelling place,and do all the foreigner asks You.Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name,to fear You as Your people Israel doand know that this temple I have builtis called by Your name.

He commanded them, saying, “In the fear of the Lord, with integrity, and with a whole heart, you are to do the following:

He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.”I was overwhelmed with fear

Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?

The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking food and wine from them, as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but I didn’t do this, because of the fear of God.

Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them.

That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, joy and rejoicing took place among the Jews. There was a celebration and a holiday. And many of the ethnic groups of the land professed themselves to be Jews because fear of the Jews had overcome them.

Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

fear and trembling came over meand made all my bones shake.

A wind passed by me,and I shuddered with fear.

You will be safe from slanderand not fear destruction when it comes.

You will laugh at destruction and hungerand not fear the animals of the earth.

A despairing man should receive loyalty from his friends,even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.

God does not hold back His anger;Rahab’s assistants cringe in fear beneath Him!

Then I would speak and not fear Him.But that is not the case; I am on my own. >

You will lie down without fear,and many will seek your favor.

But you even undermine the fear of Godand hinder meditation before Him.

Their homes are secure and free of fear;no rod from God strikes them.

He said to mankind,“The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom.And to turn from evil is understanding.”

Fear of me should not terrify you;the pressure I exert against you will be light.

Therefore, men fear Him.He does not look favorably on any who are wise in heart.

She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own,with no fear that her labor may have been in vain.

He laughs at fear, since he is afraid of nothing;he does not run from the sword.

He has no equal on earth—a creature devoid of fear!

who despises the one rejected by the Lordbut honors those who fear the Lord,who keeps his word whatever the cost,

The fear of the Lord is pure,enduring forever;the ordinances of the Lord are reliableand altogether righteous.

You who fear Yahweh, praise Him!All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him!All you descendants of Israel, revere Him!

I will give praise in the great congregationbecause of You;I will fulfill my vowsbefore those who fear You.

Even when I go through the darkest valley,I fear no danger,for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

The secret counsel of the Lordis for those who fear Him,and He reveals His covenant to them.

Davidic.The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid?

How great is Your goodnessthat You have stored up for those who fear Youand accomplished in the sight of everyonefor those who take refuge in You.

Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him—those who depend on His faithful love

The Angel of the Lord encampsaround those who fear Him, and rescues them.

You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh,for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Come, children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

He put a new song in my mouth,a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see and fearand put their trust in the Lord.

They looked and froze with fear;they fled in terror.

Why should I fear in times of trouble?The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.

Fear and trembling grip me;horror has overwhelmed me.

God, the One enthroned from long ago,will hear and will humiliate themSelahbecause they do not changeand do not fear God.

In God, whose word I praise,in God I trust; I will not fear.What can man do to me?

in God I trust; I will not fear.What can man do to me?

You have given a signal flag to those who fear You,so that they can flee before the archers.Selah

God, You have heard my vows;You have given a heritageto those who fear Your name.

Then everyone will fearand will tell about God’s work,for they will understand what He has done.