Fear of the Lord

Occurrences in Scripture

The fear of the Lord is a central expression in the Old Testament. Wisdom literature in particular repeatedly presents it as the starting point of wisdom.

• Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." Proverbs 9:10 calls it "the beginning of wisdom."
• Psalm 111:10 and Job 28:28 also link the fear of the Lord with wisdom.
• In the book's conclusion, Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "Fear God, and keep his commandments."
• Deuteronomy 10:12 places fearing the LORD alongside walking in his ways, loving him, and serving him with all one's heart.
• When applied to people, the expression describes the character of their faith. Job 1:1 introduces Job as one "that feared God, and eschewed evil." After Abraham was prepared to offer up Isaac, he was told, "now I know that thou fearest God" (Genesis 22:12).

Terminology and Background

The Hebrew verb yare' means "to fear," and the noun yir'ah means "fear." The same words are also used for ordinary fright. The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders them either as "to be afraid" or as "to revere," depending on the context.

Exodus 20:20 is a passage in which both senses appear together. Moses tells the people, "Fear not," and then explains that God has come "that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not." The passage distinguishes being gripped by terror from turning away from sin out of the fear of God.

Continuity into the New Testament

The Greek Septuagint and the New Testament carried this concept forward with the word phobos (fear).

• Isaiah 11:2–3 prophesies that "the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" will rest upon the one who comes forth from the stem of Jesse. The church has traditionally read this as a messianic prophecy.
• Acts 9:31 records that the churches, "walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 and Hebrews 12:28 call believers to perfect holiness and to serve God with reverence and godly fear.
• In Acts, the phrase "one who fears God" is commonly understood to refer to Gentiles who attended the synagogue and worshiped God, such as Cornelius (Acts 10:2).

Interpretation and Debates

• Fear or reverence? First John 4:18 says that "perfect love casteth out fear." The relationship between this verse and the fear of the Lord has long been debated. Western theological tradition has distinguished "servile fear," which seeks to avoid punishment, from "filial fear," which seeks not to disappoint one's father. Protestant interpreters also make wide use of this distinction.
• Catholic understanding: On the basis of Isaiah 11:2–3, the Catholic Church counts fear of the Lord among the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Protestants generally do not number and systematize the gifts in this passage in that way.
• Common misunderstandings: Some interpretations read the fear of the Lord solely as terror of punishment, while others weaken it into a vague sense of respect. The biblical text binds together fear, reverence, obedience, and turning away from evil (Proverbs 8:13). Many hold that refusing to reduce it to any one of these elements is closer to the text.

In the Korean Church

Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10 are frequently cited in sermons and Bible studies. They also commonly serve as mottos for Christian schools and churches. In preaching, the expression "a faith that fears God" is widely used to refer to godly living and obedience.