The Fear of The Lord

Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:12, 20

Genesis 22:12

Joshua 24:14

Proverbs 8:13

People who feared God were considered faithful and trustworthy for such fear constrained them to believe and act morally.

In almost 80 percent of the passages, however, the object of fear is God.

The root yrʾ refers to human fear for physical safety in threatening situations and the perils of everyday life.

When the element of literal fear recedes, “fear of God” becomes tantamount to “religion” or “spirituality”; i.e., fear of God becomes synonymous with reverence, worship, and obedience to God’s command.

In Egypt since the Pyramid texts of the Old Kingdom, the fear of God means worship and service, with little emphasis on literal fear.