What Does the Fear of the Lord Mean According to Scripture?

[LoveYeshua]

What Does the Fear of the Lord Mean According to Scripture?

The expression "fear of the Lord" appears throughout the Bible, yet many people understand it in very different ways. Some think it means being terrified of God, while others say it simply means respect. I wonder if the biblical picture is deeper than either of those explanations.

Jesus said:

"And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28, ASV)

At the same time, Jesus also taught His disciples not to be anxious and repeatedly spoke of God as our heavenly Father.

The Old Testament says:

"The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111:10, ASV)

And:

"By the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil." (Proverbs 16:6, ASV)

Peter likewise wrote:

"And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear." (1 Peter 1:17, ASV)

So what exactly is the fear of the Lord?

Is it Reverence? Awe? Obedience? A combination of these? How do we reconcile God's love and mercy with the many passages that speak of fearing Him?

I would be interested in hearing how others understand this subject and which passages of Scripture have helped shape your understanding.

( added June 23, 2026) my own understanding written after post no 5 is posted in post no 6. I wanted other people's opinion and it was helpful. thank you to all who who responded.

 

[Rockerduck]

Fear the Lord like you did your earthly Father.

Hebrews 12:4-9
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

 

[Lambano]

Is it Reverence? Awe? Obedience? A combination of these? How do we reconcile God's love and mercy with the many passages that speak of fearing Him?

All of the above?

One takeaway I had from Rabbi Abraham Heschel's book, God In Search of Man (before K-Mutt chewed it up beyond recognition): The Hebrew word יִרְאַת ("yirah") used in the well-known Proverbs 9:10 (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding) connotates awe, wonder, reverence, and yes, real fear, as would be naturally appropriate when confronted by an entity who is infinitely superior to us in every respect. (I trust the Rabbi to know his Hebrew.)

I balance the natural fear of so powerful an entity with what I read in 1 John 4:16-19:

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

I have to conclude that God doesn't want us to remain in fear. He invites us to love.

 

[Debp]

To me it means reverence and respect to the Lord. Not being afraid in the normal sense.

 

[markalan]

Sometimes we say we are afraid of something because we know what the consequences can be ... for example, I am afraid to spend so much time in the sun I get burned because I know that can lead to skin cancer which can be lethal ... however, I do not live in fear because I know what to do to protect myself.

We can fear God as Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 ... "fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" ... but we do not live in fear because we know how to apply God's protection to shield us from His wrath.

 

[LoveYeshua]

The Fear of the Lord — The Foundation of All Wisdom and Right Living


Brothers and sisters, one of the most repeated and yet most misunderstood themes across the whole of Scripture is the fear of the Lord. From Moses to the Psalms, from Proverbs to the Prophets, from the lips of Christ himself to the book of Revelation, this call echoes with unmistakable urgency. Let us search the Scriptures together and ask: what attitude should men have toward God, and what practical lessons must we carry into our daily walk?

What is the fear of the Lord?
First, we must be clear that the fear of the Lord is not mere terror, as a slave cowers before a cruel master. It is reverential awe — a profound recognition of who God is in his holiness, majesty, and Almighty power, combined with a trembling desire to please him and a hatred of everything he hates.
Moses set the tone for all of Israel:

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 10:12)

Notice how fear, love, and obedience are woven together as a single fabric. This is not a contradiction. Genuine love for God produces awe of God, and genuine awe of God produces obedience to God.
The Psalmist places the fear of the Lord at the very beginning of wisdom:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)

And Solomon, writing in Proverbs, reinforces this foundational truth:

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

A man who does not fear God is not merely unwise , he is without the very foundation upon which wisdom is built. Everything collapses without this cornerstone.

The attitude God requires
What does God actually expect from men in terms of their inner posture before him?

Humility. The fear of the Lord and pride cannot coexist. Proverbs makes plain the connection:

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

Wholehearted devotion. The prophet Jeremiah records God's own longing for a people who would fear him with sincerity:

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them. (Jeremiah 32:38–39)

Trembling at God's word. The prophet Isaiah records who it is that God truly regards:

But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

This is a sobering portrait. God does not look upon the mighty, the learned, or the self-sufficient with special favour. He looks to the one who is broken before him and who trembles at his word. How many of us read Scripture with that kind of sobriety?

Fear that extends to all of life. The Preacher, in his final summation of all human existence, strips away every vanity and lands here:

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)

This is the whole duty of man. Not success. Not reputation. Not even religious activity. Fear God. Keep his commandments. And remember that all things are laid bare before his judgment.

What the fear of the Lord produces in us
The Scriptures are not silent on the fruit that flows from a genuine fear of God. It is not merely a posture, it transforms conduct.

Departure from evil. Proverbs connects the fear of God directly to the rejection of sin:

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

If we truly fear God, we will hate what he hates. A person who claims to fear God yet makes peace with pride, with dishonesty, with moral compromise ;let him examine himself.

Confidence and refuge. Far from being a burden, the fear of the Lord brings remarkable security:

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

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

Preservation and mercy. The Psalmist assures us that God watches over those who fear him:

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:18–19)

Length of days.

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

The witness of the Lord Jesus
Some may wonder whether the New Testament softens this theme. On the contrary, our Lord himself teaches a fear of God that is serious and searching. He redirects our fear away from men and toward the one who holds eternal authority over the soul:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

This is not the language of a God to be taken lightly. Jesus is not abolishing the fear of God — he is intensifying it and placing it in its proper perspective. Men can harm the body. God alone determines the destiny of the soul.
And yet, in the very same passage, Jesus speaks of the tender care of the Father who numbers even the hairs of our heads (Matthew 10:30). Fear and love, awe and intimacy — these are not opposites in the biblical vision. They are the twin heartbeats of a true relationship with God.

Practical lessons to retain
Drawing all of this together, here are the practical lessons I would urge every believer to carry into their daily walk:
Begin every day with the consciousness of God's presence. The fear of the Lord is not a Sunday feeling — it is an all-of-life orientation. Moses taught Israel to set God continually before them. Let us not forget him as we go about our ordinary affairs.
Tremble at the Word. Do not approach Scripture casually. God specifically honours the one who trembles at his word (Isaiah 66:2). Come to it with expectation, with submission, with the readiness to be corrected and changed.
Hate what God hates. Do not negotiate with sins that God names as evil. The fear of the Lord makes that hatred of evil natural — not a burden but a fruit of genuine awe.
Keep the commandments as the whole duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 leaves no room for a Christianity that is all feeling and no obedience. Fear God, and keep his commandments. Both. Together.
Fear God above all human opinion. Our Lord's words in Matthew 10:28 are a daily corrective to the temptation to live for the approval of men. Let the fear of God silence the fear of man.
Take comfort in the God you fear. The Psalms assure us that God's eye is upon those who fear him, to deliver them and keep them (Psalm 33:18–19). The God before whom we tremble is also the God who shelters us. This is the paradox and the beauty of the fear of the Lord.
May God grant us all a heart that truly fears him not as slaves, but as children who know the weight of his holiness and the warmth of his mercy at the same time.

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. (Psalm 34:9)

Lord, Let us be that people.

 

[ShineTheLight]

The Fear of the Lord — The Foundation of All Wisdom and Right Living


Brothers and sisters, one of the most repeated and yet most misunderstood themes across the whole of Scripture is the fear of the Lord. From Moses to the Psalms, from Proverbs to the Prophets, from the lips of Christ himself to the book of Revelation, this call echoes with unmistakable urgency. Let us search the Scriptures together and ask: what attitude should men have toward God, and what practical lessons must we carry into our daily walk?

What is the fear of the Lord?
First, we must be clear that the fear of the Lord is not mere terror, as a slave cowers before a cruel master. It is reverential awe — a profound recognition of who God is in his holiness, majesty, and Almighty power, combined with a trembling desire to please him and a hatred of everything he hates.
Moses set the tone for all of Israel:


Notice how fear, love, and obedience are woven together as a single fabric. This is not a contradiction. Genuine love for God produces awe of God, and genuine awe of God produces obedience to God.
The Psalmist places the fear of the Lord at the very beginning of wisdom:


And Solomon, writing in Proverbs, reinforces this foundational truth:

A man who does not fear God is not merely unwise , he is without the very foundation upon which wisdom is built. Everything collapses without this cornerstone.

The attitude God requires
What does God actually expect from men in terms of their inner posture before him?

Humility. The fear of the Lord and pride cannot coexist. Proverbs makes plain the connection:


Wholehearted devotion. The prophet Jeremiah records God's own longing for a people who would fear him with sincerity:


Trembling at God's word. The prophet Isaiah records who it is that God truly regards:

This is a sobering portrait. God does not look upon the mighty, the learned, or the self-sufficient with special favour. He looks to the one who is broken before him and who trembles at his word. How many of us read Scripture with that kind of sobriety?

Fear that extends to all of life. The Preacher, in his final summation of all human existence, strips away every vanity and lands here:

This is the whole duty of man. Not success. Not reputation. Not even religious activity. Fear God. Keep his commandments. And remember that all things are laid bare before his judgment.

What the fear of the Lord produces in us
The Scriptures are not silent on the fruit that flows from a genuine fear of God. It is not merely a posture, it transforms conduct.

Departure from evil. Proverbs connects the fear of God directly to the rejection of sin:

If we truly fear God, we will hate what he hates. A person who claims to fear God yet makes peace with pride, with dishonesty, with moral compromise ;let him examine himself.

Confidence and refuge. Far from being a burden, the fear of the Lord brings remarkable security:



Preservation and mercy. The Psalmist assures us that God watches over those who fear him:

Length of days.


The witness of the Lord Jesus
Some may wonder whether the New Testament softens this theme. On the contrary, our Lord himself teaches a fear of God that is serious and searching. He redirects our fear away from men and toward the one who holds eternal authority over the soul:

This is not the language of a God to be taken lightly. Jesus is not abolishing the fear of God — he is intensifying it and placing it in its proper perspective. Men can harm the body. God alone determines the destiny of the soul.
And yet, in the very same passage, Jesus speaks of the tender care of the Father who numbers even the hairs of our heads (Matthew 10:30). Fear and love, awe and intimacy — these are not opposites in the biblical vision. They are the twin heartbeats of a true relationship with God.

Practical lessons to retain
Drawing all of this together, here are the practical lessons I would urge every believer to carry into their daily walk:
Begin every day with the consciousness of God's presence. The fear of the Lord is not a Sunday feeling — it is an all-of-life orientation. Moses taught Israel to set God continually before them. Let us not forget him as we go about our ordinary affairs.
Tremble at the Word. Do not approach Scripture casually. God specifically honours the one who trembles at his word (Isaiah 66:2). Come to it with expectation, with submission, with the readiness to be corrected and changed.
Hate what God hates. Do not negotiate with sins that God names as evil. The fear of the Lord makes that hatred of evil natural — not a burden but a fruit of genuine awe.
Keep the commandments as the whole duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 leaves no room for a Christianity that is all feeling and no obedience. Fear God, and keep his commandments. Both. Together.
Fear God above all human opinion. Our Lord's words in Matthew 10:28 are a daily corrective to the temptation to live for the approval of men. Let the fear of God silence the fear of man.
Take comfort in the God you fear. The Psalms assure us that God's eye is upon those who fear him, to deliver them and keep them (Psalm 33:18–19). The God before whom we tremble is also the God who shelters us. This is the paradox and the beauty of the fear of the Lord.
May God grant us all a heart that truly fears him not as slaves, but as children who know the weight of his holiness and the warmth of his mercy at the same time.



Lord, Let us be that people.

There's a lot to cover regarding this. I'll share these passages.

Amos 3:6-7
6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Jeremiah 5:20-25
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22 Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Hosea 11:7-12

7 And My people are bent on backsliding from Me; though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him.
8 “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboiim? Mine heart is turned within Me; My repentings are kindled together.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God, and not man, the Holy One in the midst of thee; and I will not enter into the city.
10 “They shall walk after the Lord; He shall roar like a lion. When He shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will place them in their houses,” saith the Lord.
12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

 

[ShineTheLight]

The Fear of the Lord — The Foundation of All Wisdom and Right Living


Brothers and sisters, one of the most repeated and yet most misunderstood themes across the whole of Scripture is the fear of the Lord. From Moses to the Psalms, from Proverbs to the Prophets, from the lips of Christ himself to the book of Revelation, this call echoes with unmistakable urgency. Let us search the Scriptures together and ask: what attitude should men have toward God, and what practical lessons must we carry into our daily walk?

What is the fear of the Lord?
First, we must be clear that the fear of the Lord is not mere terror, as a slave cowers before a cruel master. It is reverential awe — a profound recognition of who God is in his holiness, majesty, and Almighty power, combined with a trembling desire to please him and a hatred of everything he hates.
Moses set the tone for all of Israel:


Notice how fear, love, and obedience are woven together as a single fabric. This is not a contradiction. Genuine love for God produces awe of God, and genuine awe of God produces obedience to God.
The Psalmist places the fear of the Lord at the very beginning of wisdom:


And Solomon, writing in Proverbs, reinforces this foundational truth:

A man who does not fear God is not merely unwise , he is without the very foundation upon which wisdom is built. Everything collapses without this cornerstone.

The attitude God requires
What does God actually expect from men in terms of their inner posture before him?

Humility. The fear of the Lord and pride cannot coexist. Proverbs makes plain the connection:


Wholehearted devotion. The prophet Jeremiah records God's own longing for a people who would fear him with sincerity:


Trembling at God's word. The prophet Isaiah records who it is that God truly regards:

This is a sobering portrait. God does not look upon the mighty, the learned, or the self-sufficient with special favour. He looks to the one who is broken before him and who trembles at his word. How many of us read Scripture with that kind of sobriety?

Fear that extends to all of life. The Preacher, in his final summation of all human existence, strips away every vanity and lands here:

This is the whole duty of man. Not success. Not reputation. Not even religious activity. Fear God. Keep his commandments. And remember that all things are laid bare before his judgment.

What the fear of the Lord produces in us
The Scriptures are not silent on the fruit that flows from a genuine fear of God. It is not merely a posture, it transforms conduct.

Departure from evil. Proverbs connects the fear of God directly to the rejection of sin:

If we truly fear God, we will hate what he hates. A person who claims to fear God yet makes peace with pride, with dishonesty, with moral compromise ;let him examine himself.

Confidence and refuge. Far from being a burden, the fear of the Lord brings remarkable security:



Preservation and mercy. The Psalmist assures us that God watches over those who fear him:

Length of days.


The witness of the Lord Jesus
Some may wonder whether the New Testament softens this theme. On the contrary, our Lord himself teaches a fear of God that is serious and searching. He redirects our fear away from men and toward the one who holds eternal authority over the soul:

This is not the language of a God to be taken lightly. Jesus is not abolishing the fear of God — he is intensifying it and placing it in its proper perspective. Men can harm the body. God alone determines the destiny of the soul.
And yet, in the very same passage, Jesus speaks of the tender care of the Father who numbers even the hairs of our heads (Matthew 10:30). Fear and love, awe and intimacy — these are not opposites in the biblical vision. They are the twin heartbeats of a true relationship with God.

Practical lessons to retain
Drawing all of this together, here are the practical lessons I would urge every believer to carry into their daily walk:
Begin every day with the consciousness of God's presence. The fear of the Lord is not a Sunday feeling — it is an all-of-life orientation. Moses taught Israel to set God continually before them. Let us not forget him as we go about our ordinary affairs.
Tremble at the Word. Do not approach Scripture casually. God specifically honours the one who trembles at his word (Isaiah 66:2). Come to it with expectation, with submission, with the readiness to be corrected and changed.
Hate what God hates. Do not negotiate with sins that God names as evil. The fear of the Lord makes that hatred of evil natural — not a burden but a fruit of genuine awe.
Keep the commandments as the whole duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 leaves no room for a Christianity that is all feeling and no obedience. Fear God, and keep his commandments. Both. Together.
Fear God above all human opinion. Our Lord's words in Matthew 10:28 are a daily corrective to the temptation to live for the approval of men. Let the fear of God silence the fear of man.
Take comfort in the God you fear. The Psalms assure us that God's eye is upon those who fear him, to deliver them and keep them (Psalm 33:18–19). The God before whom we tremble is also the God who shelters us. This is the paradox and the beauty of the fear of the Lord.
May God grant us all a heart that truly fears him not as slaves, but as children who know the weight of his holiness and the warmth of his mercy at the same time.



Lord, Let us be that people.

Here is a video by Isaiah Saldivar.

I agree with the things he said.

 

[LoveYeshua]

Here is a video by Isaiah Saldivar.

I agree with the things he said.

i did not watch everything yet but so far I like it, its true the bible say the israelites were terrified when God was on the mount, they were very afraid, as should we, we need to listen and do God's will and not our own.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

The Fear of the Lord — The Foundation of All Wisdom and Right Living


Brothers and sisters, one of the most repeated and yet most misunderstood themes across the whole of Scripture is the fear of the Lord. From Moses to the Psalms, from Proverbs to the Prophets, from the lips of Christ himself to the book of Revelation, this call echoes with unmistakable urgency. Let us search the Scriptures together and ask: what attitude should men have toward God, and what practical lessons must we carry into our daily walk?

What is the fear of the Lord?
First, we must be clear that the fear of the Lord is not mere terror, as a slave cowers before a cruel master. It is reverential awe — a profound recognition of who God is in his holiness, majesty, and Almighty power, combined with a trembling desire to please him and a hatred of everything he hates.
Moses set the tone for all of Israel:


Notice how fear, love, and obedience are woven together as a single fabric. This is not a contradiction. Genuine love for God produces awe of God, and genuine awe of God produces obedience to God.
The Psalmist places the fear of the Lord at the very beginning of wisdom:


And Solomon, writing in Proverbs, reinforces this foundational truth:

A man who does not fear God is not merely unwise , he is without the very foundation upon which wisdom is built. Everything collapses without this cornerstone.

The attitude God requires
What does God actually expect from men in terms of their inner posture before him?

Humility. The fear of the Lord and pride cannot coexist. Proverbs makes plain the connection:


Wholehearted devotion. The prophet Jeremiah records God's own longing for a people who would fear him with sincerity:


Trembling at God's word. The prophet Isaiah records who it is that God truly regards:

This is a sobering portrait. God does not look upon the mighty, the learned, or the self-sufficient with special favour. He looks to the one who is broken before him and who trembles at his word. How many of us read Scripture with that kind of sobriety?

Fear that extends to all of life. The Preacher, in his final summation of all human existence, strips away every vanity and lands here:

This is the whole duty of man. Not success. Not reputation. Not even religious activity. Fear God. Keep his commandments. And remember that all things are laid bare before his judgment.

What the fear of the Lord produces in us
The Scriptures are not silent on the fruit that flows from a genuine fear of God. It is not merely a posture, it transforms conduct.

Departure from evil. Proverbs connects the fear of God directly to the rejection of sin:

If we truly fear God, we will hate what he hates. A person who claims to fear God yet makes peace with pride, with dishonesty, with moral compromise ;let him examine himself.

Confidence and refuge. Far from being a burden, the fear of the Lord brings remarkable security:



Preservation and mercy. The Psalmist assures us that God watches over those who fear him:

Length of days.


The witness of the Lord Jesus
Some may wonder whether the New Testament softens this theme. On the contrary, our Lord himself teaches a fear of God that is serious and searching. He redirects our fear away from men and toward the one who holds eternal authority over the soul:

This is not the language of a God to be taken lightly. Jesus is not abolishing the fear of God — he is intensifying it and placing it in its proper perspective. Men can harm the body. God alone determines the destiny of the soul.
And yet, in the very same passage, Jesus speaks of the tender care of the Father who numbers even the hairs of our heads (Matthew 10:30). Fear and love, awe and intimacy — these are not opposites in the biblical vision. They are the twin heartbeats of a true relationship with God.

Practical lessons to retain
Drawing all of this together, here are the practical lessons I would urge every believer to carry into their daily walk:
Begin every day with the consciousness of God's presence. The fear of the Lord is not a Sunday feeling — it is an all-of-life orientation. Moses taught Israel to set God continually before them. Let us not forget him as we go about our ordinary affairs.
Tremble at the Word. Do not approach Scripture casually. God specifically honours the one who trembles at his word (Isaiah 66:2). Come to it with expectation, with submission, with the readiness to be corrected and changed.
Hate what God hates. Do not negotiate with sins that God names as evil. The fear of the Lord makes that hatred of evil natural — not a burden but a fruit of genuine awe.
Keep the commandments as the whole duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13 leaves no room for a Christianity that is all feeling and no obedience. Fear God, and keep his commandments. Both. Together.
Fear God above all human opinion. Our Lord's words in Matthew 10:28 are a daily corrective to the temptation to live for the approval of men. Let the fear of God silence the fear of man.
Take comfort in the God you fear. The Psalms assure us that God's eye is upon those who fear him, to deliver them and keep them (Psalm 33:18–19). The God before whom we tremble is also the God who shelters us. This is the paradox and the beauty of the fear of the Lord.
May God grant us all a heart that truly fears him not as slaves, but as children who know the weight of his holiness and the warmth of his mercy at the same time.



Lord, Let us be that people.

Amen, , Thank you for sharing, Brother. Walter and Debbie

 

[WalterandDebbie]

To me it means reverence and respect to the Lord. Not being afraid in the normal sense.

Hello, my Brother, great. How have you all been? We are well, . Love always, Walter and Debbie

 

[amigo de christo]

What Does the Fear of the Lord Mean According to Scripture?

The expression "fear of the Lord" appears throughout the Bible, yet many people understand it in very different ways. Some think it means being terrified of God, while others say it simply means respect. I wonder if the biblical picture is deeper than either of those explanations.

Jesus said:

At the same time, Jesus also taught His disciples not to be anxious and repeatedly spoke of God as our heavenly Father.

The Old Testament says:

And:


Peter likewise wrote:

So what exactly is the fear of the Lord?

Is it Reverence? Awe? Obedience? A combination of these? How do we reconcile God's love and mercy with the many passages that speak of fearing Him?

I would be interested in hearing how others understand this subject and which passages of Scripture have helped shape your understanding.

( added June 23, 2026) my own understanding written after post no 5 is posted in post no 6. I wanted other people's opinion and it was helpful. thank you to all who who responded.

Ye have loved RIGHTEOUSNESS and HATED INQUITY
JESUS the KING OF KINGS . and he has been given a name above all names .
To hate inquity and to love the truth of the LORD . yet many seem to love a harlots inclusive ecumeincal intefaith love .
WHICH darn sure has called good EVIL and evil GOOD and has put light for darkness , bitter for sweet
MANY have about ZERO to NO id ea at all what spirit they are now of my friend . NOR where it leads them .
The blind , those who walk in darkness KNOW NOT at what they do st umble .
And the blind cannot lead the blind . Though surely they cry WE SEE , they lie and know not the T RUTH .

 

[amigo de christo]

Fear the Lord like you did your earthly Father.

Hebrews 12:4-9
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

striving against SIN . notice it says against sin .
Yet sadly the inclusive god , who is satan , has convinced them all
to strive FOR the acceptance of sin .
And soon all who conformed not to the ecumeincal intefaith harlot and her inclusive love
THEY will strive as one to bring blood upon the true sheep . yeah many DO NOT have any idea
what spirit they are of , what love they now embrace . but i do , ITS ALL OF IT of the DARKNESS and NOT GOD .
we better all watch out . the inclusive god has infiltrated all religoins , much all of christendom too and the world
TO bring them all as one mindset , and all thinking it be of GOD and be HIS love and be his plan for peace .
OH BUT IT ALL OF SATAN .

 

[Debp]

Hello, my Brother, great. How have you all been? We are well, . Love always, Walter and Debbie

Hi, I'm a sister.

Ok here.

 

[amigo de christo]

Hi, I'm a sister.

Ok here.

Yep , Debp is a sister and not a mister . Now to the trenches one and all for the hour is late indeed .

 

[Taken]

What Does the Fear of the Lord Mean According to Scripture?

Depends on the individual.

A Converted believer…
Fear means Supreme Reverence Of God.

A Non-believer…
Fear means Extreme Fright Of God.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[WalterandDebbie]

What Does the Fear of the Lord Mean According to Scripture?

Depends on the individual.

A Converted believer…
Fear means Supreme Reverence Of God.

A Non-believer…
Fear means Extreme Fright Of God.

Glory to God,
Taken

Hello, Taken, how are you all? We are well. Great post, , Love always, Walter and Debbie

 

[Wrangler]

To me it means reverence and respect to the Lord. Not being afraid in the normal sense.

I was just looking this up last night. Our feminized society wants to do away with undesirable emotions, like asserting that everyone should feel safe all the time. This is in denial of reality! Everyone should feel afraid every time they act imprudently. For instance, we shouldn't feel safe when we walk into the street without looking to avoid oncoming traffic.

And nothing is more imprudent that disregarding one's maker and the fearful consequences that come from that.

I've seen commentary that "fear" means reverence and awe in context. Agh ha. It comes down to this; fear is the flip side of faith. If you fear anything other than the LORD, it means you have more faith in it than Him. This is why fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. NOTE: The beginning of wisdom is NOT love.

 

[Taken]

Hello, Taken, how are you all? We are well. Great post, , Love always, Walter and Debbie

Hi ya! Thanks for inquiring. Doing well, God is So Good. Past year 3 kids had surgeries, (elbow / Wrist, Cochlear implant, Heart) all successful, Prepped & Rested the garden plot 100x30, flowers blooming, 3 baby birds nest in tool pouch (lol), 4 baby bunnies near barn, 10 baby goats, Doe and fawn in field and woods patch…dog curious and gentle about the animals…weather sunny, warm, hot and unusual afternoon rains 3-4 times a week…
Despite the crazy politics, new age nonsense, parasites issues for some goats, and the long hours of repeated mowing…God, Family, Neighbors, Friends, Love is a constant beauty, pleasure, comfort and blessing.

May God abundantly, continuously Bless you and yours.

Glory to God,
Taken

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Hi ya! Thanks for inquiring. Doing well, God is So Good. Past year 3 kids had surgeries, (elbow / Wrist, Cochlear implant, Heart) all successful, Prepped & Rested the garden plot 100x30, flowers blooming, 3 baby birds nest in tool pouch (lol), 4 baby bunnies near barn, 10 baby goats, Doe and fawn in field and woods patch…dog curious and gentle about the animals…weather sunny, warm, hot and unusual afternoon rains 3-4 times a week…
Despite the crazy politics, new age nonsense, parasites issues for some goats, and the long hours of repeated mowing…God, Family, Neighbors, Friends, Love is a constant beauty, pleasure, comfort and blessing.

May God abundantly, continuously Bless you and yours.

Glory to God,
Taken

Thank you, my Brother. You all have a great day. Love always. Walter and Debbie