What Does it Mean to Fear God?

What Does it Mean to Fear God?

In the Bible, we are told to fear God, as King Solomon writes: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction," (Proverbs 1:7 ESV). Yet, what does it mean to fear God?

The term "fear" in the passage is a poor one, for its usage confuses the modern reader. The term "יִרְאַ֣ת" moreso means reverence, and some translations do render it as this, i.e. AMP, GNT, & TLB. As the Pulpit commentary notes: "The fear of the Lord ... The expression describes that reverential attitude or holy fear which man, when his heart is set aright, observes towards God," (Jones).

In the book Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith by Dr. John Golingay, he too says: "and that Proverbs 1:7 adds that reverence for Yhwh is the beginning or the first principle for wisdom," (Goldingay 583).

In the book Barnes' Notes on the New Testament, Barnes adds: "The beginning of wisdom is found in the temper of reverence and awe," (Barnes).

References:

Barnes' Notes on the New Testament. United Kingdom, Kregel Publications, 1962.

Brown, Francis, et al. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic : Coded with the Numbering System from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Germany, Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.

Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith. United Kingdom, InterVarsity Press, 2006.

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Poole, Matthew. Annotations Upon the Holy Bible: Wherein the Sacred Text is Inserted, and Various Readings Annexed, Together with the Parallel Scriptures . United States, R. Carter and Bros., 1853.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 6. United States, Delmarva Publications, Inc., 2015.