Fear of the Lord the

Fear of the Lord the

is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety ( Proverbs 1:7 ; Job 28:28 ; Psalms 19:9 ). It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial reverence. (Compare Deuteronomy 32:6 ; Hosea 11:1 ; Isaiah 1:2 ; 63:16 ; 64:8 .) God is called "the Fear of Isaac" ( Genesis 31:42 Genesis 31:53 ), i.e., the God whom Isaac feared.

A holy fear is enjoined also in the New Testament as a preventive of carelessness in religion, and as an incentive to penitence ( Matthew 10:28 ; 2 co 5:11 ; 7:1 ; Phil 2:12 ; Ephesians 5:21 ; Hebrews 12:28 Hebrews 12:29 ).

These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.

Bibliography Information

Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for Fear of the Lord the". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". .