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Ariel HaNaviy
Supporter
The word “fear” in the TaNaKH (OT) is the Hebrew word “yaray.” It is true that the word must be understood from context. Sometimes it refers to reverence or respect, etc. (Lev. 19:3), and sometimes it refers to worry or deep concern, etc. (Ex. 15:16). In the Hebrew way of interacting with the scriptures, yaray is a essentially an emotion that motivates a person towards an action, a driving force in a person’s life to help them make a decision on something. Basically, yaray describes the volition of a person, because the same emotions can drive two different people in two different directions. The challenge for us is to allow our “yaray” to move us in the direction that God says is right and best for us. Since the topic is “fear,” let’s see this in action in a few verses from Deuteronomy. (Mouse over to read the passage) Deut. 1:21 – Fear would either keep ancient Isra'el from going into the Land of promise, or overcoming fear—by trusting in God—would move them to go into the Land. Deut. 6:2 – Fear in this verse motivates God’s people to keep all his statutes and commandments, with a promise to prolong their lives. This fear could be reverence, or it could also be fear of God withholding his blessing if one disobeys his commandments. Deut. 10:12 – Fear in this verse can actually function as a metonym, that is, a word which plays the role of a stand-in for another closely related word (similar to a synonym). Fear in this verse is actually closely linked to “walk,” “love,” and “serve” God as Deut. 10:12 hints at by putting “fear,” “walk,” “love,” and “serve” all in the same mix of actions and emotions experienced and taken together as a comprehensive whole. I really like this verse because, as the original question suggested, this verse uses the word “fear” and the word “love” in the same verse, both with God’s intent to motivate us towards genuine fidelity and loyalty to him alone as our God. I will close with my person favorite verse of the Bible that uses the word “yaray”: Ps. 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
Johnnatta Giles
Supporter
That word fear being used in this way is translated to a word that means respect. (Anytime you see something like this take the word and look up the Hebrew or Greek word to see how it translates, either online or with a concordance). So to respect the Lord is to love the Lord.
Salem Markus Purba
Supporter
I love the LORD, and I can not live without the LORD my God (John 6: 63) and I will obey the LORD's command (John 14: 15). Since I love the LORD, I fear to be forsaken by the LORD my God when I am doing such an evil in the sight of my LORD.(Matthew 27: 46).
Jeffrey Johnson
Supporter
In my opinion on the subject after reading the scriptures, I comment with the following: How do you fear the Lord when you love Him? Fearing the Lord: For a believer, this is a wonderful and respectful fear that comes from truly understanding how amazing and holy God is. It’s about humbly recognising his incredible power, wisdom, and goodness. This kind of fear actually brings you closer to Him, not pushes you away with fear. Instead of just “fearing” the Lord, you should love Him with a deep sense of reverence, respect, and awe for His holiness, majesty, and love. This love leads to a strong desire to please Him, follow His will, and live righteously because you hate sin, not because you’re afraid of Him. It’s not about being scared of getting in trouble with God, but about wanting to please Him and follow His will because we respect and love who He is. This kind of holy fear helps us make good choices, be honest, and be smart, which brings us closer to God and helps us see things clearly. It’s not about being scared of getting in trouble but about wanting to please Him and follow His will because we respect and love who He is. This kind of holy fear helps us make good choices, be honest, and be smart, which brings us closer to God and helps us see things clearly. In the Bible, when we say, “fear the Lord,” it’s not about being scared of a mean god, but about feeling a deep sense of respect, awe, and love. For example, a child might listen to a loving parent, not because they’re scared of getting in trouble, but because they want to honour them, and we do the same with God. Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (\(Proverbs\ 9:10\)). This kind of respect is the first step to really understanding things, which then helps us love and serve Him better. So, how does fearing God “begin knowledge” and “start wisdom”? Without the fear of God, we can’t really know anything, because He made everything and wrote the Bible. (Romans 1:20; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) He’s the real source of all true knowledge. So, knowing starts with the respect we have for God. Godly fear is also the start of wisdom because we need knowledge to be wise.
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