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Deuteronomy 1:29 — Word Study

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WLCוָאֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵכֶ֑ם לֹא־ תַֽעַרְצ֥וּן וְֽלֹא־ תִֽירְא֖וּן מֵהֶֽם׃

BSASo I saidʼâmar to youʼêl Do notlôʼ [in any way, never] be terrifiedʻârats [dread, stand in awe] or afraidyârêʼ [fear, revere]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 29 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (me.Hem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 1:29quick helps
In a sentenceMoses instructs the Israelites not to fear the enemies they face.
Who is speakingMoses, addressing the Israelites.
Where we areMoses recounts the events leading up to their entry into the Promised Land.
The hard wordתַעַרְצ֥וּן
Take awayFear is not an option when God is with you.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Deuteronomy 1:29

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Moses' Encouragement to the Israelitesgenerated

28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
29So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!
30The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
31and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.”

Deuteronomy 1:29 captures Moses reminding the Israelites of their past fears and encouraging them not to be terrified of the enemies they will encounter. He emphasizes that the Lord, who has been with them, will continue to guide and protect them as they move forward into the Promised Land.


Cross References


The Key Word תַעַרְצ֥וּן, ta'ar'tzungenerated

The verb עָרַץ (arats) means to tremble or be terrified. It conveys a sense of dread or awe, often in the context of facing overwhelming circumstances. The parsing indicates it is in the Qal form, imperfect, second person masculine plural, suggesting a direct command to the people.

This word captures the emotional response to fear, urging the Israelites not to let dread overtake them in the face of their adversaries. The use of the imperative form emphasizes the urgency and importance of this command.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is אֹמַר, I said, which governs the entire sentence. Following it are two clauses, with the first clause expressing the command not to be terrified, and the second reinforcing the command not to be afraid.

The structure emphasizes the commands given to the Israelites, with the repeated negation highlighting the importance of not succumbing to fear.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates תַעַרְצ֥וּן as πτήχητε, which conveys a sense of being struck with fear. This choice reflects a more intense emotional response than the Hebrew term, suggesting a deeper level of urgency in the command.

The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew command but may imply a stronger admonition against succumbing to fear.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 1:29 shows Moses telling the Israelites not to be terrified or afraid of their enemies. He reassures them that God is with them and will fight for them, just as He did in Egypt and the wilderness.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Moses mean by 'do not be terrified'?

Moses is instructing the Israelites to remain strong and not let fear overwhelm them as they face their enemies.

Why is fear a theme in this verse?

Fear is a natural response to danger, but Moses emphasizes faith in God's presence and protection.

How does this verse connect to the Israelites' past experiences?

Moses recalls their previous fears and reassures them that God has been with them before and will continue to support them.

What can we learn from this command not to fear?

This command encourages believers to trust in God's guidance and strength in challenging situations.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What fears do I need to confront in my own life, and how can I trust God to help me face them?
  2. How can I encourage others who are struggling with fear, just as Moses did for the Israelites?
  3. In what ways has God shown His faithfulness in my life, and how can I remember that in times of fear?
  4. What steps can I take to strengthen my faith and reduce fear in my daily life?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 1:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then I said unto you, dread not, neither be afraid of them. With such like words he had exhorted and encouraged them before the spies were sent, and he still uses the same, or stronger terms,

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Dread not, neither be afraid of them . . .—The reminder that “Jehovah went before them” did not avail, for they had already chosen men to go before them.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29. Dread not, neither be afraid] See on Deuteronomy 1:21. Numbers 14:9 has only the second verb and in a less emphatic form. Neither be afraid (lo-ta‘arsûn) not elsewhere in prose. But see Deuteronomy 31:6.

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 1 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

29-33. Then I said unto you — Moses here relates his attempt to inspire the disheartened people with confidence in Jehovah their God, by reminding them of what was done for them in Egypt and in the wilderness.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then I said to you, “Don’t be terrified. Don’t be afraid of them.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!

NETBNew English Translation2006

So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then I said to you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But I sayd vnto you, Dread not, nor be afrayd of them.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And I said unto you, Be not afraid, neither fear them;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And I say unto you, Be not terrified, nor be afraid of them;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And I say to you, Do not be terrified, nor be afraid of them;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And I said unto you, Have no dread, nor be ye afraid of them.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, neither be afraid of them.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And I said to you: Fear not, neither be ye afraid of them:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

So I told you, “Don't be frightened or scared of them!

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then I said to you, Have no fear of them.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וָandclauseverbאֹמַ֖רI.saidprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֲלֵtoכֶ֑םyouclauseclauseadverbialלֹאnotverb phrase · verbתַֽעַרְצ֥וּyouןmust.be.terrifiedוְֽandclauseadverbialלֹאnotverb phrase · verbתִֽירְא֖וּyouןmust.be.afraidprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵfromהֶֽםthem

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches word for word, indicating a strong consistency in this passage. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using אליכם for 'to you', but the overall message remains intact. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide partial restoration, indicating some level of textual preservation.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵכֶ֑ם לֹא־ תַֽעַרְצ֥וּן וְֽלֹא־ תִֽירְא֖וּן מֵהֶֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וָאֹמַ֖רεἶπαאֲלֵכֶ֑םὑμᾶςלֹא־μὴתַֽעַרְצ֥וּןπτήχητεוְֽלֹא־μηδὲתִֽירְא֖וּןφοβηθῆτεמֵהֶֽם׃αὐτῶν

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ואמר אליכם לא תערצון ולא תיראון מהם

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: אליכם (to)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q35a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ואמר] [אל׳כם] [לא] [תערצו׳ן] [ולא] תיראו׳ן [מ׳הם]

nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Deuteronomy 1:29אָמַרand I saidand I saidאָמַראֶלto youto youאֶללֹאnotnotלֹאעָרַץyou must beyou must be terעָרַץלֹאand notand notלֹאיָרֵאyou must beyou must be afrיָרֵאהֶםfrom themfrom themהֶםיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/Godיהוהפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫ההָדָרglorygloryהָדָרגָּאוֹןprideprideגָּאוֹןחָתַתto to be dto to be dismayחָתַתאַלnotnotאַל
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 1:29

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
וָאֹמַ֖רva.'o.Mar and I said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common singular
Hc/Vqw1cs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
אֲלֵכֶ֑ם'a.le.Khem to you H413 Preposition · suffix
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2mp
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
לֹא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Amplified meaning
in any way, never
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
תַֽעַרְצ֥וּןta.'ar.Tzun you must be terrified ! H6206 Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To tremble or dread means to feel fear or be terrified, like being in awe of something or someone, as described in various Bible stories.
Amplified meaning
dread, stand in awe
Tyndale gloss
to tremble
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָרַץ (arats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cause to tremble or to feel dread. It encompasses a range of meanings, including inspiring awe, being terrified, and treating something with reverence. The word appears in various forms, such as intransitive and causative, indicating both the act of trembling and the ability to instill fear or awe in others.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עָרַץ] vb. cause to tremble, tremble (in terror, or awe)

Qal

cause to tremble (i.e. strike with awe)

intrans. tremble, feel dread

Niph. terrible in the company of the holy ones

Hiph.

regard, or treat, with awe, as awful

inspire with awe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6206 עָרַץ cause to tremble, tremble (in terror, or awe) .. cause to tremble (i.e. strike with awe)

. intrans. tremble, feel dread

. terrible in the company of the holy ones

. . regard, or treat, with awe, as awful

. inspire with awe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6206 `arats aw-rats'

a primitive root; to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence,

to harass:--be affrighted (afraid, dread, feared, terrified),

break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, shake terribly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָרַץ (a.rats) — to tremble.

1) to tremble, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, break, be terrified, cause to tremble

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to cause to tremble, terrify

1b2) to tremble, feel dread

1b) (Niphal) to be awesome, be terrible

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to regard or treat with awe, regard or treat as awful

1c2) to inspire with awe, terrify

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi2mp/Sn
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
וְֽלֹא־ve.lo'- and not H3808 Conjunction · particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
תִֽירְא֖וּןtir.'Un you must be afraid ! H3372 Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
315× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to fear or revere, and is used to describe being afraid or standing in awe of something, like God's power. It appears in the Bible to convey a sense of respect or reverence. In the KJV, it's translated as 'affright' or 'reverence'.
Amplified meaning
fear, revere
Tyndale gloss
to fear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָרֵא (yare') is a Hebrew verb meaning to fear or be afraid, encompassing a range of meanings from reverence and honor to causing terror. It appears in various forms, including Qal (to fear), Niphal (to be fearful), and Piel (to terrify). The entries highlight its moral and emotional dimensions, emphasizing awe and respect, particularly in relation to the divine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרֵא vb. fear

Qal

fear, be afraid

stand in awe of

fear, reverence, honour

Niph.

be fearful, dreadful

cause astonishment and awe

inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

Piel. make afraid, terrify

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3372 יָרֵא fear .. fear, be afraid

. stand in awe of

. fear, reverence, honour

. . be fearful, dreadful

. cause astonishment and awe

. inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

. make afraid, terrify

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3372 yare' yaw-ray'

a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to

frighten:--affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in)

fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), X see,

terrible (act, -ness, thing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear.

: frightening(DANGER)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear: revere.

: awesome(god)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

Also means: ya.re (יָרֵא ": frightening" H3372)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine plural · suffix
HVqi2mp/Sn
and I said to you not you must be terrified ! and not you must be afraid ! from them
מֵהֶֽם׃me.Hem from them H9038 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הֶם (hem) — them.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3mp
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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