Quick Definition
φοβέομαι v. I fear, am terrified
Strong's Definition
from 5401; to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere
KJV Usage: be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀφόβως · ἐκφοβέω · ἔκφοβος · ἔμφοβος · φοβερός · φόβητρον · φόβος
25.252 · Attitudes and Emotions · Fear, Terror, Alarm
to fear, to be afraid (derivative of φόβος[a] ‘fear,’ 25.251) to be in a state of fearing
MAT 1:20 · MAT 2:22 · MAT 10:26 · MAT 10:28 · MAT 10:28 · MAT 10:28 · MAT 10:31 · MAT 14:5 · MAT 14:27 · MAT 14:30 · MAT 17:6 · MAT 17:7 · MAT 21:26 · MAT 21:46 · MAT 25:25 · MAT 27:54 · MAT 28:5 · MAT 28:10 · MRK 4:41 · MRK 5:15 · MRK 5:33 · MRK 5:36 · MRK 6:50 · MRK 9:32 · MRK 10:32 · MRK 11:18 · MRK 11:32 · MRK 12:12 · MRK 16:8 · LUK 1:13 · LUK 1:30 · LUK 2:9 · LUK 2:10 · LUK 5:10 · LUK 8:25 · LUK 8:35 · LUK 8:50 · LUK 9:34 · LUK 9:45 · LUK 12:4 · LUK 12:5 · LUK 12:5 · LUK 12:5 · LUK 12:7 · LUK 12:32 · LUK 19:21 · LUK 20:19 · LUK 22:2 · JHN 6:19 · JHN 6:20 · JHN 9:22 · JHN 12:15 · JHN 19:8 · ACT 5:26 · ACT 9:26 · ACT 16:38 · ACT 18:9 · ACT 22:29 · ACT 23:10 · ACT 27:17 · ACT 27:24 · ACT 27:29 · ROM 11:20 · ROM 13:3 · ROM 13:4 · 2CO 11:3 · 2CO 12:20 · GAL 2:12 · GAL 4:11 · HEB 4:1 · HEB 11:23 · HEB 11:27 · HEB 13:6 · 1PE 3:6 · 1PE 3:14 · 1JN 4:18 · REV 1:17 · REV 2:10
87.14 · Status · Honor or Respect in Relation to Status
to fear, to show great reverence for, to show great respect for to have such awe or respect for a person as to involve a measure of fear In a number of languages there are serious problems involved in speaking of ‘fearing God,’ for this might imply merely ‘to be scared of God’ as though God were some kind of bogeyman. If there is a term with the meaning of ‘awe’ (perhaps in a phrase such as ‘to stand in awe of’), this may be an adequate equivalent. In some instances awe is expressed idiomatically as ‘to stand with one’s heart in one’s throat’ or ‘to be in someone’s presence with one’s heart beating fast.’
MAT 9:8 · MRK 6:20 · LUK 18:2 · LUK 18:4 · LUK 23:40 · ACT 10:35 · EPH 5:33 · COL 3:22 · 1PE 2:17
53.58 · Religious Activities · Worship, Reverence
to reverence, to worship (a figurative extension of meaning of φοβέω[a] ‘to fear,’ 25.252) to have profound reverence and respect for deity, with the implication of awe bordering on fear In ACT 13:16 the phrase οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν θεόν, literally ‘those who fear God,’ is essentially a technical phrase to identify non-Jews who worshiped the God of the Jews. These would have been Gentiles who were ‘God fearers’ or ‘worshipers of God.’
LUK 1:50 · ACT 10:2 · ACT 10:22 · ACT 10:35 · ACT 13:16 · ACT 13:26 · REV 11:18 · REV 14:7 · REV 15:4 · REV 19:5
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
φοβέομαι phobeomai 95x
has an active form, φοβέω (G5828), but only occurs as a passive (deponent) in our literature, to fear, dread, Mt. 10:26; 14:5; to fear reverentially, to reverence, Mk. 6:20; Lk. 1:50; Acts 10:2; Eph. 5:33; Rev. 11:18; to be afraid to do a thing, Mt. 2:22; Mk. 9:32; to be reluctant, to scruple, Mt. 1:20; to fear, be apprehensive, Acts 27:17; 2 Cor. 11:3; 12:20; to be fearfully anxious, Heb. 4:1; absol. to be fearful, afraid, alarmed, Mt. 14:27; 17:6, 7; Mk. 16:8; to be fearfully impressed, Rom. 11:20
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
φοβέω, ῶ
(< φόβος) [in LXX chiefly for ירא ;]
in Hom., to put to flight. Pass., to be put to flight, to flee affrighted
to terrify, frighten (Wis 179; Hdt. and Att..). Pass. (so always in NT; cf. M, Pr., 162), to be seized with fear, be affrighted, fear: Mt 10:31 14:27, Mk 5:33 6:50, Lk 1:13 8:50, Jo 6:19 12:15, Ac 16:38, al.; opp. to ὑψηλοφρονεῖν, Ro 11:20; σφόδρα, Mt 17:6 27:54; c. cogn. acc., φόβον μέγαν, Mk 4:41, Lk 2:9 (I Mac 10:8); φόβον αὐτῶν (obj, gen., but cf. ICC, in l.), I Pe 3:14; πτόησιν, I Pe 3:6; c. acc. pers., Mt 10:26, Mk 11:18, Lk 19:21, Jo 9:22, Ac 9:26,
Ro 13:3, al.; seq. ἀπό (like Heb. יָרֵא, Je 1:8, al.; cf. M, Pr., 102, 104n), Mt 10:28, Lk 12:4; seq. μή (cl.; Bl., § 65, 3; M, Pr., 184 f.), Ac 23:10 27:17; μήπως, Ac 27:29, II Co 11:3 12:20, Ga 4:11; μήποτε, He 4:1; c. inf. (Bl., § 69, 4; M, Pr., 205), Mt 1:20, Mk 9:32, al.; of reverential fear: Mk 6:20, Eph 5:33; τ. θεόν, Lk 1:50, Ac 10:2, I Pe 2:17, Re 14:7, al.; τ. κύριον, Col 3:22, Re 15:4; τ. ὄνομα τ. θεοῦ (v.s. ὄνομα), Re 11:18; οἱ φοβούμενοι τ. θεόν, of proselytes, Ac 13:16, 26 (cf. ἐκ-φοβέω)
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
φοβέομαι (act. obsolete): (1) ‘‘fear,’”’ ‘‘dread,’’ (a) absol., P Lips I. 40% (iv/y A.D.) κἀγὼ αὐτὸς φοβοῦμαι, ἐπειδὴ ἀπών ἐστιν ὁ ἑταῖρός μου, OG/S 6659 (i/A.D.) ὅσοι μὲν γὰρ ἐφοβήθησαν ἀκούσαντες περὶ... ; (b) ς. acc., P Oxy II. 237-1 (ap. 186) φοβηθέντας τὸν κίνδυνον, “through fear of the danger’’ (Edd.), P Flor III. 33232 (ii/a.p.) οὔτε προσεκύνησα θεοὺς φοβουμένη σου Td μετέωρον, P Grenf II, 84% (v/vi A.D.) τοὺς νόμους φοβηθεὶς ἔφυγεν εἰς ἐρημίαν (said of a patricide) ; (c) c. μή and conj., P Magd 9® (ili/B.C.) φοβουμένη μὴ συμπέσηι (of a sanctuary in a dangerous state), BGU IV. 10974 (time of Claudius or Nero) (= Olsson, p. 113) φοβοῦμαι yap μὴ σχάσῃ. velv]αυσίακε [γ]άρ, ‘for I am afraid that he will give up, for he has become sick,’’ P Tebt II. 31818 (a.p. 166) φο[βουἹμένη δ[ὲ] μὴ λάθω [κατὰ] τὸ εἴς pe δίκαι[ον] οἰκονομεί[ας, ‘tas I am afraid that my right of procedure may escape notice’’ (Edd. ), 26. 335% (mid. iii/a.p.) φοβούμενος μὴ ἄρα εὑρεθείη ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐπίλημψι[ς, ‘from fear that they might disclose a claim by seizure’’ (Edd.). In Gal 411 φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μή πως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα, “1 am afraid about you: perhaps I have toiled in vain,”’ we have an ex. of μή used in cautious assertions: see Pro/eg. pp. 192f., 248. (4) On the translation-Hebraism φοβοῦμαι ἀπό, as in Mt 10%8 (= Lk 124), see Proleg. pp. 102, 104, and Thackeray Gr. i. p. 46 f. (2) ‘‘reverence,”” P Tebt I. 591° (B.c. 99) (= Witkowski2, p. 113) an official writes to the priests of Tebtunis assuring them of his good will διὰ τὸ ἄνωθεν φοβεῖσθαι καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ ἱερόν, ‘because of old I revere and worship the temple.” In illustration of the φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν of Ac τοῦ, αἰ, Deissmann (LA Z?, p. 451) cites the inscr. from the theatre of Miletus— Τόπος Εἰουδέων τῶν καὶ Θεοσεβίον. ** Place of the Jews, who also are called God-fearing.”’
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
φοβέω (phobeō) — to fear. φοβέω, 3rd.pers. plural imperative φοβεόντων [Refs 5th c.BC+]: Ionic dialect imperfect φοβέεσκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future -ήσω[Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐφόβησα [Refs 8th c.BC+] —passive and middle, Ionic dialect [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect imperative φοβεῦ or φοβέο, [Refs]: Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural imperfect φοβέοντο [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future φοβήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist passive ἐφοβήθην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; aorist middle ἐφοβησάμην only [Refs]: perfect πεφόβημαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: pluperfect 3rd.pers. plural ἐπεφόβηντο [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect πεφοβήατο [Refs 8th c.BC+] __A active, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] always in the sense put to flight, [ἴρηξ] ἐφόβησε κολοιούς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; [Ζεὺς] καὶ ἄλκιμον ἄνδρα φοβεῖ[Refs 8th c.BC+]
II. terrify, alarm, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῷ μὲν Τισσαφέρνει τοὺς Ἀθηναίους φ., ἐκείνοις δὲ τὸν Τισσαφέρνην to frighten the Athenians with T., and T. with the Athenians, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with participle, λέγοντες φ. τινάς by saying, [Refs 5th c.BC+]by terror, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. c.accusative of things, threaten with, φ. λιμόν [Refs 1st c.BC+] __B passive and middle, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] always in the sense to be put to flight (compare [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also participle, μὴ καὶ πεφοβημένος ἔλθης [Refs]in flight, [Refs] to flee before him,[Refs] __B.II to be seized with fear, be affrighted, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —Constr., __B.II.1 absolutely, πεφόβημαι πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φοβηθέντες ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες flying in terror, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἃ μὴ οἶδα.. οὐδέποτε φοβήσομαι οὐδὲ φεύξομαι, [NT+5th c.BC+] __B.II.2 followed by Preps., φ. ἀπό τινος to be afraid of one (probably a Hebraism), [LXX+NT]; ἔκ τινος from some cause, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἴς τι to be alarmed at a thing, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἐπί τινι fear for.. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; but φ. ἀμφὶ γυναικί fear about.., [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.3 followed by a relative clause, φοβεῑσθαι μὴ.. fear lest a thing will be.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. ὅπως μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. μὴ οὐ.. [Refs]; frequently c.accusative followed by μή, ταῦτ᾽ οὖν φοβοῦμαι, μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. τοὺς οὐσίαν κεκτημένους, μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. ὑπέρ τινος, μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with infinitive followed by μή, φοβοίμην ἂν τῷ ἡγεμόνι ἕπεσθαι, μὴ ἀγάγῃ κτλ. [Refs 5th c.BC+] ={φ. μὴ}.., in a more positive sense, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; φ. τόδε, ὅτι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: διὰ τοῦτο φ. τινας, ὅτι.. Isocrates [Refs]; less frequently φ. ὡς.. [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.4 with infinitive with Article, φ. τὸ ἀποθνῄσκειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: more frequently with infinitive alone, fear to do, be afraid of doing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive future, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.5 with accusative person, stand in awe of, dread, δαίμονας τοὺς ἐνθάδε [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.6 with accusative of things, fear or fear about a thing, βρόμον [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.7 with genitive, πεφοβημένος νυκτός, θαλάσσης, [Refs 4th c.BC+] __B.II.8 with participle, προδιδοὺς φοβηθείς [Refs 4th c.BC+]