The Bible does use this phrase, “the fear of the Lord” often, for example, Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” The Hebrew word “yirah”, used in this phrase is often translated into the English word “fear”. But as you might guess, it’s not that simple. If you break down this word yirah, you find three key elements of it’s definition:
YIRAH:
1) a sense of holy reverence
2) a dread of being disrespectful
3) an overwhelming sense of awe
If you ask me to translate yirah into one English word, looking at those three elements, I don’t think I’d choose fear, at all. Indeed the same word is translated as “awesome”, or “reverence”, or “respect” in other places in the Bible. I dunno, you come up with a better word that sums up those three elements. Maybe there isn’t one in English. Maybe just leave it yirah and be done with it.
Psalm 103:11 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s love for those who YIRAH Him”
Psalm 33:18 “The eyes of the LORD are on those who YIRAH him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.”
Psalm 103:17 “From everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who YIRAH him.”
Psalm 147:11 “The LORD delights in those who YIRAH him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
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3 comments:
Thanks for sharing. Added new meaning for some familiar verses I quote to myself all the time.
I always thought of the fear as the fear of a child for his loving father. Instead of like the fear of ghosts.
I guess it's consistent with Yirah. =)
Yeah! Respecting and loving Him as a father:) they both go hand in hand, can't have one without the other. And and, instead of like the fear of being punished and condemned as well. :)
Thanks a lot for this post...
My name is Yirah, and I've been looking his meaning all my life, and in the past 3 years till now, I discovered so many wonderfull things about it!!
Do you have any trusted source where I can find it written in hebrew??
Thanks... kisses!!
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