Fear

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

See Cowardice

Also see [1653]FEAR OF GOD, below

Reverence

• Genesis 35:5 As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
• Exodus 18:21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people — God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
• Exodus 20:18–20 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” “Do not be afraid,” M…
• Leviticus 22:32 You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
• Deuteronomy 4:10 The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.”
• Deuteronomy 5:29 If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.
• Deuteronomy 6:2 so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.
• Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
• Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
• Deuteronomy 10:20–21 You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome wonders that your eyes have seen.

Conspicuous Instances of Those Who Feared

Noah, in preparing the ark

• Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Abraham, tested in the offering of his son Isaac

• Genesis 22:12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”

Jacob, in the vision of the ladder, and the covenant of God

• Genesis 28:16–17 When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”
• Genesis 42:18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

The midwives of Egypt, in refusing to take the lives of the Hebrew children

• Exodus 1:17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.
• Exodus 1:21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

The Egyptians, at the time of the plague of thunder and hail and fire

• Exodus 9:20 Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,

The nine and one-half tribes of Israel west of the Jordan River

• Joshua 22:15–20 They went to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in the land of Gilead and said to them, “This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for you…

Phinehas, in turning away the anger of God at the time of the plague

• Numbers 25:11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.
• Numbers 25:6–15 Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear…

Obadiah, in sheltering one-hundred prophets against the wrath of Jezebel

• 1 Kings 18:3–4 and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

Jehoshaphat, in proclaiming a feast, when the land was about to be invaded by the armies of the Ammonites and Moabites

• 2 Chronicles 20:3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

Nehemiah, in his reform of the public administration

• Nehemiah 5:15 The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God.

Hanani, which qualified him to be ruler over Jerusalem

• Nehemiah 7:2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

Job, according to the testimony of Satan

• Job 1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.”

David

• Psalm 5:7 But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.
• Psalm 119:38 Establish Your word to Your servant, to produce reverence for You.

Hezekiah, in his treatment of the prophet Micah, who prophesied harm against Jerusalem

• Jeremiah 26:19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did Hezekiah not fear the LORD and seek His favor, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster He had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”

Jonah, during the storm

• Jonah 1:9 “I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

The Jews, in obeying the voice of the Lord

• Haggai 1:12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. So the people feared the LORD.

Levi, in receiving the covenant of life and peace

• Haggai 1:5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.

The women at the grave

• Matthew 28:8 So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples.

Cornelius, who revered God with all his house

• Acts 10:2 He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.

See CONVICTION OF SIN

See Faith

Cultivated

• Exodus 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
• Exodus 19:12–13 And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows — whether man or beast…
• Hebrews 12:18–24 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it mu…

Guilty

• Job 5:20–25 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes. You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. For you will have a covenant with the s…
• Job 18:11 Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.
• Proverbs 1:24–27 Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you, when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distres…
• Proverbs 10:24 What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
• Daniel 5:6 his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
• James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

Instances of Guilty Fear

Adam and Eve

• Genesis 3:8–13 Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied…

The guards at Jesus' tomb

• Matthew 28:4 The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.

Judas

• Matthew 27:3–5 When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” So Judas thre…

Demons

• James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

See CONVICTION, OF SIN

A Motive of Obedience

• Leviticus 19:14 You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
• Leviticus 19:32 You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
• Leviticus 25:17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
• Leviticus 25:36 Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
• Leviticus 25:43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.
• Numbers 32:15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will be the cause of their destruction.”
• Deuteronomy 6:13–15 Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you. For the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face o…
• Deuteronomy 7:4 because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.
• Deuteronomy 8:5–6 So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and fearing Him.
• Deuteronomy 10:12–13 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am giving you this day for your own go…

See PUNISHMENT, DESIGN OF, TO SECURE OBEDIENCE

See REWARD, A MOTIVE FOR FAITHFULNESS