'Fear' in the Bible

The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,“Do not fear, Abram,I am a shield to you;Your reward shall be very great.”

Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.

God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

The Lord appeared to him the same night and said,“I am the God of your father Abraham;Do not fear, for I am with you.I will bless you, and multiply your descendants,For the sake of My servant Abraham.”

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.”

The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.

When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.”

Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:

But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.

Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”

So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’

Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them.

This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you.’

But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’

Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.’

Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!

so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.

Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

No man will be able to stand before you; the Lord your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you.

You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.

It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,

Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.

“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God,

The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.

Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Now the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.”

Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”

Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully.

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.”’”

The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”

Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God.

Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.”

Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.”

“The God of Israel said,The Rock of Israel spoke to me,‘He who rules over men righteously,Who rules in the fear of God,

that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them.

So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel;

with whom the Lord made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them.

But the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.

The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods.

The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him on all the nations.

Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

Then he charged them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly.

and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”

“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him.

When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God.

Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

“For what I fear comes upon me,And what I dread befalls me.

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,And the integrity of your ways your hope?

“You will know that your tent is secure,For you will visit your abode and fear no loss.

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.

“Then I would speak and not fear Him;But I am not like that in myself.

“Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,And you would be steadfast and not fear.

Their houses are safe from fear,And the rod of God is not on them.

“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

“Behold, no fear of me should terrify you,Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

“Therefore men fear Him;He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;And he does not turn back from the sword.

“When he raises himself up, the mighty fear;Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

“Nothing on earth is like him,One made without fear.

Put them in fear, O Lord;Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.

In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,But who honors those who fear the Lord;He swears to his own hurt and does not change;

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.