Strong's Lexicon
phobeó: To fear, be afraid, reverence
Original Word:φοβέω
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:phobeó
Pronunciation:fo-beh'-o
Phonetic Spelling:(fob-eh'-o)
Definition:To fear, be afraid, reverence
Meaning:I fear, dread, reverence, am afraid, terrified.
Word Origin:Derived from φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear" or "terror."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -3372 (יָרֵא, yare'): To fear, revere, be afraid
-3373 (יָרֵא, yare'): Fearful, afraid
-3374 (יִרְאָה, yirah): Fear, reverence
Usage:The Greek verb "phobeó" primarily means to fear or be afraid. It can denote a range of emotions from terror and dread to reverence and awe. In the New Testament, "phobeó" is used both in the context of fear of danger or harm and in the sense of reverential awe towards God. The term can imply a healthy respect or acknowledgment of God's power and authority, as well as a warning against disobedience or sin.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, fear was often associated with the divine, as gods were believed to wield power over human fate. The concept of fear in the biblical context, however, is nuanced. While fear of God includes an element of awe and respect, it also encompasses trust and obedience. The fear of God is foundational in Jewish wisdom literature, where it is seen as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). In the New Testament, this reverential fear is transformed through the revelation of God's love in Christ, which casts out fear of judgment (1 John 4:18).
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5399phobéō – tofear,withdraw (flee)from,avoid.See 5401 (phobos).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
phobosDefinitionto put to flight, to terrify, frighten
NASB Translationafraid (39), am afraid (2), awestruck (1), fear (27), feared (5), fearful (2), fearing (6), fears (2), frightened (7), have...fear (1), respects (1), terrified (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5399: φοβέωφοβέω,
φόβῳ: passive, present
φοβοῦμαι; imperfect
ἐφοβούμην; 1 aorist
ἐφοβήθην; future
φοβηθήσομαι; (
φόβος); from
Homer down;
to terrify, frighten, Wis. 17:9;
to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away). Passive:
1.to be put to flight, to flee (Homer).
2.to fear, be afraid; theSept. very often forיָרֵא; absolutelyto be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm: of those who fear harm or injury,Matthew 10:31;Matthew 14:30;Matthew 25:25;Mark 5:33, 36;Mark 10:32;Mark 16:8;Luke 8:50;Luke 12:7, 32;John 12:15;John 19:8;Acts 16:38;Acts 22:29; (Romans 13:4);Hebrews 13:6;1 John 4:18; opposed toὑψηλοφρονεῖν,Romans 11:20; of those startled by strange sights or occurrences,Matthew 14:27;Matthew 17:7;Matthew 28:5, 10;Mark 6:50;Luke 1:13, 30;Luke 2:10;Luke 9:34; (L in brackets);John 6:19, 20;Acts 18:9;Acts 27:24 (but in the last two passages perhaps the exhortation has a wider reference);Revelation 1:17; withσφόδρα added,Matthew 17:6;Matthew 27:54; of those struck with amazement, (Matthew 9:8LTTrWH);Mark 5:15;Luke 5:10;Luke 8:25, 35. with an accusative of the contents (cognate accusative) (seeἀγαπάω, under the end):φόβονμέγαν, literally, to 'fear a great fear,' fear exceedingly,Mark 4:41;Luke 2:9 (1 Macc. 10:8);φόβοναὐτῶν, the fear which they inspire (seeφόβος, 1),1 Peter 3:14 (Isaiah 8:12;τοῦΤανταλου, to be filled with the same fear as Tantalus, Schol. adEuripides, Or. 6); with the synonymousπτόησιν (which see),1 Peter 3:6.τινα,to fear one, be afraid of one, lest he do harm, be displeased, etc.:Matthew 10:26;Matthew 14:5;Matthew 21:26, 46;Mark 11:18, 32 (cf.Buttmann, § 151, 11);;Luke 19:21;Luke 20:19;Luke 22:2;John 9:22;Acts 5:26 (cf.Buttmann, § 139, 48;Winer's Grammar, 505 (471));;Romans 13:3;Galatians 2:12;τόνΘεόν, God, the judge and avenger,Matthew 10:28;Luke 12:5;Luke 23:40 (Exodus 1:17, 21;1 Samuel 12:18);τί, to fear danger from something,Hebrews 11:23, 27; to fear (dread to undergo) some suffering,Revelation 2:10. in imitation of the Hebrew (מִןיָרֵא), followed byἀπότίνος (cf.Buttmann, § 147, 3):Matthew 10:28;Luke 12:4 (Jeremiah 1:8, 17;Jeremiah 10:2;Leviticus 26:2; 1 Macc. 2:62 1 Macc. 8:12;Judges 5:23), as in the Greek writings,φοβοῦμαιμή,to fear lest, with the subjunctive aorist: Acts (LTTrWH);;μήπως, lest perchance,Acts 27:29 (hereLμήπω (which see 2), othersμήπου (which see));2 Corinthians 11:3;2 Corinthians 12:20;φοβηθῶμεν (equivalent to let us take anxious care)μήποτετίςδοκῇ, lest anyone may seem (seeδοκέω, 2 at the end),Hebrews 4:1;φοβοῦμαιὑμᾶς,μήπωςκεκοπίακα,Galatians 4:11 (seeμήπως, 1 b.);φοβοῦμαι with an infinitiveto fear (i. e. hesitate)to do something (for fear of harm),Matthew 1:20;Matthew 2:22;Mark 9:32;Luke 9:45 (for numerous examples in the Greek writings fromAeschylus down seePassow, under the word, 2, vol. ii., p. 2315{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word,Buttmann, II. 4)).3.to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience:τινα,Mark 6:20;Ephesians 5:33;τόνΘεόν, used of his devout worshippers,Luke 1:50;Luke 18:2, 4;Acts 10:2, 22, 35; (Colossians 3:22Rec.);1 Peter 2:17;Revelation 14:7;Revelation 19:5; alsoτόνκύριον,Colossians 3:22 (GLTTrWH);Revelation 15:4;τόὄνοματοῦΘεοῦ,Revelation 11:18 (Deuteronomy 4:10;Deuteronomy 5:29;Deuteronomy 6:2, 13, 14;Deuteronomy 13:4;Deuteronomy 14:22(23);Proverbs 3:7;Psalm 33:10 (), and many other passages; very often in Sir., cf. Wahl, Clavis Apocr. V. T., under the word, at the end);οἱφοβούμενοιτόνΘεόν specifically, of proselytes:Acts 13:16, 26 (seeσέβω). Compare:ἐκφοβέω. [SYNONYMS:ἐκπλήσσεσθαιto be astonished, properly, to be struck with terror, of a sudden and startling alarm; but, like ourastonish in popular use, often employed on comparatively slight occasions, and even then with strengthening particles (asσφόδραMatthew 19:25,ὑπερπερισσῶςMark 7:37);πτόεινto terrify, to agitate with fear;τρέμειν,to tremble, predominantly physical;φόβεινto fear, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Cf.Schmidt, chapter 139.]
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to fearFromphobos; to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. Revere -- be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.
see GREEKphobos
Forms and Transliterations
εφοβείσθε εφοβειτο εφοβείτο ἐφοβεῖτο εφοβηθη εφοβηθή εφοβήθη ἐφοβήθη εφοβήθημεν εφοβήθην εφοβήθης εφοβηθησαν εφοβηθήσαν εφοβήθησαν ἐφοβήθησαν εφοβήθητε εφοβουμην εφοβούμην ἐφοβούμην εφοβουντο εφοβούντο ἐφοβοῦντο πεφόβησθε φοβεισθαι φοβείσθαι φοβείσθαί φοβεῖσθαι φοβείσθε φοβείσθέ φοβεῖσθε φοβείσθω φοβείται φοβη φοβή φοβῇ φοβηθεις φοβηθείς φοβηθεὶς φοβηθεισα φοβηθείσα φοβηθεῖσα φοβηθεντες φοβηθέντες φοβηθη φοβηθή φοβηθῇ φοβηθήναι φοβηθήναί φοβηθης φοβηθής φοβηθῇς φοβηθήσεσθε φοβηθήσεται φοβηθήση φοβήθηση φοβηθησομαι φοβηθήσομαι φοβηθησόμεθα φοβηθήσονται φοβηθήσονταί φοβηθητε φοβηθήτε φοβηθῆτε φοβήθητε φοβηθήτω φοβηθήτωσαν φοβηθώ φοβηθωμεν φοβηθώμεν φοβηθῶμεν φοβηθώσι φοβηθώσιν φοβήσαι φοβήσθε φοβηται φοβήται φοβῆται φοβου φοβού φοβοῦ φόβου φοβουμαι φοβούμαι φοβοῦμαι φοβουμεθα φοβούμεθα φοβουμεναι φοβούμεναι φοβουμενοι φοβούμενοι φοβούμενοί φοβουμενοις φοβουμένοις φοβουμενος φοβούμενος φοβουμένους φοβουμένων φοβούνται φοβώνται φοβώνταί ephobeito ephobeîto ephobethe ephobēthē ephobḗthe ephobḗthē ephobethesan ephobēthēsan ephobḗthesan ephobḗthēsan ephoboumen ephoboumēn ephoboúmen ephoboúmēn ephobounto ephoboûnto phobe phobē phobêi phobē̂i phobeisthai phobeîsthai phobeisthe phobeîsthe phobetai phobêtai phobētai phobē̂tai phobethe phobēthē phobethêi phobēthē̂i phobetheis phobetheìs phobethêis phobētheis phobētheìs phobēthē̂is phobetheisa phobetheîsa phobētheisa phobētheîsa phobethentes phobethéntes phobēthentes phobēthéntes phobethes phobēthēs phobethesomai phobethḗsomai phobēthēsomai phobēthḗsomai phobethete phobethête phobēthēte phobēthē̂te phobḗthete phobḗthēte phobethomen phobethômen phobēthōmen phobēthō̂men phobou phoboû phoboumai phoboûmai phoboumenai phoboúmenai phoboumenoi phoboúmenoi phoboúmenoí phoboumenois phobouménois phoboumenos phoboúmenos phoboumetha phoboúmethaLinks
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