יָרֵא
𐤉𐤓𐤀
yârêʼ
H3372 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To fear, experience awe, or hold in reverence; the verbal root most commonly associated with fear in the emotional or existential sense, but also used for deep respect or reverence towards a person, deity, or concept. Context determines whether the sense is negative (dread, terror) or positive (awe, reverence, profound respect).
Semantic Range
to be afraid, to experience dread or terror, to revere or respect (especially deity), to inspire awe or reverence, to hold in high esteem, to be frightened, to display pious reverence
Root / Etymology
From the root ירא (y-r-ʼ), which in its most basic sense refers to being afraid or experiencing fear. This root underlies several Hebrew words relating to fear—ranging from direct terror to the more positive connotation of reverence, especially in relation to deity or authority.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In early Israelite texts (patriarchal and monarchic periods), יָרֵא frequently denotes existential threat or overwhelming awe, sometimes directed toward God, sometimes toward powerful humans or circumstances. Over time, especially in Deuteronomic and Wisdom traditions, the concept of fearing Yhwh shifted toward a positive virtue—reverence or respectful awe—aligning closely with the idea of piety ('the fear of Yhwh is the beginning of wisdom'). In post-exilic writings, it is often used to distinguish those who are faithful or devout. English translations often render the verb as 'fear' or 'be afraid' when the context is negative, and as 'revere' or 'stand in awe' when positive, but sometimes fail to capture the subtle interplay between existential dread and reverential awe inherent in the term. יָרֵא is often contrasted with בואש ('not to be afraid'), and its derived forms are central to the phrase יִרְאַת יְהוָה ('fear of Yhwh'), which became a technical term for religious devotion. Later English terms such as 'Jew' are not contextually appropriate for earlier Israelite or Judahite references, though 'fearers of God' (οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν θεόν) became an idiom for gentiles attending synagogues in the Hellenistic period, reflecting a semantic legacy of the Hebrew term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten; affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).
Bantu Hebrew
| Language | Bantu Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba | tina | afraid, be in fear of |
Root Family
ירא (y-r-ʾ) — to fear, to stand in awe, to revere
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3373 | יָרֵא | the fearing one |
| H3374 | יִרְאָה | in awe |
| H3375 | יִרְאוֹן | Yir'on |
| H3376 | יִרְאִיָּיה | Yah is awe-inspiring |
| H4172 | מוֹרָא | the dread |
Word Forms
71 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3372-20 |
תִּירָ֣א | tira | HVqj2ms |
fear | may you fear | 51 |
H3372-37 |
וַ/יִּֽירְא֥וּ | vayireu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they feared | and they feared | 22 |
H3372-25 |
תִּֽירְאוּ֙ | tireu | HVqj2mp |
fear | you will fear | 21 |
H3372-22 |
תִּירָ֗אוּ | tirau | HVqj2mp |
fear | may you fear | 18 |
H3372-49 |
יָרֵ֖א | yare | HVqp3ms |
he was afraid | he feared | 17 |
H3372-14 |
נּוֹרָ֖א | nora | HVNrmsa |
awesome | one to be feared | 16 |
H3372-09 |
לְ/יִרְאָ֣ה | leyireah | HR/Vqc |
to fear | to fear | 12 |
H3372-34 |
וַ/יִּירָא֙ | vayira | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he was afraid | and he feared | 12 |
H3372-24 |
תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י | tirei | HVqj2fs |
fear | may you fear | 11 |
H3372-38 |
וְ/הַ/נּוֹרָ֨א | vehanora | HC/Td/VNrmsa |
and the awesome | and the awe-inspiring one | 10 |
Occurrences in Scripture
329 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3372-29 |
Genesis 3:10 | וָ/אִירָ֛א | vaira | HC/Vqw1cs |
and I was afraid | and I feared |
H3372-20 |
Genesis 15:1 | תִּירָ֣א | tira | HVqj2ms |
fear | may you fear |
H3372-50 |
Genesis 18:15 | יָרֵ֑אָה | yareah | HVqp3fs |
she was afraid | she feared |
H3372-49 |
Genesis 19:30 | יָרֵ֖א | yare | HVqp3ms |
he was afraid | he feared |
H3372-37 |
Genesis 20:8 | וַ/יִּֽירְא֥וּ | vayireu | HC/Vqw3mp |
were afraid | and they feared |
H3372-24 |
Genesis 21:17 | תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י | tirei | HVqj2fs |
be afraid | may you fear |
H3372-49 |
Genesis 26:7 | יָרֵא֙ | yare | HVqp3ms |
he was afraid | he feared |
H3372-20 |
Genesis 26:24 | תִּירָא֙ | tira | HVqj2ms |
fear | may you fear |
H3372-34 |
Genesis 28:17 | וַ/יִּירָא֙ | vayira | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he was afraid | and he feared |
H3372-14 |
Genesis 28:17 | נּוֹרָ֖א | nora | HVNrmsa |
awesome | one to be feared |