יִרְאָה (H3374) — Hebrew Lexicon

יִרְאָה

𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤄

yirʼâh

H3374 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ירא to fear, to be in awe, to revere

Definition

Awe, fear, or reverence, especially as a response to the presence, authority, or actions of a deity, ruler, or other powerful figure. The term encompasses a spectrum from emotional fear or dread to respectful reverence and piety, particularly in religious or cultic contexts. In some cases, it refers to the emotion or attitude itself; in others, it denotes the object or cause of such fear or reverence.

Semantic Range

fear; awe; reverence; terror (rare); respect (especially toward deity or authority); pious devotion; cause of fear or the thing feared

Root / Etymology

From the root ירא (y-r-ʾ), meaning 'to fear, to be in awe.' יִרְאָה is the feminine noun form derived directly from this root, expressing the state or quality of fear or reverence. The root ירא is common in Biblical Hebrew and typically conveys the sense of being overcome by awe or reverence, especially before the divine.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, יִרְאָה is used to describe emotional fear (such as fear of danger or punishment), but much more frequently denotes awe or reverence directed toward the deity of Israel. The phrase 'fear of YHWH' (יִרְאַת יְהוָה) becomes a technical term for piety or religious devotion, characterizing the ideal ethical and spiritual posture of Israelites, especially from the wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Job, Psalms) onward. This reverential usage dominates later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew. In narrative or legal texts, יִרְאָה can denote fear toward both humans and the divine (e.g., fear of a king, a powerful adversary, or of supernatural events), but the balance typically shifts toward reverence in religious contexts. The word differs from related terms like פחד (páḥad, dread/terror), which conveys intense terror or fright, often of a more immediate and visceral nature, whereas יִרְאָה encompasses a wider range, including healthy respect, awe, and religious devotion. In English translations, sometimes rendered as 'fear,' 'reverence,' or 'awe,' the underlying nuance is often broader or deeper than the English word 'fear' alone can suggest. The term’s meaning remains stable from early to late biblical usage, with 'reverence before the deity' increasingly prominent in Second Temple and later literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of יָרֵא; fear (also used as infinitive); morally, reverence; [idiom] dreadful, [idiom] exceedingly, fear(-fulness).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ירא (y-r-ʾ) — to fear, to be in awe, to revere

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H3372	יָרֵא	the fear-inspiring one
H3373	יָרֵא	the fearing one
H3375	יִרְאוֹן	Yir'on
H3376	יִרְאִיָּיה	Yah is awe-inspiring
H4172	מוֹרָא	the dread
H7200	רָאָה	may you fear
H7462	רָעָה	you (masculine plural) will fear
H8493	תִּירְיָא	Tiria

Word Forms

16 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H3374-13`	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of	18
`H3374-02`	בְּ/יִרְאַ֣ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the fear of	in reverent awe-of	6
`H3374-10`	וְ/יִרְאַ֥ת	veyireat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and fear	and awe-of	3
`H3374-12`	יִרְאָ֖ה	yireah	`HNcfsa`	fear	reverent awe	3
`H3374-14`	יִ֭רְאָתְ/ךָ	yireatekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your fear	your awe	1
`H3374-08`	וּ/בְ/יִרְאַ֥ת	uveyireat	`HC/R/Ncfsc`	and by the fear of	and in awe-of	1
`H3374-06`	מִ/יִּרְאָתֶ֑/ךָ	miyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	from fearing you	from your awe	1
`H3374-15`	יִרְאָתִ/י֙	yireati	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	fear-of-me	my reverent-fear	1
`H3374-11`	וְ/יִרְאָ֣תְ/ךָ֔	veyireatekha	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	and the fear of you	and your awe	1
`H3374-09`	וְ/יִרְאָ֣ה	veyireah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and awesome	reverent awe	1
`H3374-01`	בְּ/יִרְאָ֑ה	beyireah	`HR/Ncfsa`	with fear	in awe	1
`H3374-04`	הֲֽ֭/מִ/יִּרְאָ֣תְ/ךָ	hamiyireatekha	`HTi/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	for your fear/reverence	your awe	1
`H3374-07`	וּ֝/כְ/יִרְאָתְ/ךָ֗	ukheyireatekha	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	and-as-your-fear	and according to your reverence	1
`H3374-05`	לְ/יִרְאָתֶֽ/ךָ	leyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	for the fear of you	for your awe	1
`H3374-03`	בְּ/יִרְאָתֶֽ/ךָ	beyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	in your fear	in your awe	1
`H3374-16`	יִרְאָת֛/וֹ	yireato	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	fear of Him	his awe	1

Occurrences in Scripture

42 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H3374-13`	Genesis 20:11	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-16`	Exodus 20:20	יִרְאָת֛/וֹ	yireato	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	fear of Him	his awe
`H3374-11`	Deuteronomy 2:25	וְ/יִרְאָ֣תְ/ךָ֔	veyireatekha	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	and the fear of you	and your awe
`H3374-13`	2 Samuel 23:3	יִרְאַ֥ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear-of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Isaiah 7:25	יִרְאַ֖ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-10`	Isaiah 11:2	וְ/יִרְאַ֥ת	veyireat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and fear	and awe-of
`H3374-02`	Isaiah 11:3	בְּ/יִרְאַ֣ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in-fear-of	in reverent awe-of
`H3374-13`	Isaiah 33:6	יִרְאַ֥ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-06`	Isaiah 63:17	מִ/יִּרְאָתֶ֑/ךָ	miyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	from fearing you	from your awe
`H3374-15`	Jeremiah 32:40	יִרְאָתִ/י֙	yireati	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	fear-of-me	my reverent-fear
`H3374-09`	Ezekiel 1:18	וְ/יִרְאָ֣ה	veyireah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and awesome	reverent awe
`H3374-12`	Ezekiel 30:13	יִרְאָ֖ה	yireah	`HNcfsa`	fear	reverent awe
`H3374-01`	Psalms 2:11	בְּ/יִרְאָ֑ה	beyireah	`HR/Ncfsa`	with fear	in awe
`H3374-03`	Psalms 5:8	בְּ/יִרְאָתֶֽ/ךָ	beyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	in your fear	in your awe
`H3374-13`	Psalms 19:10	יִרְאַ֤ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Psalms 34:12	יִֽרְאַ֥ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-12`	Psalms 55:6	יִרְאָ֣ה	yireah	`HNcfsa`	fear	reverent awe
`H3374-07`	Psalms 90:11	וּ֝/כְ/יִרְאָתְ/ךָ֗	ukheyireatekha	`HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	and-as-your-fear	and according to your reverence
`H3374-13`	Psalms 111:10	יִרְאַ֬ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-05`	Psalms 119:38	לְ/יִרְאָתֶֽ/ךָ	leyireatekha	`HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	for the fear of you	for your awe
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 1:7	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-10`	Proverbs 1:29	וְ/יִרְאַ֥ת	veyireat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and fear	and awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 2:5	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 8:13	יִֽרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 9:10	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 10:27	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-02`	Proverbs 14:26	בְּ/יִרְאַ֣ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the fear of	in reverent awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 14:27	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-02`	Proverbs 15:16	בְּ/יִרְאַ֣ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	with the fear of	in reverent awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 15:33	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-08`	Proverbs 16:6	וּ/בְ/יִרְאַ֥ת	uveyireat	`HC/R/Ncfsc`	and by the fear of	and in awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 19:23	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear of	awe-of
`H3374-13`	Proverbs 22:4	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-02`	Proverbs 23:17	בְּ/יִרְאַת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the fear of	in reverent awe-of
`H3374-14`	Job 4:6	יִ֭רְאָתְ/ךָ	yireatekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your fear	your awe
`H3374-10`	Job 6:14	וְ/יִרְאַ֖ת	veyireat	`HC/Ncfsc`	and fear	and awe-of
`H3374-12`	Job 15:4	יִרְאָ֑ה	yireah	`HNcfsa`	fear	reverent awe
`H3374-04`	Job 22:4	הֲֽ֭/מִ/יִּרְאָ֣תְ/ךָ	hamiyireatekha	`HTi/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms`	for your fear/reverence	your awe
`H3374-13`	Job 28:28	יִרְאַ֣ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-02`	Nehemiah 5:9	בְּ/יִרְאַ֤ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in fear of	in reverent awe-of
`H3374-13`	Nehemiah 5:15	יִרְאַ֥ת	yireat	`HNcfsc`	fear	awe-of
`H3374-02`	2 Chronicles 19:9	בְּ/יִרְאַ֣ת	beyireat	`HR/Ncfsc`	in the fear of	in reverent awe-of

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