מוֹרָא
𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤀
môwrâʼ
H4172 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or quality of fear, awe, or terror; an intense emotion of fearfulness in the face of what is overwhelming, often with a focus on the object that inspires such fear (such as the divine, a ruler, an event, or a phenomenon). The term can also refer to something that ought to inspire fear or awe, or the manifestation of fearful power.
Semantic Range
fear, awe, terror, dread, something causing fear or awe, object of reverence, awe-inspiring power, fearfulness, the quality or act of being feared
Root / Etymology
From the root יָרָא (y-r-ʾ), meaning 'to fear, to be afraid, to stand in awe.' מוֹרָא (môwrâʼ) is a noun derived with the mem-prefix and indicates either the result of fearing or the thing that causes fear.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מוֹרָא appears with senses drawn primarily from the root meaning of fear, but the word's nuance depends on context: it can indicate fear as an internal emotional response (awe, dread) or the external quality/place/person/thing that provokes such a response. In Deuteronomy and elsewhere, it is often directed toward the divine (i.e., the awe or dread that people are to have toward their deity) or toward a human authority figure (such as a king or parent). In some passages (e.g., Genesis, Deuteronomy), מוֹרָא denotes the awe-inspiring fear placed upon animals toward humans. In Psalm 9:20, the form מוֹרָה (corrected in the Masoretic Text to מוֹרָא) adds evidence for the noun's variable form. English translations use various words such as 'fear,' 'awe,' 'terror,' or 'dread,' which may not capture the full spectrum of both awe-filled reverence and terrifying dread inherent in the term. Unlike חֲרָדָה (anxiety, trembling fear) or פַּחַד (terror, dread), מוֹרָא has a broader range from reverent awe to abject terror, depending on context and object. Over Israelite history, its use reflected changing understandings of authority, the divine-human relationship, and emotional expression, particularly in Second Temple reflections on reverence and piety. Later translations (including the KJV) sometimes narrow its semantic range to simply 'terror' or 'dread.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מֹרָא; or מוֹרָהxlit môrâh corrected to môwrâh; (Psalm 9:20), from יָרֵא; fear; by implication, a fearful thing or deed; dread, (that ought to be) fear(-ed), terribleness, terror.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ירא (y-r-ʾ) — to fear, to reverence, to stand in awe
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3372 | יָרֵא | the fear-inspiring one |
| H3373 | יָרֵא | the fearing one |
| H3374 | יִרְאָה | in awe |
| H3375 | יִרְאוֹן | Yir'on |
| H3376 | יִרְאִיָּיה | Yah is awe-inspiring |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4172-08 |
וּ/מוֹרַאֲ/כֶ֤ם | umoraakhem | HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp |
and fear of you | and the fear of you | 2 |
H4172-09 |
וּ/בְ/מֹרָ֖א | uvemora | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and with terror | and in awe | 2 |
H4172-04 |
מוֹרַאֲ/כֶ֖ם | moraakhem | HNcmsc/Sp2mp |
your fear | your awe | 1 |
H4172-10 |
וּ/בְ/מוֹרָאִ֖ים | uvemoraim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and by terrors | and in awe-inspiring terrors | 1 |
H4172-01 |
הַ/מּוֹרָ֣א | hamora | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-terror | the dread | 1 |
H4172-02 |
לַ/מּוֹרָֽא | lamora | HRd/Ncmsa |
to-the-terror | to the awe-inspiring terror | 1 |
H4172-06 |
מוֹרָאִ֜/י | morai | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my-fear | my fear | 1 |
H4172-03 |
מוֹרָ֖א | mora | HNcmsa |
reverence | fearful awe | 1 |
H4172-07 |
מוֹרָא֥/וֹ | morao | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
their fear | his awe | 1 |
H4172-05 |
מוֹרָ֗ה | morah | HNcmsa |
terror | awe | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4172-08 |
Genesis 9:2 | וּ/מוֹרַאֲ/כֶ֤ם | umoraakhem | HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp |
and the fear of you | and the fear of you |
H4172-10 |
Deuteronomy 4:34 | וּ/בְ/מוֹרָאִ֖ים | uvemoraim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and by terrors | and in awe-inspiring terrors |
H4172-08 |
Deuteronomy 11:25 | וּ/מֽוֹרַאֲ/כֶ֜ם | umoraakhem | HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp |
and fear of you | and the fear of you |
H4172-09 |
Deuteronomy 26:8 | וּ/בְ/מֹרָ֖א | uvemora | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and with terror | and in awe |
H4172-01 |
Deuteronomy 34:12 | הַ/מּוֹרָ֣א | hamora | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-terror | the dread |
H4172-07 |
Isaiah 8:12 | מוֹרָא֥/וֹ | morao | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
their fear | his awe |
H4172-04 |
Isaiah 8:13 | מוֹרַאֲ/כֶ֖ם | moraakhem | HNcmsc/Sp2mp |
your fear | your awe |
H4172-09 |
Jeremiah 32:21 | וּ/בְ/מוֹרָ֖א | uvemora | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and-with-terror | and in awe |
H4172-06 |
Malachi 1:6 | מוֹרָאִ֜/י | morai | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my-fear | my fear |
H4172-03 |
Malachi 2:5 | מוֹרָ֖א | mora | HNcmsa |
reverence | fearful awe |