Bible glossary

Fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord is reverent awe before God that leads to wisdom, worship, obedience, and humility. It is not panic before an unpredictable deity.

By BibleInTongues Editorial TeamPublished March 10, 2026Reviewed by BibleInTongues Review Team on March 16, 2026

Key passages to read

Open these chapters next

Use this page as a starting point, then keep reading in the full chapter.

Common confusion to avoid

These are the most common ways this term gets flattened, softened, or used out of context.

  • Do not turn this term into baptized self-help or mere personal improvement.
  • Do not read it as if it can be understood well without reverence, obedience, and biblical context.

Read these terms together

These neighboring terms keep this definition anchored in the wider biblical picture.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

Wisdom literature repeatedly begins with the posture of a creature before the Creator. A person cannot read wisdom well while treating God as a background idea.

This fear is reverence that listens, receives correction, and refuses arrogant self-rule.

Reverence and trust belong together

Biblical fear of the Lord does not cancel love or trust. It protects them from becoming casual or self-defined.

Read Proverbs, Psalms, and the Gospels together so holy reverence stays connected to God's mercy.

Use this term for better reading

Use these prompts if you want to slow down and turn this page into actual Bible reading.

  1. 1.After reading this definition of Fear of the Lord, which key passage do you need to open in full first?
  2. 2.Where are you oversimplifying this term or using it outside its biblical context?
  3. 3.Which related page would best move you from definition into real reading: a question, a topic, or a guide?

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