The Hebrew phrase יראת יהוה (“the fear of the LORD”) and its verbal counterparts (e.g., לירא את־יהוה, “to fear YHWH”) have traditionally been understood as an awe, reverence, or fear directed to and received by YHWH. More nuanced studies have made distinctions in the meaning, such as Joachim Becker’s 1965 study, Gottesfurcht im Alten Testament, which distinguishes between moral (fear of YHWH = righteous behavior), cultic ( = a disposition in worship), and legal ( = observing Torah) meanings. Often, however, theological and religious studies (e.g., Rudolph Otto’s work)—especially on the popular level—have influenced interpretations of these phrases in the Bible by isolating the word ‘fear’ rather than analyzing the relevant texts themselves in context. Or, as in the case of Becker, conventional distinctions between wisdom and Torah have artificially separated יראת יהוה from לירא את־יהוה in other biblical genres, so that Becker and others limit the legal meaning of ‘fear of YHWH’ to Deuteronomistic texts.
This paper argues that a study of the ‘fear of YHWH’ (whether as noun or verb phrase) suggests that most texts use ‘fear’ either as a substitute for YHWH’s instructions (תורה) or as an act of devotion to YHWH’s instructions, as opposed to an experience of numinous fear that God’s presence elicits. In other words, textual study suggests that the legal meaning of fearing YHWH should receive more attention from scholars than it currently does. To support this claim, this paper will first analyze key examples of the noun phrase ‘the fear of YHWH’ (יראת יהוה), highlighting contextual data that point toward an emphasis on YHWH’s instructions. Some of these have been noted before (e.g., Bruce Walke’s Proverbs) but not all, including important examples where pronouns are used for יהוה in the noun construction (e.g., ‘his fear’, יראתו). Next, I will examine key contexts of the verb phrase ‘to fear YHWH’ (לירא את־יהוה) across biblical genres that illustrate its frequent relationship to YHWH’s instructions rather than divine intimidation. Finally, using insights from linguistic studies of object marking, I will show how instances of ירא taking יהוה as a direct object—rather than with a preposition—help clarify the type of verbal relationship the writer is suggesting, a grammatical relationship that fits better with loyalty to YHWH’s instructions than experiencing fear of God.
This study contributes to biblical scholarship in at least four ways: (1) It reveals that numerous occurrences of ירא and יראה both within and outside of wisdom literature imply Torah loyalty—an aspect often downplayed in previous interpretations of these passages. (2) It demonstrates the importance of object marking for clarifying the meaning of a verb, especially ירא. (3) It promotes discussion over ‘fear of YHWH,’ a discussion which is needed after years of few challenges to the status quo. (4) It has secondary implications for the relationship between wisdom and legal traditions in the Bible, encouraging a reconsideration of the hard lines that scholars have traditionally drawn.