What is the meaning of "God Fearing"?

Major said:
For the believer, our fear is reverence and awe of God. That does not mean we are afraid of Him but we have respect and honor for Him.
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This is what I wanted to touch on. The word translated as "fear" means so much more than that.

This is what I recently discovered when researching this topic:

Linguistically: the Hebrew term יִרְאַת ה' (yir’at Hashem) and its Greek equivalents in the Septuagint and New Testament (φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ / phobos tou theou) draw from words whose semantic range is broader than modern English “fear.” In both biblical Hebrew and classical Greek, the root verbs (יָרֵא yārēʾ and φοβέομαι phobeomai) can denote everything from outright terror (e.g., fear of an enemy in battle) to deep reverence and veneration (e.g., fear shown to a king or deity). Context determines the nuance. Thus, when Scripture speaks of “fearing God,” it deliberately evokes the stronger end of that spectrum—not to instill panic, but to convey that the appropriate human response to divine holiness is one of overwhelming gravity. Awe that silences presumption, reverence that commands obedience. (Source: Grok.com)
 
LearningToLetGo said:
This is what I wanted to touch on. The word translated as "fear" means so much more than that.

This is what I recently discovered when researching this topic:

Linguistically: the Hebrew term יִרְאַת ה' (yir’at Hashem) and its Greek equivalents in the Septuagint and New Testament (φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ / phobos tou theou) draw from words whose semantic range is broader than modern English “fear.” In both biblical Hebrew and classical Greek, the root verbs (יָרֵא yārēʾ and φοβέομαι phobeomai) can denote everything from outright terror (e.g., fear of an enemy in battle) to deep reverence and veneration (e.g., fear shown to a king or deity). Context determines the nuance. Thus, when Scripture speaks of “fearing God,” it deliberately evokes the stronger end of that spectrum—not to instill panic, but to convey that the appropriate human response to divine holiness is one of overwhelming gravity. Awe that silences presumption, reverence that commands obedience. (Source: Grok.com)
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For the Christian, “Fear of the Lord” is actually an attitude of the heart that loves righteousness and rejects evil.

Proverbs 8:13....
“To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.”

This verse reveals that godly fear shapes moral character and modifies behavior.
 
Eunice and Lois - Grandmother and Mother of Timothy were identified as "GOD fearing"
For that matter Apollos who was part of the committee who penned via The Holy Spirit of the great Book of Hebrews was identified as "GOD fearing"
(Others in the committee were Priscilla and Aquila and Paul)

So those of Jewish descent could also be considered "GOD fearing" not just those of us grafted into The Vine.

Just have been exploring the latest newsletter of Bible Study Org. for December.
Here is one about to post on Merry Christmas! Thread:

The Family Tree of Jesus Chart - The True Vine

[ Addition: Mary’s Mother’s Name was Ann(e)]
 
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