Understanding the Fear of the Lord | The Proverbs 31 Woman–Part 2
What does the Bible tells us about the woman of valor in Proverbs 31?
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
~Proverbs 31: 30, NIV
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
As many Christian women strive to be this woman, we know that we need to fear the Lord. But what exactly, does it mean to fear the Lord? To find out, I started doing a little research. This post is the result of this research. Join me in my studies and deepen your faith and understanding of the Word, so you can exemplify more qualities of the Proverbs 31 woman of valor.
Note: This is the second post in a series about the Proverbs 31 woman. You can read the first post A Woman of Valor: Insights from Proverbs 31. For more posts on God’s Word sent straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe.
Word Study
What does the word fear (yare) mean in Hebrew? ” (Yira is the feminine word from the same root.) Strong’s Bible Dictionary states: “ fearing; morally, reverent:—afraid, fear” (-ful).
Apparently, there are two different words for fear in Hebrew. The first is pachad. Pachad is a feeling of dread. It comes on suddenly and it’s more of an external feeling from pressure on the outside. It has negative connotations. The second word is yira; it has more positive connotations. Yira can imply the fear of something dangerous, but more often it is described as a feeling of awe or reverence that elevates a person. Yira is the logical response to God’s glory and provokes wonder and worship. It grows over time and is more internalized. Think about how the prophet Isaiah (or Ezekiel responded) when confronted with God’s glory.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”
~ Isaiah 6: 1-6, NIV
“This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”
~ Ezekiel 1: 28, NIV
For a greater understanding of God’s glory, check out my post on Understanding God’s Glory: A Bible Word Study on Kabod.
Fear of the Lord in Proverbs
After I did a little research on the meaning of fear of the Lord, I wanted to see how Solomon used the expression in Proverbs. So, I used the interlinear Bible to find every instance of yirah and yare in Proverbs. Then I tried to analyze the verses. I came up with three main themes in verses when using the fear of the Lord: a definition, an effect, and a directive. I’ve assembled them in the chart below.
Fear of the Lord as a Definition
What is the fear of the Lord?
- It is the beginning of knowledge. (1:7)
- To hate evil (8:13)
- Beginning of wisdom (9:10)
- A fountain of life (14: 27)
- Humility (This isn’t as clear, but it’s based on some translations of Proverbs 22: 4.)
It’s interesting looking at the list. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of the journey towards knowledge and wisdom. It hates evil; I’m guessing because God evil is the opposite of God. It is life! And it makes sense that the fear of the Lord is conflated with humility because being confronted with the presence of God would make anyone humble.
What’s really interesting is comparing Proverbs 9: 10 with Proverbs 2:5:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” yir’â (feminine noun)
Proverbs 9: 10
“If you seek [wisdom] as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” yir’â (feminine noun)
Proverbs 2: 5
Not only is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom, but seeking wisdom will help you understand the fear of the Lord. Wisdom in proverbs is personified, and it alludes to logos or the Word in John 1 which is of course Jesus. We need to fear the Lord to begin our Christian journey, but as we pursue God we will understand more of his glory and why we need to fear Him. Our relationship with God grows as we pursue Him, but He also is the one who initially draws us.
For more information on the relationship between logos and wisdom see my post Understanding God: The Significance of Logos in Understanding John-Part 2 and Part 3.
Fear of the Lord as an Effect
The Proverbs 31 woman feared the Lord. What effect did fearing the Lord have on her and on us according to the book of Proverbs?
- It prolongs our days. (10: 27)
- It will bring us rewards. (13:13)
- It gives us confidence and a place of refuge/safety. (14:26)
- It keeps us from evil (16:6)
- It leads to life and satisfaction (19: 23)
- Riches, honor, and life (22:4)
The woman of valor was able to have confidence and safety because she trusted and feared God. Her fear of God lead her to avoid evil and have a long life that is full of contentment and satisfaction. This is not the prosperity Gospel, since in other Scripture verses God promises us trials, temptations, and persecution. But rather fearing God places in us a confidence of an eternal hope and trust in the Lord’s will above all else.
Fear of the Lord as a Directive
Proverbs also gives people directives to those who fear the Lord:
- Do not be wise in our own eyes (3:7)
- Depart from evil (3:7)
- Do not envy sinners (23:17)
- Be zealous for the Lord always (23:17)
- Do not associate with rebels [those given to change] (24:21)
- Praise those who fear the Lord (31:30)
If you want to be like the woman of valor, then you need the proper perspective. If you look at God and not man, you won’t be comparing yourself to others and will choose to associate with like-minded people who follow the Lord.
Fear and Love
In Scripture, fear of God cannot be separated from the love of God. As Deuteronomy states:
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
~Deuteronomy 10: 12-13, NIV
We need to fear and revere God as our omnipotent creator king, but we also need to love Him as our kind and compassionate heavenly Father. The fear teaches us to respect God, and the love draws us near Him in intimacy. God desires both things. The Proverbs 31 woman of valor fears God, so she is to be praised, but she also knows the Scripture, so we can assume that she also loves God. After all, she brings her husband good and cares for the poor.
For those of you who are familiar with Luther’s small catechism you already know this as every explanation of the commandments begin with the phrase “We should fear and love God so that….” Therefore, the only way to obey God and walk in his commands is to have a healthy balance of fear and love of God.
Conclusion
If you desire to exemplify the Proverbs 31 woman of valor, then you need to fear God. You can do this by focusing on who He is by learning about Him through his Word and meditating on His glory. As you seek God and increase in your understanding of His character, you will fear, respect, and trust Him more and trust him more. This will enable you to walk by faith because you will increase in knowledge and intimacy of the One whom you follow.
Bible Word Studies
Are you interested in doing more Bible word studies? Check out my YouTube video explaining how to do your own word studies!
Word Study Posts
Here is another post on the word study on my blog: Word Studies: A Bible Study Method Featuring God’s Lovingkindness (chesed) and Understanding God’s Glory: A Bible Word Study on Kabod
Check out my other Bible posts:
- Unveiling the Gospel in Noah’s Ark
- Understanding the Significance of Hyssop in the Bible
- Viewing Haggai through the Lens of the Hebrew Calendar: Part 1
- How the Story of Cain & Abel Impacted My Infertility Journey
- Understanding Elohim: The Kingly Attributes of God
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Or check my 7-Day Memory devotionals which are currently free for subscribers or can be purchased.
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- 7-Day Memory Devotional on Galatians 5:22-26
- 7-Day Memory Devotional on Psalm 51: 3-7
- 7-Day Memory Devotional on Romans 5:12-15
- 7-Day Memory Devotional on Psalm 8: 3-9
- 7-Day Memory Devotional on John 1: 1-5
- 7-Day Devotional on Diving Deeper into the Bible Using the Notice and Wonder Method
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Ladder and Friends Learn to Pray: Book Trailer
Are you looking for a way to disciple your young son or grandson? Are you having a difficult time finding Christian resources that target young boys? If so, I have the perfect book for you: Ladder and Friends Learn to Pray! Watch the trailer above to get a sneak peek of the first prayer!
Many of the Christian resources I found for young children had cute little kids and cuddly animals. This was not appealing at all to my son; he wanted trucks and wheel and trains! So, I scoured Amazon looking for Christian books aimed at young boys, but I couldn’t find anything. Therefore, I decided to write my own. It should be available late Summer 2026. Join my pre-order mailing list today to get the latest updates about when the book will be available. (Note: There is NO financial obligation at this time!)
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References
- The Three Types of Fear in Judaism – tzofia.org
- Fear and Fear Not! – Jewish Jewels
- Parashat Eikev – The Awe of the LORD
- Word Nerd Wednesday: Yirah (יִרְאָה)
Disclaimer: Although, I have been a diligent student and teacher of the Word for many, many years, I do not know Hebrew. I have relied on various commentaries and websites over the years so that a lot of the learning has become internal. I strive for accuracy and clarity, but I am still a sinner and make errors from time to time.
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