Salmos 25
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 25:14-15
Barclay notes that phobos (cf use of the verb phobeo in Lxx of Ps 25:14) "is not the fear and trembling of the slave cringing before his master; nor fear and trembling at the prospect of punishment. It comes from two things. It comes, first, from a sense of our own creatureliness and our own powerlessness to deal with life triumphantly. That is to say, it is not the fear and trembling which drives us to hide from God, but rather the fear and trembling which drives us to seek God, in the certainty that without His help we cannot effectively face life. It comes, second, from a horror of grieving God. When we really love a person (God), we are not afraid of what He may do to us; we are afraid of what we may do to Him! (cp Jn 14:15) (The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press) Fear of the Lord therefore is a healthy spiritual attitude which on one hand is an awe of God's greatness and glory and on the other hand is a deep and reverential sense of accountability to Christ and even somewhat of a dread of the discipline we will reap for violating His holy nature. Such fear involves self-distrust, a sensitive conscience, and being on guard against temptation. Jerry Bridges has some insightful comments on the fear of the Lord noting that... The late professor John Murray said The fear of God is the soul of godliness. Yet the fear of God is a concept that seems old-fashioned and antiquated to many modern-day Christians. There was a time when an earnest believer might have been known as a “God-fearing man.” Today we would probably be embarrassed by such language. Some seem to think the fear of God is strictly an Old Testament concept that passed away with the revelation of God’s love in Christ. After all, doesn’t perfect love drive out fear, as John declares in 1Jn 4:18? Although it is true that the concept of the fear of God is treated more extensively in the Old Testament, it would be a mistake to assume that it is not important in the New Testament. One of the blessings of the New Covenant is the implanting in believers’ hearts of the fear of the Lord. In Jer 32:40 God said, And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them (Ed: Note the divine keeping power of covenant - a strong argument against the spurious [in my opinion] teaching that one can lose their eternal security! cp Jn 10:28, 29), to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts (Ed: not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge, knowledge that transforms one's will and desire) so that (term of explanation = explains the vital association of proper fear and proper conduct! cp Job 1:1) they will not turn away from Me.
Salmos 25:14-15
Barclay - PHOBOS THE RIGHT AND THE WRONG FEAR Borrow William Barclay - Fear in NT Words Page 226 Phobos means ‘fear’, and in all ages of Greek phobos is what is sometimes known as ‘a middle word’. That is to say, the word itself is quite neutral, and, according to the way in which it is used and the context in which it occurs, it can have either a good or a bad meaning, and can describe something which is useful and praiseworthy, or evil and contemptible. In Greek phobos, ‘fear’, can be the characteristic either of the coward or of the truly religious man. In classical Greek phobos has three main meanings. (i) In Homer it nearly always means ‘panic’ or ‘flight’. Panic-stricken flight,’ says Homer, ‘which is the companion of chilliing phobos, fear’ (Iliad, 9.2). Phobos in early Greek has always in it the idea of running away, of fleeing panic-stricken from the battle. The passive of the corresponding verb, phobeisthai, means ‘to be put to flight’, and it is the opposite of the verb hupomenein, from which comes hupomonē, and which means ‘to stand fast’ and ‘to endure’. The word has in it that failure of nerve which makes a man take to his heels and flee. (ii) More generally in classical Greek phobos means ‘fear’ in the widest sense of the term. It is the opposite of tharros, which means ‘courage’. (iii) Lastly, in classical Greek, phobos means ‘awe’ or ‘reverence’ for some exalted ruler and especially for some divinity or some god. It is the feeling which a man experiences in the presence of someone who is infinitely his superior. In the NT the word is common and occurs about 47 times. First of all, let us look at it in the Synoptic Gospels and in Acts. It is used of the reaction of the disciples when they saw Jesus walking on the water (Matt. 14:26) and when he stilled the storm (Mark 4:41). It is used of the reaction of the people after the healing of the paralysed man (Luke 5:26), after the raising of the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:16), after the healing of the Gerasene demoniac (Luke 8:37). It is used of the feeling of Zacharias when he saw the angel of the Lord beside the altar (Luke 1:12), and of the spectators when Zacharias recovered his speech (Luke 1:65). It is used of the shepherds when they heard the song of the angels (Luke 2:9). It is used of the guards at the tomb when the angel rolled the stone away (Matt. 28:4), and of the women as they went home after seeing the empty tomb (Matt. 28:8). It is used of the feelings of men in the midst of the shattering events of the last days (Luke 21:26). In Acts it is used of the feeling in men’s minds when they saw the signs and wonders and felt the power in the early Church (Acts 2:43). It is used of the reaction of the people after the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5, 11). It is used of the discomfited heathen exorcists at Ephesus (Acts 19:17). The Church is said to walk in the phobos, the ‘fear’, of the Lord (Acts 9:31). In not one case in the Synoptic Gospels or Acts is phobos used in a bad sense. In every case it describes the feeling in a man’s heart when he is confronted with the divine power in action. It always describes the feelings of a man when he finds himself in the presence of what Otto called ‘the wholly other’, when he finds himself face to face with something outside and beyond and different from himself, something which he cannot understand. There is here the truth that there can be no religion without reverence. Between man and God there is ‘intimacy’ but not ‘familiarity’. It describes the feeling of the man who is ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’. It describes that awe which comes upon the creature in the presence of the Creator. In a famous sentence Swinburne wrote: ‘Glory to man in the highest, for man is the master of things.’ Phobos is the very opposite of that, for, in its highest sense, phobos is the essential reverence of man in the presence of God. In the rest of the NT the word phobos is a much more complicated word. It can have both a good and a bad sense. Let us start with the good sense. (i) In many cases the word ‘fear’ translates phobos in the AV where the meaning is rather ‘reverence’ than ‘fear’. We have already seen that in Acts 9:31 it is said the Churches were ‘walking in the fear of the Lord’, that is, the Christians were living reverent lives. It is Paul’s condemnation of the heathen world that there is no ‘fear of God’ before their eyes (Rom. 3:18). Reverence, respect for God, was entirely lacking. Peter talks about passing the time of your sojourning here ‘in fear’ (1 Pet. 1:17). A man must be ready to give a reason for his hope in meekness and ‘fear’ (1 Pet. 3:15). In this sense phobos describes the feeling of the man who is living in the shadow of eternity, who is always conscious of God, who never forgets that he will give account for the things he does. (ii) This phobos, this ‘reverence’, this ‘awareness’ of God, is the source of certain great things. It is the source of ‘the chaste life’ (1 Pet. 3:2). This awareness of God necessarily exercises an antiseptic influence on life. (iii) This phobos is the source of ‘holiness’ (2 Cor. 7:1). Because God is holy, God’s man must be holy too. There must be a difference in the Christian life and that difference finds its motive power and mainspring in the sense of God. (iv) This phobos is connected with the ‘godly sorrow’ that brings repentance (2 Cor. 7:11). Repentance must have as one of its roots the feeling of inadequacy, of failure, of unworthiness in the presence of the holy perfection of God. That feeling produces in the first instance phobos, the sense of abasement of the creature in the presence of the Creator. (v) This phobos is the source of Christian effort (Phil. 2:12). The Christian must work out his own salvation with phobos, ‘fear’, and trembling. The sense of the judgment which he faces, the sense of the goal which he may miss, the sense of the crucial importance of life and living, the sense of the necessity of in some way seeking to deserve the love of Christ, all combine to fill the Christian with an awed wonder and a trembling eagerness, and a passionate effort. (vi) This phobos is the basis of the ‘mutual respect’ and ‘mutual service’ which Christians are bound to render to each other (Eph. 5:21). All Christians live in the presence of God. All must be conscious, not only of their own salvation, but also of the brother for whom Christ died. Christians, because of their common reverence for God, also reverence each other. (vii) This phobos can be ‘the motive power of persuasion’ (2 Cor. 5:11). It is because he knows the phobos of God that Paul seeks to persuade the Corinthians. It is altogether wrong completely to excise the threat from the Christian message. Christianity always comes to men with a promise and an offer, but any promise can be disbelieved and any offer can be refused, and there is a necessary consequence of refusal and disbelief. (viii) The Pastoral Epistles have one rather special instance of phobos. Christian discipline is to be publicly exercised that others may see it and ‘fear’ (1 Tim. 5:20). It is an interesting thought that Christian discipline is to be exercised not only for the sake of the man who has sinned, but also as a means of warning the man who has not sinned to abide in the right way. It can easily be seen that NT thought traces many of the greatest things to this phobos, this ‘reverence’, this constant ‘awareness’ of the presence of God. We may now turn to the other side of phobos, the side in which phobos is an evil thing. (i) Before we turn to the really bad side of phobos we must look at two things which are not bad in themselves, but which could become bad. Phobos describes the ‘natural shrinking’ from some difficult task. So Paul uses phobos of his own feelings regarding the unhappy situation in the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 7:5). Such a phobos is natural and inevitable. The more sensitive a man is the more acutely it will come to him. In itself it is nothing to be ashamed of, but it becomes a bad thing if it stops a man doing what he knows he ought to do and facing what he knows he ought to face. (ii) Phobos is used of the feeling of ‘respect’ a man should have in the presence of human authority. The Corinthians received Titus with phobos (2 Cor. 7:15). The NT repeatedly enjoins that those who are in positions of authority in the State and the Church must receive the phobos which is their due (Rom. 13:7; Eph. 6:5; 1 Pet. 2:18). But it is to be noted that this respect must never become subservience. Caesar must always receive his things, and God must always receive his. (iii) And now we come to the definitely bad side of phobos. There is a phobos which is characteristically the bad man’s emotion (Rom. 13:3). In the face of authority the upright man has nothing to fear. Phobos is the child of evildoing. (iv) There is the phobos, the ‘fear’, of dying (Heb. 2:15). An American journalist set high in the list of his personal rules for life, ‘Never to allow myself to think of death.’ It was Dr Johnson who declared that the fear of death was so naturally ingrained into man that life was one long effort to keep it at bay. That is a phobos from which the Christian hope must deliver a man. The Christian cannot be haunted by the fear of death. (v) Phobos and legalism go hand in hand. Legalism reduces a man to being a slave instead of a son, and the characteristic feeling of the slave is phobos, ‘fear’ (Rom. 8:15). It was Paul’s belief that a religion dominated by law cannot issue in anything else but fear. But the Christian holds a faith dominated by grace, in which he is a son of love and not a slave of law. (vi) The cure for phobos, ‘fear’, is love (1 John 4:16, 18). Perfect love ejects fear from life. Fear, said John, has torment (1 John 4:18). Fear has to do with punishment, but Christianity teaches us to think not so much of the vengeance as of the love of God, not so much of the punishment as of the forgiveness of God. When we put that saying of Paul and that saying of John together we get a very interesting and suggestive thought. Together they go to prove that fear is the sign of an inadequate religion. When fear becomes the motive power of religion it means that a man is thinking of religion in terms of law and of God in terms of vengeance. In Christianity there is both law and judgment, but when they become so dominant that they oust grace and love from a man’s thoughts they issue in an inadequate religion. (vii) Phobos, ‘fear’, is the cowardice which prevents a man from bearing the Christian witness he ought to bear. This is a characteristic usage of the Fourth Gospel. Fear of the Jews kept men from confessing their faith in Jesus (John 7:13). It made Joseph of Arimathaea remain a secret disciple (John 19:38). It kept the disciples terrified and behind locked doors after the crucifixion (John 20:19). It is that which may prevent a man in time of trouble from showing whose he is and whom he serves (1 Pet. 3:14). Phobos destroys the essential heroism of the Christian faith. In the NT phobos is one of the great words. There can be no religion at all without the awe of the creature in the presence of the Creator. The feeling of reverence, the awareness of God, is at once the prophylactic against sin, the dynamic of the Christian life, and the mainspring of Christian effort. But when reverence turns to fear in the lower sense of the term then religion becomes a stunted and inadequate thing, which, because it has lost its grace, has lost its glory. Ungers Dictionary (PAGE 348 - BORROW) on "Fear": Fear is that affection of the mind that arises with the awareness of approaching danger. Fear is a feeling of reverence, awe, and respect, or an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger. Fear may be directed toward God or humankind, and it may be either healthy or harmful. The first use is by Adam after he sinned, so when sin entered fear entered. Fear here of course is a sense of dread, not necessarily a sense of awe and reverence. Adam said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself. (Ge 3:10-note) Although most uses of yare refer to fear of YHWH, some uses refer to fear of men. For example Jacob declared “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. (Ge 32:11). The official in charge of Daniel feared the retributive wrath of Nebuchadnezzar declaring "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” (Daniel 1:10-note) In general, those who reverentially feared God were considered faithful and trustworthy for such fear constrained them to believe and act morally as in (Ex. 18:21) where God instructed Moses "you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, (NOTICE THE "FRUIT" OF THEIR FEAR) those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens." In a similar way the midwives feared God and did not kill the newborn Hebrew males (Ex. 1:17, 21). In Dt 6:1 we see that the commandments taught the Hebrews in Dt 6:1 to "fear the LORD your God." In other words a proper fear of the LORD was closely tied to keeping God's decrees and laws. Ps. 66:16 teaches that the those who fear God are the ones who delight in hearing of His deeds (contrast Adam's fear in Ge 3:10-note). The God of Israel was an object of respectful fear as He Himself declared "‘You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD. (Lev. 19:30-note; cf Lev 26:2-note). Tragically, Israel wandered from the truth and began to fear and worship other gods, for which they were destroyed by Assyria (Jdg. 6:10; 2 Ki. 17:7, 35). Ps. 96:4 explains "For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. Thus the OT was unflinchingly clear that Israel, the Chosen People of God, were to worship and fear only Jehovah, as echoed by Joshua went they entered the land of Canaan filled with promise but also filled with a multiplicity of horrible gods - “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD." (Josh. 24:14). The verb yare can describe the fear of men: Jacob feared Esau, his brother (Gen. 32:7[8]); and the official in charge of Daniel feared the king (Dan. 1:10). In the sense of respectful fear, each person was to honor his mother and father (Lev. 19:3). As a stative verb, it describes a state of being or attitude, such as being afraid or fearful: a man afraid of war was to remove himself from the army of Israel (Deut. 20:3, 8; Judg. 7:3); as a result of rebellion, Adam and Eve were afraid before the Lord (Gen. 3:10). Contrast the reaction of David a man who feared God which enabled him to write "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about." (Ps 3:6) The sense of respect is conveyed in Lev. 19:3 where the Lord commands everyone to "fear" their mothers and their fathers. Joshua's authority was established when he led Israel through the Jordan river, and they "feared" or "revered" him as they had Moses (Josh. 4:14). W E Vine on yare - Used of a person in an exalted position, yārēʾ connotes "standing in awe." This is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect. In this sense, the word may imply submission to a proper ethical relationship to God; the angel of the Lord told Abraham: " I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (Ge 22:12). The verb can be used absolutely to refer to the heavenly and holy attributes of something or someone. So Jacob at Bethel "was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Ge 28:17). The people who were delivered from Egypt saw God's great power, "When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses." (Ex 14:31). There is more involved here than mere psychological fear. The people also showed proper "honor" ("reverence") for God and "stood in awe of" Him and of His servant, as their song demonstrates (Ex 15:1-27). After experiencing the thunder, lightning flashes, sound of the trumpet, and smoking mountain, they were "afraid" and drew back; but Moses told them “Do not be afraid (yare); for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear (yirah = derived from yare) of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”(Ex 20:20). In this passage, the word represents "fear" or "dread" of the Lord. This sense is also found when God says, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” (Ge 15:1+). (Vine's Expository Dictionary) Baker - In the passive form, yare expresses the idea of being feared, held in esteem: God was feared and awesome (Ex. 15:11; Ps. 130:4); His deeds were awe-inspiring (Deut. 10:21; 2 Sa 7:23); the Cushites were an aggressive people feared by many (Isa. 18:2); even the threatening desert area was considered fearful or dreadful (Deut. 8:15). (Complete Word Study Dictionary, The – Old Testament) Gilbrant - The result of this reverential awe is a repentant humility and an ongoing sense of accountability (Lev. 19:14, Lev 19:32; Lev 25:17; Pr 3:7). Out of this flows obedience (Dt. 31:12; Hag. 1:12; Prov. 24:21) and performing one's duties righteously (2 Sam. 23:3). Job 1:1 has fearing God parallel to being blameless, upright and shunning evil (ED: WHY DID JOB TURN AWAY FROM EVIL? IN CONTEXT CLEARLY BECAUSE HE FEARED GOD!). Then, in Job 1:9ff, Satan contrasts fearing God with cursing Him after losing everything, which implies that fearing God includes trusting in and staying loyal to Him. Deuteronomy 8:6 parallels fearing God with walking in his ways. Devotion to the Lord in worship is the use of "fearing" Him found in 2 Ki. 17:34-39. Eccl 12:13 summarizes the life that has meaning and fulfillment as fearing God and keeping his commandments - "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." Thus, to fear God can refer to one's total devotion to God, with such a deep reverence that one responds in worship, and service to Him. Joshua 22:25 has the best example of this meaning - "“For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD.” So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.". There the trans-Jordan tribes say they were worried that the others would cause their descendants to "stop fearing the Lord." They might cause them to stop worshipping and serving the Lord. To fear the Lord is to respond to a true grasp of how awesome He is and make an effort to walk with Him in a well-balanced relationship of loyal devotion. Complete Biblical Library) Andrew Bowling (TWOT ONLINE) - biblical usages of yārēʾ are divided into five general categories: 1) the emotion of fear, 2) the intellectual anticipation of evil without emphasis upon the emotional reaction, 3) reverence or awe, 4) righteous behaviour or piety, and 5) formal religious worship. Major OT synonyms include pāḥad, ḥātat, and ḥārad as well as several words referring to shaking or quaking as a result of fear. Typical examples of fearing as an emotional reaction are the Jews' fear of the fires on Mount Sinai (Deut. 5:5) and the fear of the Jews at Mizpah when they heard of the Philistine mobilization (1 Sa 7:7). Other examples give more emphasis to the anticipation of evil without necessarily pointing to the emotional reaction. David's recognition while in Achish's court that his reputation was a danger to him (1 Samuel 21:13) is an example along with Jacob's anticipation that his family might be taken from him (Genesis 31:31). These two usages are in mind in using the negative command not to fear as a comforting phrase or a greeting (e.g. Genesis 50:19-20). In such cases yārēʾ is often used parallel to one or more synonyms (e.g., ḥātat "be demoralized"; ʿāraṣ "be terrified"). A similar motif is the defining of security as the lack of fear (e.g. Psalm 56:4). There are many examples of the third usage listed above. Such reverence is due to one's parents (Leviticus 19:3), holy places (Leviticus 26:2), God (Psalm 112:1), and God's name (Psalm 86:11). Habakkuk's "fearing" of God's work (Habakkuk 3:2) and the fearing of Job's friends at seeing his misery are best considered as this kind of fear (Job 6:21). In several passages, "fearing" and proper living are so closely related as to be virtually synonymous ideas (Leviticus 19:14; Leviticus 25:17; 2 Kings 17:34; Deut. 17:19). It is plausible that this usage of "to fear" as a virtual synonym for righteous living or piety grew out of viewing "fear"—in any of the senses above—as the motivation which produced righteous living. This practical, active fear is the kind of fear for which God rewarded the Egyptian midwives (Exodus 1:17, 21). This kind of fear was most appropriately learned by reading the Law (Deut. 31:11-12). One righteous deed repeatedly and emphatically associated with "fearing" God is kindness to the stranger or resident alien (e.g. Deut. 10:18-20; Deut. 25:18). The clearest example of "fearing" as formal religious worship occurs in describing the religious syncretists of the northern kingdom who "feared" the Lord in respect to cultic worship (2 Kings 17:32-34), while not "fearing" the Lord in respect to righteous obedience to his law. The formal cultic elements mentioned in Deut. 14:22-23 suggest that this is the kind of fear to be learned in that context. In light of the above discussion and of the context of Joshua 22 the RSV is probably correct in translating "fear" as "worship" there (Joshua 22:25). There are a few passages in which "fearing" seems to mean "being a devotee or follower." This usage could reflect either usages 4 or 5 above. Related substantival examples will be discussed below under yārēʾ, but possible verbal examples are found in Job 1:9 and 2 Chron. 6:33. Fear of various sorts may be caused by God's great deeds-(Exodus 14:31; Joshua 4:23-24; 1 Samuel 4:7-9), by judgment (Isaiah 59:18-19), and God's law (Deut. 4:10) as well as by various human agencies (1 Samuel 7:7; 1 Samuel 15:24). In the Piel, yārēʾ means "to make to fear" (2 Samuel 14:15; Neh. 6:9, 14, 19; 2 Chron. 32:18). In the Niphal, the meaning is passive, "to be feared" (Psalm 130:4). The Niphal participle is frequently used to describe things as "terrible," "awesome," or "terrifying." This is a good example of the gerundive character of the Niphal participle, "to be feared" (GKC, 116e). It may describe places (Genesis 28:17), God (Exodus 15:11), God's name (Deut. 28:58), God's deeds (Exodus 34:10), people (Isaiah 18:2), and the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31 [H 3:4]). The discussion of yārēʾ is complicated by the need to distinguish between those examples which are genuinely substantival—and therefore discussed in this section—and those examples which are involved in periphrastic verbal form and thus discussed above with the verb. This distinction is not always clearly made in translation; and often need not be made. The most frequent usage of the substantive is to refer to the "God-fearer" (different names or expressions for God may be used). Clearly substantival examples which show fear as an emotion (I above) or as an anticipation of evil (2 above) are found (e.g. Exodus 9:20; Deut. 20:8; Judges 7:3). More frequently the emphasis is upon awe or reverence rather than terror (Psalm 112:1; Eccles. 8:12). The "God-fearer" will implement his fear in practical righteousness or piety. Job, as a God fearer, avoids evil (Job 1:1). In Psalm 128:1 the "fearer" of the Lord walks in his ways. The fearers of the Lord may be those whose particular piety is evidenced by a response to God's message. The "fearer" of God is contrasted with the wicked (Eccles. 8:13). It is desired that office holders be fearers of God (Neh. 7:2). Blessings are provided for fearers of God: happiness (i.e. "blessed"; Psalm 112:1), goodness from God (Psalm 31:19), provision of needs (Psalm 34:9), protection (Psalm 33:18-19), overshadowing mercy (i.e., ḥesed; Psalm 103:11), and promise of fulfilled desires (Psalm 145:19). (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Yare - 370 verses- Translated in NAS as - afraid(100), awesome(21), awesome acts(1), awesome things(4), became afraid(1), became...frightened(2), become frightened(1), cautious(1), dismayed(1), fear(165), fear and awesome(1), feared(36), fearful(1), fearful thing(1), fearfully(1), fearing(5), fears(9), frighten(4), frightened(1), have...fear(1), made me afraid(1), revere(10), revered(3), reverence(3), showed reverence(1), stand in awe(1), terrible(3), terrible things(1), terrifying(2). I realize this is a very long list of verses using yare, but it would make for an incredible study to walk through these passages and make notes on what you discover about the meaning of yare in the Old Testament. See a couple of examples below (after the long list). Gen. 3:10; Gen. 15:1; Gen. 18:15; Gen. 19:30; Gen. 20:8; Gen. 21:17; Gen. 22:12; Gen. 26:7; Gen. 26:24; Gen. 28:17; Gen. 31:31; Gen. 32:7; Gen. 32:11; Gen. 35:17; Gen. 42:18; Gen. 42:35; Gen. 43:18; Gen. 43:23; Gen. 46:3; Gen. 50:19; Gen. 50:21; Exod. 1:17; Exod. 1:21; Exod. 2:14; Exod. 3:6; Exod. 9:20; Exod. 9:30; Exod. 14:10; Exod. 14:13; Exod. 14:31; Exod. 15:11; Exod. 18:21; Exod. 20:20; Exod. 34:10; Exod. 34:30; Lev. 19:3; Lev. 19:14; Lev. 19:30; Lev. 19:32; Lev. 25:17; Lev. 25:36; Lev. 25:43; Lev. 26:2; Num. 12:8; Num. 14:9; Num. 21:34; Deut. 1:19; Deut. 1:21; Deut. 1:29; Deut. 2:4; Deut. 3:2; Deut. 3:22; Deut. 4:10; Deut. 5:5; Deut. 5:29; Deut. 6:2; Deut. 6:13; Deut. 6:24; Deut. 7:18; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 7:21; Deut. 8:6; Deut. 8:15; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 10:17; Deut. 10:20; Deut. 10:21; Deut. 13:4; Deut. 13:11; Deut. 14:23; Deut. 17:13; Deut. 17:19; Deut. 19:20; Deut. 20:1; Deut. 20:3; Deut. 20:8; Deut. 21:21; Deut. 25:18; Deut. 28:10; Deut. 28:58; Deut. 31:6; Deut. 31:8; Deut. 31:12; Deut. 31:13; Jos. 4:14; Jos. 4:24; Jos. 8:1; Jos. 9:24; Jos. 10:2; Jos. 10:8; Jos. 10:25; Jos. 11:6; Jos. 22:25; Jos. 24:14; Jdg. 4:18; Jdg. 6:10; Jdg. 6:23; Jdg. 6:27; Jdg. 7:3; Jdg. 7:10; Jdg. 8:20; Jdg. 13:6; Ruth 3:11; 1 Sam. 3:15; 1 Sam. 4:7; 1 Sam. 4:20; 1 Sam. 7:7; 1 Sam. 12:14; 1 Sam. 12:18; 1 Sam. 12:20; 1 Sam. 12:24; 1 Sam. 14:26; 1 Sam. 15:24; 1 Sam. 17:11; 1 Sam. 17:24; 1 Sam. 18:12; 1 Sam. 18:29; 1 Sam. 21:12; 1 Sam. 22:23; 1 Sam. 23:3; 1 Sam. 23:17; 1 Sam. 28:5; 1 Sam. 28:13; 1 Sam. 28:20; 1 Sam. 31:4; 2 Sam. 1:14; 2 Sam. 3:11; 2 Sam. 6:9; 2 Sam. 7:23; 2 Sam. 9:7; 2 Sam. 10:19; 2 Sam. 12:18; 2 Sam. 13:28; 2 Sam. 14:15; 1 Ki. 1:50; 1 Ki. 1:51; 1 Ki. 3:28; 1 Ki. 8:40; 1 Ki. 8:43; 1 Ki. 17:13; 1 Ki. 18:3; 1 Ki. 18:12; 1 Ki. 19:3; 2 Ki. 1:15; 2 Ki. 4:1; 2 Ki. 6:16; 2 Ki. 10:4; 2 Ki. 17:7; 2 Ki. 17:25; 2 Ki. 17:28; 2 Ki. 17:32; 2 Ki. 17:33; 2 Ki. 17:34; 2 Ki. 17:35; 2 Ki. 17:36; 2 Ki. 17:37; 2 Ki. 17:38; 2 Ki. 17:39; 2 Ki. 17:41; 2 Ki. 19:6; 2 Ki. 25:24; 2 Ki. 25:26; 1 Chr. 10:4; 1 Chr. 13:12; 1 Chr. 16:25; 1 Chr. 17:21; 1 Chr. 22:13; 1 Chr. 28:20; 2 Chr. 6:31; 2 Chr. 6:33; 2 Chr. 20:3; 2 Chr. 20:15; 2 Chr. 20:17; 2 Chr. 32:7; 2 Chr. 32:18; Neh. 1:5; Neh. 1:11; Neh. 2:2; Neh. 4:14; Neh. 6:9; Neh. 6:13; Neh. 6:14; Neh. 6:19; Neh. 7:2; Neh. 9:32; Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Job 1:9; Job 2:3; Job 5:21; Job 5:22; Job 6:21; Job 9:35; Job 11:15; Job 32:6; Job 37:22; Job 37:24; Ps. 3:6; Ps. 15:4; Ps. 22:23; Ps. 22:25; Ps. 23:4; Ps. 25:12; Ps. 25:14; Ps. 27:1; Ps. 27:3; Ps. 31:19; Ps. 33:8; Ps. 33:18; Ps. 34:7; Ps. 34:9; Ps. 40:3; Ps. 45:4; Ps. 46:2; Ps. 47:2; Ps. 49:5; Ps. 49:16; Ps. 52:6; Ps. 55:19; Ps. 56:3; Ps. 56:4; Ps. 56:11; Ps. 60:4; Ps. 61:5; Ps. 64:4; Ps. 64:9; Ps. 65:5; Ps. 65:8; Ps. 66:3; Ps. 66:5; Ps. 66:16; Ps. 67:7; Ps. 68:35; Ps. 72:5; Ps. 76:7; Ps. 76:8; Ps. 76:12; Ps. 85:9; Ps. 86:11; Ps. 89:7; Ps. 91:5; Ps. 96:4; Ps. 99:3; Ps. 102:15; Ps. 103:11; Ps. 103:13; Ps. 103:17; Ps. 106:22; Ps. 111:5; Ps. 111:9; Ps. 112:1; Ps. 112:7; Ps. 112:8; Ps. 115:11; Ps. 115:13; Ps. 118:4; Ps. 118:6; Ps. 119:63; Ps. 119:74; Ps. 119:79; Ps. 119:120; Ps. 128:1; Ps. 128:4; Ps. 130:4; Ps. 135:20; Ps. 139:14; Ps. 145:6; Ps. 145:19; Ps. 147:11; Prov. 3:7; Prov. 3:25; Prov. 13:13; Prov. 14:2; Prov. 14:16; Prov. 24:21; Prov. 31:21; Prov. 31:30; Eccl. 3:14; Eccl. 5:7; Eccl. 7:18; Eccl. 8:12; Eccl. 8:13; Eccl. 9:2; Eccl. 12:5; Eccl. 12:13; Isa. 7:4; Isa. 8:12; Isa. 10:24; Isa. 18:2; Isa. 18:7; Isa. 21:1; Isa. 25:3; Isa. 29:13; Isa. 35:4; Isa. 37:6; Isa. 40:9; Isa. 41:5; Isa. 41:10; Isa. 41:13; Isa. 41:14; Isa. 41:23; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 43:5; Isa. 44:2; Isa. 50:10; Isa. 51:7; Isa. 51:12; Isa. 54:4; Isa. 54:14; Isa. 57:11; Isa. 59:19; Isa. 64:3; Jer. 1:8; Jer. 3:8; Jer. 5:22; Jer. 5:24; Jer. 10:5; Jer. 10:7; Jer. 17:8; Jer. 23:4; Jer. 26:19; Jer. 26:21; Jer. 30:10; Jer. 32:39; Jer. 40:9; Jer. 41:18; Jer. 42:11; Jer. 42:16; Jer. 44:10; Jer. 46:27; Jer. 46:28; Jer. 51:46; Lam. 3:57; Ezek. 1:22; Ezek. 2:6; Ezek. 3:9; Ezek. 11:8; Dan. 1:10; Dan. 9:4; Dan. 10:12; Dan. 10:19; Hos. 10:3; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:21; Joel 2:22; Joel 2:31; Amos 3:8; Jon. 1:5; Jon. 1:9; Jon. 1:10; Jon. 1:16; Mic. 6:9; Mic. 7:17; Hab. 1:7; Hab. 3:2; Zeph. 2:11; Zeph. 3:7; Zeph. 3:15; Zeph. 3:16; Hag. 1:12; Hag. 2:5; Zech. 8:13; Zech. 8:15; Zech. 9:5; Mal. 1:14; Mal. 2:5; Mal. 3:5; Mal. 3:16; Mal. 4:2; Mal. 4:5 Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Why does David not fear death? Simple question. Straight-forward answer!) Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. 13 But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. Comment: A sinner may have long life (and seeming success in life) but v13 says "Unlike a shadow that lengthens at sunset, the wicked do not normally live long." (NET Note) Malachi 3:16-note Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another (BELIEVERS), and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance (in which the LORD keeps an ongoing record of the names of all the redeemed - Ex 32:32; Isa 4:3; Da 12:1; Rev 20:12–15-note) was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His Name. Comment: See in depth discussion of the Book of Life Malachi 4:2-note “But for you who fear My name (BELIEVERS), the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. Comment: While some don't see this prophecy as Messianic, I think it is indubitably Messianic. See discussion. The Septuagint translates yada (see below) in Psalm 25:14 with the verb deloo which means to make clear or plain, to show clearly. It is the verb used by Peter of the Lord Jesus Christ's making it clear to him that his laying aside of his earthly dwelling was imminent (2 Pe 1:14), or in other words telling Peter he would soon die. In 1 Cor 3:13 deloo speaks of "each man's works will become evident, for the day will show (deloo) it." Know (03045)(yada) to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to known. As noted below in several examples, the Septuagint translates yada often with the Greek verb ginosko, which conveys the sense of to know by experience and/or to know intimately (as used in Mt 1:25KJV and ESV which says Joseph "knew her not" which the NAS paraphrases "kept her a virgin"). And many of the uses of yada also have this experiential emphasis as with the Greek ginosko. Yada is often used in Scripture in a protective sense and refers to God’s providential care and love, which includes the eternal security of believers and His divine provision. It means that God looks out for the righteous as in (Ps 1:6) which says "For the LORD knows (Lxx = ginosko) the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish (Hebrew = abad; Lxx = apollumi - not loss of being but of well being - see a study of eternal punishment)". Ps 9:10 says "those who know (yada; Lxx = ginosko) Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." Ps 16:11 says "You will make known (Lxx = ginosko) to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." In a great prayer for all of us to pray David prayed "Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths." (Ps 25:4, cf Ps 39:4). In Ps 32:5 David "acknowledged" (yada) his to God. And one of favorite (well, not always) prayers to pray is Ps 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." A great proverbial promise is found in Pr 1:23-note "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you." In Pr 3:6 we read "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Solomon uses yada three times in Eccl 1:17 "And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind." David has a great response to Solomon's frustration of "striving after the wind," writing ""Cease striving and know (Lxx = ginosko in aorist imperative = do this now! Do not delay!) that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The antidote for restless, anxious, futile striving after the things of this world is to know the One Who is out of this world! In Da 11:32-note there is a great promise for those who live in the end times (THAT'S YOU AND ME BELOVED!) - By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action." And take heart in the truth in Nah 1:7 "The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him." (cf similar idea in Ps 1:6). And then the glorious prophetic promise for all believers in Hab 2:14 “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea." The first OT use of yada was by Satan the great deceiver using it twice in Ge 3:5 to ensnare Eve declaring "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Sadly the next use is Ge 3:7 when "they knew that they were naked." And also sadly Satan's "prophecy" proved true when in Ge 3:22 the LORD God said "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil...." Yada is a word of intimacy and in fact speaks in some contexts of a man "knowing" a woman as in Ge 4:1KJV "Adam knew (had relations with) his wife Eve." (cf Ge 4:25, Jdg 11:39, 19:25, 21:11, 12) Gilbrant has an interesting comment about yada in these uses of intimacy between a man and a woman writing "The experiential emphasis of the Hebrew word for knowing is seen further in Gen. 4:1 and several other places in the Scriptures where it refers to sexual intercourse. This is intended by God to be the ultimate human experience of intimacy between a man and a woman, and thus the deepest "knowing" of another person." Abram asked God "how may I know that I will possess it ("this land" Ge 15:7)(Ge 15:8-note, cf God's promise "know for certain" - yada used twice for emphasis) One of the saddest uses of yada (other than Genesis 3) in the OT is found in Judges 2:10 All that generation (THE GENERATION THAT HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO JOSHUA - THEY HAD RESPONDED TO JOSHUA'S LAST WORDS IN Josh 24:15-18) also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know (Hebrew = yada; Lxx = ginosko = know by experience) the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." Why didn't they know Him? Because they didn't obey Him. They knew about Him but had not experienced Him in a personal way. They had heard the great works but they didn't know Him. Head knowledge had not become heart knowledge. I essence they forgot God [Jdg 3:7-note]. Another sad use of yada is Jdg 16:20-note when the Philistines came upon Samson who said "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him."