Biblical Topics A to Z
Fear of the Lord
What the Old Testament means by the fear of the Lord, how it is described as the beginning of wisdom, and how the New Testament relates to this theme.
At a Glance
The fear of the Lord is reverent awe before God that Scripture calls the beginning of wisdom, not a servile terror of him.
Overview
The fear of the Lord is the reverent awe and submission before God that the Old Testament repeatedly calls the beginning of wisdom, a posture of humble respect for God's holiness and authority that shapes how a person lives, distinct from the servile terror the New Testament says believers need not have toward God.
Learning Objectives
- •Explain what Proverbs means by calling the fear of the Lord 'the beginning of wisdom.'
- •Distinguish reverent fear of God from servile terror, as addressed in 1 John 4:18.
- •Identify practical fruits of the fear of the Lord described in Proverbs.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
Read It in Context
This study quotes Proverbs 1:7, but no verse stands alone. Open a Bible and read the whole surrounding chapter to see the full argument the passage sits within, then look up the other references cited throughout this study — Proverbs 9:10 and beyond — in their own context. Scripture is the final authority here, not this summary.
Historical & Literary Context
Proverbs, as wisdom literature, repeatedly grounds all right living in a right posture toward God; Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10 both use the fear of the Lord as the starting point without which the rest of wisdom cannot be rightly built. This fear is portrayed not as cowering dread but as the appropriate response of a creature before its holy Creator.
The Beginning of Wisdom
Proverbs 9:10 and 1:7 both place the fear of the Lord at the foundation of wisdom and knowledge, meaning that wisdom detached from reverence for God is not truly wisdom, however clever it may appear.
Fruits of the Fear of the Lord
Proverbs 8:13 says 'the fear of the LORD is to hate evil,' and Proverbs 16:6 says 'by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil,' showing that this fear produces practical holiness, not merely an abstract feeling.
Not a Servile Terror
1 John 4:18 says 'perfect love casteth out fear... because fear hath torment,' distinguishing the tormenting fear of judgment that has no place in a believer secure in Christ's love from the reverent awe of God that Scripture commends as the beginning of wisdom.
Christ-Centered Focus
Isaiah 11:2-3 prophesies that the Spirit resting on the Messiah would include 'the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD,' and that he would find 'delight' in that fear, showing that even Christ himself modeled perfect reverence toward the Father.
Practical Application
This week, let Proverbs 8:13's connection between the fear of the Lord and hating evil prompt you to identify and turn from one specific area of compromise, treating reverence for God as something that shapes concrete choices.
Prayer
Father, teach me to fear You rightly, not with the tormenting dread that has no place in Your love, but with the reverent awe that is the beginning of wisdom. Let that fear produce in me a genuine turning from evil. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture Memory
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
Proverbs 9:10
Reflection Questions
- 1How does Proverbs' repeated claim that the fear of the Lord is 'the beginning' of wisdom challenge the idea that wisdom can be gained apart from God?
- 2What is one specific area of evil Proverbs 8:13 would call you to depart from as a fruit of fearing God?
- 3How does 1 John 4:18's distinction between tormenting fear and reverent fear clarify your own posture toward God?
- 4How does Isaiah 11:2-3's picture of Christ delighting in the fear of the Lord shape how you view this virtue?