Now, I think it's important to address one likely objection. Lest you say that all the translators of every major English version of the Bible just messed up the translation (of every single one of these verses), and the word which is translated as "fear" actually means something like "respect" or "awe," I would argue that the context doesn't support that at all. Look at Deuteronomy 28:15-68. After a mere fourteen verses of God telling the Israelites how he will bless them if they follow him, he spends a whopping fifty-four verses telling them all the horrible ways he will curse them if they don't. That is, in the most literal sense, instilling fear. And it's not just a symbolic gesture, either. God does this over and over again throughout the Old Testament, so often that I don't even feel like I need to cite a specific passage. It's a persistent trope of the Old Testament that the people of Israel turn away from God and start worshiping idols, so God causes them to be conquered by some enemy, and that makes them eventually turn back to the true God. It's not because of love, it's because of fear. (And understand, I'm not saying that no one in the Old Testament ever worships God out of love. What I am saying is that the idea that God does not want worship based on fear is completely contradictory to pervasive themes of the Old Testament.)
And in case that argument based on general trends is not enough, I've put a few specific verses in bold which I think more distinctly indicate that the fear which is being talked about in those verses is not simply a poetic synonym for respect or awe. Out of all of them, I think Isaiah 8:13 is the most clear on this; it directly parallels "fear" and "dread," not "fear" and "awe" or anything like that.
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Genesis 22:12 - He said, "Do not stretch out your hand
against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since
you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
Genesis 42:18 - Now Joseph said to them on the third day,
"Do this and live, for I fear God:
Exodus 14:31 - 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.
Exodus 18:21 - "Furthermore, you shall select out of
all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest
gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds,
of fifties and of tens.
Exodus 20:20 - Moses said to the people, "Do not be
afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of
Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."
Deuteronomy 4:10 - "Remember the day you stood before
the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people to
Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days
they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
Deuteronomy 6:2 - so that you and your son and your grandson
might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments
which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be
prolonged.
Deuteronomy 6:13- "You shall fear only the LORD your
God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
Deuteronomy 6:24 - "So the LORD commanded us to observe
all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our
survival, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 10:12 - "Now, Israel, what does the LORD
your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His
ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul,
Deuteronomy 10:20 - "You shall fear the LORD your God;
you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.
Deuteronomy 13:4 - "You shall follow the LORD your God
and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve
Him, and cling to Him.
Deuteronomy 14:23 - "You shall eat in the presence of
the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the
tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd
and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
Deuteronomy 17:19 - "It shall be with him and he shall
read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God,
by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,
Deuteronomy 28:58 - "If you are not careful to observe
all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored
and awesome name, the LORD your God,
Deuteronomy 31:12-13 - "Assemble the people, the men
and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may
hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the
words of this law. Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to
fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to
cross the Jordan to possess."
Joshua 4:24 - that all the peoples of the earth may know
that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God
forever."
1 Samuel 12:18 - So
Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all
the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
1 Samuel 12:24 - "Only fear the LORD and serve Him in
truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
2 Samuel 6:9 - So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and
he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"
1 Kings 8:43 - hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do
according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the
peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel,
and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your
name.
1 Chronicles 16:25 - For great is the LORD, and greatly to
be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.
Nehemiah 5:9 - Again I said, "The thing which you are
doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the
reproach of the nations, our enemies?
Nehemiah 5:15 - But the former governors who were before me
laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty
shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do
so because of the fear of God.
Job 1:1 - There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was
Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from
evil.
Job 4:6 - "Is not your fear of God your confidence, And
the integrity of your ways your hope?
Job 28:28 - "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of
the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"
Job 31:23 - "For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
Psalm 2:5 - Then He will speak to them in His anger And
terrify them in His fury, saying,
Psalm 2:11 - Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice
with trembling.
Psalm 22:23 - You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you
descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants
of Israel.
Psalm 33:8 - Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Psalm 33:18 - Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who
fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
Psalm 34:11 - Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach
you the fear of the LORD.
Psalm 47:2 - For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great
King over all the earth.
Psalm 61:5 - For You have heard my vows, O God; You have
given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name.
Psalm 66:16 - Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will
tell of what He has done for my soul.
Psalm 67:7 - God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth
may fear Him.
Psalm 76:7 - You,
even You, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence when once You
are angry?
Psalm 76:11 - Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill
them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
Psalm 86:11 - Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your
truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Psalm 89:7 - A God greatly feared in the council of the holy
ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him?
Psalm 90:11 - Who
understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that
is due You?
Psalm 96:4 - For great is the LORD and greatly to be
praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 96:9 - Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before
Him, all the earth.
Psalm 99:1 - The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is
enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
Psalm 102:15 - So the nations will fear the name of the LORD
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
Psalm 103:11 - For as high as the heavens are above the
earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
Psalm 111:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise
endures forever.
Psalm 112:1 - Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who
fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments.
Psalm 115:11 - You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He
is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:13 - He will bless those who fear the LORD, The
small together with the great.
Psalm 119:120 - My
flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.
Psalm 128:1 - How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
Psalm 147:11 - The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who
wait for His lovingkindness.
Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:5 - Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 3:7 - Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the
LORD and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 8:13 - "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
Proverbs 9:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 10:27 - The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the
years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 14:26-27 - In the fear of the LORD there is strong
confidence, And his children will have refuge. The fear of the LORD is a
fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.
Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the LORD is the instruction for
wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Proverbs 16:6 - By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is
atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.
Proverbs 19:23 - The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that
one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
Proverbs 22:4 - The reward of humility and the fear of the
LORD Are riches, honor and life.
Proverbs 31:30 - Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But
a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 - I know that everything God does will
remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from
it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 - For in many dreams and in many words
there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.
Ecclesiastes 7:18 - It is good that you grasp one thing and
also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both
of them.
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. 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.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - The conclusion, when all has been
heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every
person.
Isaiah 8:13 -
"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be
your fear, And He shall be your dread.
Isaiah 11:3 - And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His
ears hear;
Isaiah 33:6 - And He will be the stability of your times, A
wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his
treasure.
Isaiah 59:19 - So they will fear the name of the LORD from
the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a
rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.
Isaiah 66:2 - "For My hand made all these things, Thus
all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this
one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at
My word.
Jeremiah 5:22 - 'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do
you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for
the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss,
yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.
Jeremiah 32:39 - and I will give them one heart and one way,
that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children
after them.
Malachi 4:2 - "But for you who fear My name, the sun of
righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and
skip about like calves from the stall.
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