### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **yâgôr**, represented by `{{H3025}}`, is a primitive root that means **to fear** or **be afraid**. It appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible. This term is used to describe a specific dread, often in response to divine judgment, potential suffering, or impending curses.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H3025}}` captures a profound sense of apprehension. It describes Moses' fear of the LORD's "anger{H639} and hot displeasure{H2534}" after the golden calf incident, a wrath potent enough "to destroy{H8045}" the people [[Deuteronomy 9:19]]. The term is also used in the context of covenant curses, where the "diseases{H4064} of Egypt" are a tangible object of fear [[Deuteronomy 28:60]]. On a personal level, Job expresses being "afraid{H3025} of all my sorrows{H6094}" [[Job 9:28]], and the psalmist asks God to turn away the "reproach{H2781}" which he fears [[Psalms 119:39]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the context and object of the fear expressed by `{{H3025}}`:
* `{{H6342}}` **pâchad** (to be startled... to fear in general): This term for fear is used in parallel with `{{H3025}}` to emphasize the depth of Job's dread, where he states, "For the thing which I greatly{H6343} feared{H6342} is come upon me, and that which I was afraid{H3025} of is come unto me" [[Job 3:25]].
* `{{H2781}}` **cherpâh** (contumely, disgrace... reproach): This word identifies the source of fear as social or personal disgrace. It is the specific thing the psalmist fears, praying, "Turn away{H5674} my reproach{H2781} which I fear{H3025}" [[Psalms 119:39]].
* `{{H6094}}` **ʻatstsebeth** (a pain or wound; sorrow, wound): This term specifies that the fear is related to personal pain and suffering. Job uses it to articulate his anxiety, declaring, "I am afraid{H3025} of all my sorrows{H6094}" [[Job 9:28]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3025}}` is significant, highlighting the human response to divine power and moral consequence.
* **Fear of Divine Judgment:** The word is directly tied to the dread of God's righteous anger. Moses was "afraid{H3025}" of the Lord's "hot displeasure{H2534}" aimed at destroying the people [[Deuteronomy 9:19]]. This establishes a theme of fearing the consequences of sin.
* **Dread of Covenant Curses:** The fear is directed at the specific, tangible punishments for disobedience. In Deuteronomy, the fear of the "diseases{H4064} of Egypt" is not an abstract anxiety but a dread of a threatened curse being fulfilled [[Deuteronomy 28:60]].
* **Anticipation of Calamity:** The term captures the fear of a dreaded outcome becoming reality. This is powerfully illustrated in Job, who laments that his worst fears have materialized: "that which I was afraid{H3025} of is come unto me" [[Job 3:25]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3025}}` provides a focused look at the concept of being afraid. It is not a general or reverential fear, but a specific dread of a negative outcome. Whether fearing God's destructive wrath, the fulfillment of a curse, personal sorrows, or public reproach, **yâgôr** consistently points to a deep apprehension of impending suffering or judgment. Its use in scripture underscores a clear link between actions, consequences, and the resulting human emotion of fear.
TRV