English · KJV
H367

אֵימָה

ʼêymâh /ay-maw'/ Ask about this word
Rootor (shortened) אֵמָה · from the same as אָיֹם
Meaningfright; concrete, an idol (as a bugbear)
KJV usagedread, fear, horror, idol, terrible, terror.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼêymâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼêymâh, represented by H367, signifies fright, dread, or terror. It appears 17 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. Based on its root, it conveys a profound sense of fright, and can be used concretely to describe an idol, or more abstractly to denote horror, terror, and dread.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

H367 is often used to describe the terror preceding a divine act of judgment or salvation. God sends His fear before the Israelites to destroy their enemies Exodus 23:27. This effect is confirmed by Rahab, who tells the Israelite spies that their terror has fallen upon the inhabitants of the land, causing them to faint Joshua 2:9. The word also captures profound personal experiences of dread, such as the "horror of great darkness" that fell upon Abram Genesis 15:12 and the "terrors of death" that overwhelm the psalmist Psalms 55:4. In a unique context, it is used to denote idols, upon which the people of Babylon are said to be "mad" Jeremiah 50:38.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the nature and effects of this terror:

  • H6343 pachad (dread): This word is often used in parallel with H367 to intensify the sense of overwhelming fear. In the Song of Moses, both fear and dread are said to fall upon Israel's enemies Exodus 15:16.
  • H1204 bâʻath (to fear, terrify, trouble): This verb describes the action that results from H367. Job pleads for God's rod to be taken away so that His fear will not terrify him Job 9:34.
  • H2825 chăshêkâh (darkness): This word is linked to the atmosphere of dread created by H367. In a pivotal moment of covenant, a horror of great darkness falls upon Abram Genesis 15:12, connecting deep fear with a tangible, oppressive darkness.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H367 is significant, highlighting God's power and the human response to it.

  • A Divine Weapon: God wields terror as an instrument of His will, discomfiting His enemies and preparing the way for His people's victory, as promised in the conquest of Canaan Exodus 23:27. The fear itself becomes a precursor to judgment and deliverance.
  • The Overwhelming Presence of God: H367 captures the awe and dread experienced in a direct encounter with divine power. This can be a fearful experience, as when Job feels that God's dread might make me afraid Job 13:21, or a foundational one, as in the covenant with Abram Genesis 15:12.
  • Misdirected Fear and Idolatry: The word's application to idols in Jeremiah 50:38 serves as a powerful critique of false worship. It suggests that the dread and reverence due to God alone have been foolishly directed toward inanimate objects.

Summary

In summary, H367 is more than just a word for fear. It describes a profound and often supernaturally induced terror. It functions as a tool of divine judgment, a descriptor for the overwhelming experience of God's presence, and a label for the idols that illicit a misplaced sense of dread. From the battlefield to the soul, ʼêymâh illustrates the powerful biblical theme of holy terror and its implications for both the righteous and the wicked.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 17 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • אֵימָה
  • אֵימָתִ
  • אֵימִים
  • אֵימוֹת
  • אֵמֶי

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6343 פַּחַד from פָּחַד; a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling); dread(-ful), fear, (thing) gre H1204 בָּעַת a primitive root; to fear; affright, be (make) afraid, terrify, trouble. H2825 חֲשֵׁכָה or חֲשֵׁיכָהxlit chăshêkâh corrected to chăshêykâh; from חָשַׁךְ; darkness; figuratively, misery; darkness.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 17 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (6 verses); never once in the other 29.

1
Genesis
2
Exodus
1
Deuteronomy
1
Joshua
1
Ezra
6
Job
2
Psalms
1
Proverbs
1
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.