Word Study for H6206 (עָרַץ) | Strong's Concordance

ʻârats /aw-rats'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence, to harass

KJV usagebe affrighted (afraid, dread, feared, terrified), break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, shake terribly.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻârats — 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 ʻârats, represented by H6206, is a primitive root signifying awe or dread. It appears 15 times across 15 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition includes concepts like to awe, dread, harass, and break, with translations ranging from being affrighted and terrified to oppressing or shaking terribly.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H6206 is frequently used in commands regarding fear. God repeatedly instructs Israel and its leaders not to be afraid or terrified of their enemies, promising His presence as the reason for their courage (Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 20:3). Conversely, the word is used to describe the appropriate response to God's majesty. Isaiah instructs the people to let the LORD of hosts be their dread Isaiah 8:13. The term also describes God's powerful acts of judgment, as when He arises to shake terribly the earth (Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21). In other contexts, it carries the meaning of oppression by earthly men Psalms 10:18 or to break something as fragile as a driven leaf Job 13:25.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of dread and courage:

H3372 yârêʼ (to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten): This is a common term for fear, often paired with ʻârats to create a comprehensive command against being afraid. For instance, the people are told, "Dread not, neither be afraid of them" Deuteronomy 1:29.
H2865 châthath (to prostrate; hence, to break down, either (literally) by violence, or (figuratively) by confusion and fear): This term for being dismayed or broken by fear is used as a direct parallel in God's command to Joshua: "be not afraid H6206, neither be thou dismayed H2865" Joshua 1:9.
H2388 châzaq (to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer): This word for strength is presented as the divine antidote to being afraid. The command to "Be strong... fear not, nor be afraid" links courage directly to overcoming dread Deuteronomy 31:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6206 centers on the proper object and response to power.

The Rejection of Human Dread: The most common use of ʻârats is in prohibitions. God's people are commanded not to be terrified by human enemies or circumstances, as this demonstrates a lack of faith in God's presence and power (Deuteronomy 7:21, Deuteronomy 31:6).
The Requirement of Divine Dread: While fear of man is forbidden, dread of God is commanded. The awe and terror associated with ʻârats are to be redirected exclusively toward the LORD, who alone is worthy of such reverence Isaiah 8:13. God is to be "greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints" Psalms 89:7.
An Instrument of Judgment and Power: The word is not only a feeling but also an action. God uses this terrifying power to execute judgment, such as when He arises to "shake terribly the earth" Isaiah 2:19. It is also used to describe the act of the wicked who "oppress" the fatherless Psalms 10:18.

Summary

In summary, H6206 is more than just a word for fear; it is a term that defines one's relationship to power. It sharply contrasts the forbidden terror of earthly threats with the mandated awe of a holy God. Whether used as a command to not be afraid, an instruction to dread the LORD, or a description of divine judgment, ʻârats forces a choice: to fear man or to fear God, thereby establishing a fundamental principle of biblical faith.

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 verb across 15 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Imperfect 2nd Plural Masculine 3×
Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 3×
Qal Infinitive Construct 3×
Hiphil Imperfect 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Hiphil Participle Singular Masculine Construct 1×
Niphal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Feminine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Niphal: Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 15 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (6 verses); never once in the other 34.

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Job

Psalms

Isaiah

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, 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.