### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **pachdâh**, represented by `{{H6345}}`, is a term for **fear** or **alarm**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. Defined as the feminine of פַּחַד, it specifically conveys a sense of awe or fear.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H6345}}` is in [[Jeremiah 2:19]], where it describes a spiritual condition. The verse states that the people's own wickedness will correct them, and they will know it is an "evil thing and bitter" to have forsaken God. This condition is characterized by the declaration, "my **fear** is not in thee," directly linking the absence of this awe to their rebellion against God.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context in [[Jeremiah 2:19]] illuminate its meaning:
* `{{H7451}}` **raʻ** (evil): This word describes the nature of forsaking God. The passage identifies the lack of God's fear as an **evil** and bitter thing [[Jeremiah 2:19]]. This stands in contrast to God's own thoughts toward his people, which are "of peace, and not of **evil**" [[Jeremiah 29:11]].
* `{{H4878}}` **mᵉshûwbâh** (backsliding): This term is used to describe the actions that result in a lack of fear for God. These **backslidings** are what will "reprove" the people [[Jeremiah 2:19]]. The Lord promises to heal their **backsliding** if they return to Him [[Hosea 14:4]].
* `{{H5800}}` **ʻâzab** (forsake): This is the root action that results in the absence of God's fear. The verse identifies the core problem as "thou hast **forsaken** the LORD thy God" [[Jeremiah 2:19]]. This action carries a severe warning, as Solomon was told that if he were to **forsake** God, he would be cast off for ever [[1 Chronicles 28:9]].
* `{{H3045}}` **yâdaʻ** (to know): The verse commands the people to **know** and see the consequences of their actions [[Jeremiah 2:19]]. This knowledge implies an experiential understanding, as when David instructs Solomon to **know** the God of his father [[1 Chronicles 28:9]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6345}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful use.
* **A Consequence of Sin:** The absence of `{{H6345}}` is not the cause of sin but its result. It is presented in [[Jeremiah 2:19]] as the state one enters after having committed "wickedness" `{{H7451}}` and "backslidings" `{{H4878}}`.
* **The State of Forsaking God:** The lack of this proper "fear" or "awe" is explicitly tied to the act of having "forsaken" `{{H5800}}` the Lord. This state is described as both "evil" `{{H7451}}` and "bitter" `{{H4751}}`, indicating a condition of spiritual distress and calamity [[Jeremiah 2:19]].
* **A Call to Recognition:** The verse uses the absence of `{{H6345}}` as a diagnostic tool. The people are commanded to "know" `{{H3045}}` and "see" `{{H7200}}` that their troubles stem from this very condition, highlighting that a right relationship with God includes a component of reverential fear.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6345}}`, while appearing only once, offers a potent description of a heart that has turned from God. It is not just fear in the sense of terror, but a profound and proper awe that is absent when one has forsaken the Lord. Its context in [[Jeremiah 2:19]] frames this lack of **fear** as the culminating evidence of a relationship broken by wickedness and backsliding, a state both evil and bitter.
TRV