### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **pallâtsûwth**, represented by `{{H6427}}`, is a term for **fearfulness, horror, trembling**. It stems from the root word פָּלַץ, signifying affright. Appearing **4 times** across **4 unique verses**, it describes a visceral and overwhelming sense of dread that manifests both emotionally and physically.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H6427}}` consistently portrays an intense and inescapable terror. In Job's personal lament, he describes how the memory of his suffering results in a physical reaction where **trembling** taketh hold on his flesh [[Job 21:6]]. The psalmist feels a similar encompassing dread, crying out that fearfulness and trembling have come upon him, and **horror** has overwhelmed him [[Psalms 55:5]]. The word also appears in prophetic warnings. Isaiah speaks of a deep internal dread where his heart panted and **fearfulness** affrighted him [[Isaiah 21:4]], while Ezekiel foretells a time of judgment when **horror** will cover the people along with sackcloth and shame [[Ezekiel 7:18]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the intense nature of `{{H6427}}`:
* `{{H3680}}` **kâçâh** (to cover): This word is used to describe how the **horror** of `{{H6427}}` acts upon a person. It can "cover" people as a sign of judgment [[Ezekiel 7:18]] or "overwhelm" an individual in personal distress [[Psalms 55:5]].
* `{{H270}}` **ʼâchaz** (to seize): This term emphasizes the forceful and gripping nature of the fear. In Job, this action is directly paired with `{{H6427}}`, where trembling "taketh hold on" his flesh [[Job 21:6]].
* `{{H1204}}` **bâʻath** (to fear; affright): In Isaiah's prophecy, **fearfulness** `{{H6427}}` is the state that "affrighted" him, showing a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the state of horror and the action of being terrified [[Isaiah 21:4]].
* `{{H7461}}` **raʻad** (a shudder; trembling): This word for physical trembling appears alongside `{{H6427}}` in the Psalms, where "Fearfulness and **trembling** are come upon me, and **horror** hath overwhelmed me," illustrating the deep connection between the internal feeling and its physical manifestation [[Psalms 55:5]].
### Theological Significance
The conceptual weight of `{{H6427}}` lies in its depiction of all-consuming fear.
* **An Overwhelming Force:** The word is consistently used to describe a state where an individual is acted upon by an external or internal force of terror. It "affrighted" Isaiah [[Isaiah 21:4]], "taketh hold on" Job [[Job 21:6]], and "overwhelmed" the psalmist [[Psalms 55:5]], signifying a loss of control.
* **A Physical Experience:** This is not an abstract fear but one that is deeply physical. It is felt in the "flesh" [[Job 21:6]], connected to a "panted" heart [[Isaiah 21:4]], and paired directly with "trembling" [[Psalms 55:5]].
* **An Element of Judgment:** In Ezekiel's prophecy, **horror** is an outward sign of divine reckoning, linked with public mourning rituals like wearing sackcloth `{{H8242}}` and the experience of shame `{{H955}}` [[Ezekiel 7:18]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6427}}` is more than a simple word for fear; it conveys a profound horror that seizes a person entirely. Whether arising from personal anguish or as a consequence of divine judgment, it represents a state of being completely overwhelmed by terror. Its usage illustrates a fear so intense that it covers, grips, and shakes a person, affecting the heart, the mind, and the very flesh.
TRV