Lexical Summary yagor: To fear, to be afraid Original Word: יָגֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be afraid, fear A primitive root; to fear -- be afraid, fear. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be afraid, fear NASB Translation afraid (3), dread (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָגֹר] verb be afraid, fear (Phoenician in proper name יגר אשמן = he feareth Eshmun; Arabic  metuens cavit, Frey LagBN 26.30; compare III. גּוּר) — Qal Perfect2masculine singularיָגֹרְתָּ Deuteronomy 28:60; יָגֹּרְתִּי Deuteronomy 9:19 3t.; — be afraid, followed byמִמְּנֵי before, of; of wrath of ׳י Deuteronomy 9:19; of diseases of Egypt Deuteronomy 28:60; fear, followed by accusative Job 3:25; Job 9:28; Psalm 119:39. Topical Lexicon Semantic scope Used only five times in the Old Testament, יָגֹר portrays an acute, almost paralyzing dread that seizes a person when overwhelming danger or divine judgment looms. It does not describe the reverent awe that characterizes true worship but an instinctive, visceral fear of disaster. Canonical distribution • Deuteronomy 9:19 – Moses’ dread before the LORD’s wrath after the golden-calf incident. Contexts and emphases 1. National covenant setting (Deuteronomy) Moses recalls “I dreaded the anger and wrath of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 9:19). The terror is linked to holy indignation provoked by sin. Later, the same term describes the collective horror that would grip Israel under covenant penalties (Deuteronomy 28:60). The word therefore frames both sides of Israel’s story: Moses’ intercession averts destruction, yet the threat remains real for future disobedience. 2. Personal lament (Job) Job voices dread twice. First, “For the thing I feared has overtaken me” (Job 3:25), revealing how inward apprehension predated external ruin. Later he protests, “I dread all my sufferings; I know You will not leave me unpunished” (Job 9:28, adapted from), capturing the tension between perceived innocence and divine sovereignty. In Job, dread wrestles with faith, exposing the limits of human understanding when righteousness suffers. 3. Devotional petition (Psalm 119:39) “Turn away the disgrace I dread, for Your judgments are good”. Here dread is redirected toward God in prayer, transformed from crippling anxiety into supplication grounded in confidence that the LORD’s rulings are “good.” The verse shows that Scripture never leaves dread unchecked; it channels fear into dependence on divine mercy. Theological threads • Reality of divine wrath. The verb underscores that God’s anger against sin is not theoretical; it evokes genuine dread even in the heart of an intercessor like Moses. Historical significance Ancient Near Eastern cultures often personified fear as an unpredictable deity; Scripture instead roots dread in holy encounter with the living God. The term therefore functions apologetically, contrasting pagan fatalism with covenantal ethics: dread is not fate but a response to moral reality. Ministry applications • Preaching holiness. The word reminds congregations that divine anger against sin is neither obsolete nor negotiable; it must inform evangelistic urgency. Related vocabulary While יָגֹר speaks of dread, Scripture balances it with trust (בָּטַח), hope (תִּקְוָה), and peace (שָׁלוֹם), ensuring that fear never has the final word for God’s people. Forms and Transliterations יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָגֹ֑רְתִּי יָגֹ֖רְתָּ יָגֹ֗רְתִּי יָגֹ֥רְתִּי יגרת יגרתי yā·ḡō·rə·tā yā·ḡō·rə·tî yaGoreta yāḡōrətā yaGoreti yāḡōrətîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 9:19 HEB: כִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ NAS: For I was afraid of the anger KJV: For I was afraid of the anger INT: for was afraid of of the anger Deuteronomy 28:60 Job 3:25 Job 9:28 Psalm 119:39 5 Occurrences |
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