Lexical Summary baath: To terrify, to startle, to dismay Original Word: בָּעַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance affright, be make afraid, terrify, trouble A primitive root; to fear -- affright, be (make) afraid, terrify, trouble. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to fall upon, startle, terrify NASB Translation frighten (1), frightened (1), overwhelmed (1), overwhelms (1), terrified (3), terrify (7), terrorized (1), terrorizing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [בָּעַת] verb fall upon, startle, terrify (Arabic  come or happen suddenly, Late Hebrew בָּעִת Hiph`il startle; so Aramaic בְּעֵת Pa`el Aph`el) — Niph`al (late prose) Perfect נִבְעַת 1 Chronicles 21:30, נִבְעָ֑ת Esther 7:6; נִבְעַתִּי Daniel 8:17; — be terrified, absolute Daniel 8:17; with מפני 1 Chronicles 21:30; Esther 7:6. Pi`el (mostly in poetry) Perfect3feminine singular suffix בִּעֲתָ֑תְנִי Isaiah 21:4, וּבִעֲתַ֫תּוּ 1 Samuel 16:14; 3plural suffix בִּעֲתֻהוּ Job 18:11; Imperfect3feminine singular תְּבַעֵת Job 13:11; suffix תְּבַעֲתַ֑נִּי Job 9:34; Job 13:21, תְּבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ Job 33:7; 2masculine singular suffix תְּבַעֲתַ֑נּי Job 7:14; 3masculine plural suffix יְבַעֲתוּנִי Psalm 18:5 = יְבַעֲתֻנִי 2 Samuel 22:5, יְבַעֲתֻהוּ Job 3:5; Job 15:24; — 1 fall upon 1 Samuel 16:14,15 (only here in prose); overwhelm Job 3:5 (compare לקח Job 3:6) Job 9:34; Job 13:11 ("" פחד נפל על) Job 13:21 (compare "") Job 15:24 ("" תקף) Job 18:11 ("" הפיץ) Job 33:7 ("" כבד על) Isaiah 21:4; assail Psalm 18:5 = 2 Samuel 22:5. 2 terrify Job 7:14 ("" חתת). Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope The verb בָּעַת portrays a sudden and overwhelming dread that seizes a person or object. It is never a mild uneasiness; it is a jolt of fear that immobilizes, unnerves, or drives one to desperate action. The concept is closely linked with the felt reality of divine judgment or the crushing weight of impending calamity. Biblical Distribution Sixteen occurrences span historical, poetic, and prophetic literature: • Historical: 1 Samuel 16:14-15; 2 Samuel 22:5; 1 Chronicles 21:30; Esther 7:6 This spread reveals that the language of terror is not confined to one genre; it arises whenever the living God confronts human rebellion, frailty, or destiny. Divine Agency in Terror 1 Samuel 16:14-15 is paradigmatic: “The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.” God’s sovereignty extends even to the psychological arena; terror is a tool of righteous discipline when a king persists in disobedience. Similarly, Job repeatedly attributes his dread not to random forces but to God’s sovereign dealings (Job 7:14; 9:34; 13:21; 33:7). Daniel collapses before Gabriel: “I was terrified and fell facedown” (Daniel 8:17). In each scene the holiness of God crashes into human sinfulness, and terror is the instinctive response. Terror as a Catalyst for Salvation David’s song (2 Samuel 22:5 = Psalm 18:4) sets “the torrents of chaos” that “terrified me” against the ensuing deliverance: “He reached down from on high and took hold of me” (Psalm 18:16). Terror prepares the heart for rescue; it exposes helplessness, driving the sufferer to the only Deliverer. Even Haman’s terror before Esther and Xerxes (Esther 7:6) highlights divine reversal: the one who inspired fear in others is himself paralyzed when God turns the tables. Psychological and Experiential Shades Job supplies a lexicon of felt terror—nightmares (7:14), suffocating authority (9:34), the dread of God’s majesty (13:11), encircling anguish (15:24), ambush by unseen forces (18:11). Isaiah 21:4 captures the visceral toll: “My heart falters, fear terrifies me; the twilight I longed for has become dread to me.” Terror is thus portrayed as both an external assault and an internal unraveling. Holy Fear versus Crippling Dread While בָּעַת defines paralyzing dread, Scripture simultaneously commands believers to cultivate a reverent fear of the LORD that yields wisdom and obedience (Proverbs 1:7). The contrast is instructive: unhealthy terror drives one away from God; holy fear draws one near in worship. Saul flees to madness; David flees to mercy. The way out of dread is not denial but trust in the covenant God who “has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Pastoral and Ministry Significance 1. Diagnosis of Judgment: Persistent dread may signal areas where a believer resists God’s rule. The biblical pattern invites confession and yieldedness. Practical Applications for Believers • Memorize deliverance texts such as Psalm 18 to counter sudden waves of fear. Conclusion בָּעַת confronts readers with the reality of crippling dread—sometimes a direct act of divine judgment, sometimes the human response to overwhelming circumstances. Yet Scripture never leaves terror as the final word. The same God who rightly inspires fear also provides refuge. In the gospel the storm of terror meets the calm command, “Take courage; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Forms and Transliterations בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי בִּֽעֲתֻ֣הוּ בעתהו בעתתני וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּ ובעתתו יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ יְבַֽעֲתֽוּנִי׃ יְבַעֲתֻֽנִי׃ יבעתהו יבעתוני׃ יבעתני׃ מְבַעִתֶּֽךָ׃ מבעתך׃ נִבְעַ֔ת נִבְעַ֔תִּי נבעת נבעתי תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃ תְּבַעֵ֣ת תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ תבעת תבעתך תבעתני׃ bi‘ăṯāṯənî bi‘ăṯuhū bi·‘ă·ṯā·ṯə·nî bi·‘ă·ṯu·hū biaTateni biaTuhu mə·ḇa·‘it·te·ḵā məḇa‘itteḵā mevaitTecha niḇ‘aṯ niḇ‘attî niḇ·‘aṯ niḇ·‘at·tî nivAt nivAtti tə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯan·nî ṯə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯe·kā tə·ḇa·‘êṯ təḇa‘ăṯannî ṯəḇa‘ăṯekā təḇa‘êṯ tevaaTanni tevaaTeka tevaEt ū·ḇi·‘ă·ṯat·tū ūḇi‘ăṯattū uviaTattu yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯu·hū yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯu·nî yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯū·nî yəḇa‘ăṯuhū yəḇa‘ăṯunî yəḇa‘ăṯūnî yevaaTuhu yevaaTuniLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 16:14 HEB: מֵעִ֣ם שָׁא֑וּל וּבִֽעֲתַ֥תּוּ רֽוּחַ־ רָעָ֖ה NAS: spirit from the LORD terrorized him. KJV: spirit from the LORD troubled him. INT: from Saul terrorized spirit and an evil 1 Samuel 16:15 2 Samuel 22:5 1 Chronicles 21:30 Esther 7:6 Job 3:5 Job 7:14 Job 9:34 Job 13:11 Job 13:21 Job 15:24 Job 18:11 Job 33:7 Psalm 18:4 Isaiah 21:4 Daniel 8:17 16 Occurrences |
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