Lexical Summary emah: Terror, dread, fear Original Word: אֵימָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dread, fear, horror, idol, terrible, terror Or (shortened) remah {ay-maw'}; from the same as 'ayom; fright; concrete, an idol (as a bugbear) -- dread, fear, horror, idol, terrible, terror. see HEBREW 'ayom NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as ayom Definition terror, dread NASB Translation dread (2), fear (1), fearsome (1), terrible (1), terrified (1), terror (8), terrors (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֵימָה17 noun feminine terror, dread (Talmud id., compare Assyrian imtu, DlW) — ׳א Genesis 15:12 +; אֵימָ֫תָה Exodus 15:16 (compare Ges§ 90, 2 R. b); construct אֵימַת Proverbs 20:2; suffix אֵימָתִי Exodus 23:27; אֵמָתִי Job 33:7, etc.; plural אֵימִים Jeremiah 50:38; אֵמִים Job 20:25; אֵימוֺת Psalm 55:5; suffix אֵמֶיךָ Psalm 88:16; — terror, dread (mostly in poetry), inspired by ׳י Exodus 15:16 (song in E "" מַּחַד) Exodus 23:27 (E) Deuteronomy 32:25; Job 9:34; Job 13:21; compare Job 33:7; Job 20:25; Psalm 88:16 ("" חֲרוֺנִים, בִּעוּתִים Psalm 88:17); compare Genesis 15:2 אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה גְדוֺלָה; occasioned by enemies Joshua 2:9; Isaiah 33:18; Ezra 3:3; by king Proverbs 20:2; compare Psalm 55:5 אֵימוֺת מָוֶת ("" יִרְאָה, רַעַד, מַּלָּצוּת Psalm 55:6); predicate of snorting of a war-horse Job 39:20, of teeth of crocodile Job 41:6; plural figurative = idols (i.e. dreadful, shocking things) Jeremiah 50:38 ("" מּסלים). Topical Lexicon Overview Used seventeen times across the Old Testament, אֵימָה portrays a sudden, overwhelming dread that God either sends, allows, removes, or ultimately banishes. It is never mere anxiety; it is an awe–laden shock that exposes creaturely frailty before divine power, royal authority, or imminent judgment. In the Patriarchal Covenant Genesis 15:12 introduces the word in a covenant setting: “As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly a great dread and darkness fell upon him.” The dread prepares Abram to hear of centuries of affliction yet assures him of God’s sovereign timetable. Holy fear thus becomes a prerequisite for grasping redemptive promises. Exodus, Wilderness, and Conquest Repeatedly the Lord pledges to precede Israel with dread so that hostile nations lose courage before any sword is drawn. Here dread serves covenant purposes: preserving Israel, showcasing divine supremacy, and reminding the nations that resistance to Yahweh is futile. National Judgment and Apostasy Deuteronomy 32:25 warns covenant–breakers that terror will stalk both city and countryside. Jeremiah 50:38 declares Babylon’s idols “terrifying,” exposing how false worship enslaves its devotees. אֵימָה can thus be self–inflicted when people exchange the fear of the Lord for the fear of lifeless gods. Post-Exilic Worship Ezra 3:3 notes that returnees rebuilt the altar “despite their fear of the people of the lands.” The dread of surrounding hostility drove them toward, not away from, sacrificial worship, illustrating how rightly directed fear fuels obedience. Wisdom Literature: Personal Encounters with Dread Job wrestles with terror eleven times, begging for its removal (Job 9:34; 13:21), describing its bodily effects (20:25), and acknowledging that only God can restrain it (33:7). Psalms 55:4 and 88:15 show a believer’s heart overwhelmed: “the terrors of death have fallen upon me;” “I have borne Your terrors.” Proverbs 20:2 employs political imagery: “The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion,” warning that earthly rulers reflect, in miniature, the divine right to judge. Prophetic Hope Isaiah 33:18 looks forward to a day when redeemed hearts will merely “ponder the fear”—remembering past dread without reliving it. Perfect deliverance transforms terrifying history into grateful reflection. Theological Threads 1. Instrument of Divine Sovereignty: Dread disarms enemies, disciplines saints, and displays God’s uncontested rule. Christological Fulfillment On the cross Christ faced the full terror of judgment, crying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” so that believers might approach the throne “with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16). In Him awe remains, dread is displaced, and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Ministry Implications • Preach both the kindness and severity of God, allowing healthy dread to awaken repentance. Homiletical Starter Outline 1. Genesis 15:12 – The Fear That Prepares In every era אֵימָה testifies that the Lord alone inspires, wields, and finally abolishes ultimate dread. Forms and Transliterations אֵ֣ימַת אֵ֭מָתִי אֵֽימַתְכֶם֙ אֵֽימָתִי֙ אֵימָ֑ה אֵימָ֙תָה֙ אֵימָ֛ה אֵימָֽה׃ אֵמִֽים׃ אֵמֶ֣יךָ אימה אימה׃ אימת אימתה אימתי אימתכם אמיך אמים׃ אמתי בְּאֵימָ֣ה באימה וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ וְאֵימ֥וֹת וּבָאֵימִ֖ים ואימות ואמתו ואמתך ובאימים ’ê·mā·ṯāh ’ê·mā·ṯî ’ê·māh ’ê·maṯ ’ê·maṯ·ḵem ’ê·me·ḵā ’ê·mîm ’êmāh ’êmaṯ ’êmāṯāh ’êmāṯî ’êmaṯḵem ’êmeḵā ’êmîm bə’êmāh bə·’ê·māh beeiMah eiMah Eimat eiMatah eimatChem eimaTi Emati eMeicha eMim ū·ḇā·’ê·mîm ūḇā’êmîm uvaeiMim veeiMot veEmatecha veemaTo wə’êmāṯəḵā wə’êmāṯōw wə’êmōwṯ wə·’ê·mā·ṯə·ḵā wə·’ê·mā·ṯōw wə·’ê·mō·wṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 15:12 HEB: אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה NAS: and behold, terror [and] great KJV: upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great INT: Abram and behold terror darkness great Exodus 15:16 Exodus 23:27 Deuteronomy 32:25 Joshua 2:9 Ezra 3:3 Job 9:34 Job 13:21 Job 20:25 Job 33:7 Job 39:20 Job 41:14 Psalm 55:4 Psalm 88:15 Proverbs 20:2 Isaiah 33:18 Jeremiah 50:38 17 Occurrences |
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