Lexical Summary arats: To tremble, to dread, to be terrified Original Word: עָרַץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be affrighted afraid, dread, feared, terrified, break, dread, fear, oppress, A primitive root; to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence, to harass -- be affrighted (afraid, dread, feared, terrified), break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, shake terribly. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to cause to tremble, tremble NASB Translation cause (1), cause terror (1), cause trembling (1), dread (3), feared (2), make the tremble (2), shocked (1), stand in awe (1), tremble (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָרַץ] verb cause to tremble, tremble (in terror, or awe) (compare Arabic  quiver, flicker; Syriac  come upon suddenly or violently, PS under the word passim; compare Egyptian ±u-ra-¼-au(t), they terrified (= ערצו) WMMAs.u.Eur.76); — Qal Imperfect2masculine singular תַּעֲרֹץ Deuteronomy 7:21 +; 2 feminine singular תַּעֲר֑וֺצִי Isaiah 47:12; 1singular אֶעֱרוֺץ Job 31:34, etc.; Infinitive construct עֲרֹץ Isaiah 2:19 +; — 1 cause to tremble (i.e. strike with awe) with accusative הָאָרֶץ Isaiah 2:19,21 (subject ׳י; insert probably also Isaiah 2:10); הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף ׳תַּע Job 13:25 wilt thou strike with awe the driven leaf ? absolute cause trembling = inspire awe Isaiah 47:12 (of Babylonian ), Psalm 10:18. 2 intransitive tremble, feel dread (D), Deuteronomy 1:29; Deuteronomy 7:21; Deuteronomy 20:3; Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9; with accusative Job 31:34 because I stood in awe of the great multitude. Niph`al Participle אֵל נַעֲרָץ Psalm 89:8 El, terrible in the company of the holy ones ("" נוֺרָא). Hiph`il 1. regard, or treat, with awe, as awful:2masculine plural וְלֹא תַעֲרִ֑יצוּ Isaiah 8:12 (accusative מוֺרָאוֺ); 3 masculine plural יַעֲרִ֑יצוּ Isaiah 29:23 accusative ׳אֶתאֱֿלֹהֵי יִשׂ. 2 inspire with awe (compare Qal 2); — Participle suffix הוּא מַעֲִרצְכֶם Isaiah 8:13 he shall be your awe-inspirer. Topical Lexicon Overview In Scripture עָרַץ describes the experience or incitement of intense fear—“dread that crushes.” It can mark paralysis before superior power, or, conversely, the imposing of such dread on others. Each of its fifteen occurrences falls into one of two broad streams: (1) an exhortation to God’s covenant people not to be terrified, and (2) an announcement that the nations—or even God’s own people when hardened—will be struck with overwhelming dread in the day of the Lord. Covenant Exhortation: Fearless Obedience Moses employs the verb in a series of battlefield addresses (Deuteronomy 1:29; 7:21; 20:3; 31:6). The tone is pastoral as well as military: • Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” The same promise anchors Joshua 1:9 when leadership passes to Joshua. In every case the command not to “be terrified” rests on God’s abiding presence, not on Israel’s prowess. The pattern establishes a timeless principle: when mission is commissioned by God, terror is illegitimate because it contradicts faith in His covenant faithfulness. Warfare and Holy War Theology The Deuteronomic battle-speech (Deuteronomy 20:3) positions עָרַץ alongside verbs for fainting and panic. In holy war Yahweh Himself advances with the army; therefore to be terrified is to forget the reality of divine accompaniment. The verb thus highlights the moral dimension of warfare: courage flows from theology, not psychology. Wisdom Literature: The Fear of Man Job wrestles with dread on two fronts. In Job 13:25 he asks why God “terrorizes” a fragile creature; in Job 31:34 he repudiates the idea that he kept silent “because I feared the great multitude or dreaded the contempt of families.” Here עָרַץ exposes the snare of capitulating to social intimidation, anticipating Proverbs 29:25’s warning that “the fear of man proves to be a snare.” Psalm 10:18 and Psalm 89:7 form a complementary pair. In Psalm 10 the Lord promises to “terrify” earthly oppressors, vindicating the fatherless; in Psalm 89:7 He Himself is “greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,” underscoring that true dread belongs to God alone. Worship redirects terror from creatures to the Creator. Prophetic Usage: Eschatological Shaking Isaiah clusters eight occurrences of the root in a vision of national crisis and final judgment: • Isaiah 8:12-13: “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear; do not dread it. The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.” The prophetic canvas portrays human terror as both judgment and corrective. When dread falls on the proud, God is vindicated; when it is lifted from the faithful remnant, God is sanctified. Redemptive and Christological Trajectory Two New Testament passages echo Isaiah 8:12-13. Peter cites it in 1 Peter 3:14-15, urging believers under persecution, “Do not fear their threats, do not be frightened. But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.” Hebrews 13:5-6 draws on Deuteronomy 31:6 to proclaim fearless confidence grounded in the abiding Christ: “So we say with confidence: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Thus עָרַץ foreshadows the conquest of fear perfected in the Gospel. At Calvary Jesus absorbs the ultimate cause of dread—divine wrath—so that those in Him may serve “without fear” (Luke 1:74). Ministry Implications 1. Pastoral Care: When believers confront intimidation—whether societal scorn, ideological hostility, or demonic attack—shepherds can apply the Deuteronomy and Isaiah texts to re-center hearts on God’s presence and sovereignty. Summary עָרַץ traces a theological journey from the battlefield to the worship sanctuary, from oppressive dread to reverent awe. The verb signals that fear is never neutral: it either contradicts faith or completes it, depending on its object. God’s design is to liberate His people from terror of men and demons, that they might fear Him alone—and in fearing Him, fear nothing else. Forms and Transliterations אֶֽעֱר֨וֹץ ׀ אערוץ יַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃ יעריצו׃ לַעֲרֹ֥ץ לערץ מַֽעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃ מערצכם׃ נַ֭עֲרָץ נערץ תַּֽעַרְצ֖וּ תַּעֲר֑וֹץ תַּעֲרֹ֖ץ תַּעֲרֽוֹצִי׃ תַּעַרְצ֖וּ תַֽעַרְצ֥וּן תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃ תַעֲרֹ֖ץ תערוץ תערוצי׃ תעריצו׃ תערץ תערצו תערצון ’e‘ĕrōwṣ ’e·‘ĕ·rō·wṣ eeRotz la‘ărōṣ la·‘ă·rōṣ laaRotz ma‘ăriṣḵem ma·‘ă·riṣ·ḵem MaaRitzChem na‘ărāṣ na·‘ă·rāṣ Naarotz ṯa‘ărîṣū ta‘ărōṣ ṯa‘ărōṣ ta‘ărōwṣ ta‘ărōwṣî ta‘arṣū ṯa‘arṣūn ṯa·‘ă·rî·ṣū ta·‘ă·rō·w·ṣî ta·‘ă·rō·wṣ ta·‘ă·rōṣ ṯa·‘ă·rōṣ ta·‘ar·ṣū ṯa·‘ar·ṣūn taaRitzu taaRotz taaRotzi taarTzu taarTzun ya‘ărîṣū ya·‘ă·rî·ṣū yaaRitzuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 1:29 HEB: אֲלֵכֶ֑ם לֹא־ תַֽעַרְצ֥וּן וְֽלֹא־ תִֽירְא֖וּן NAS: Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor KJV: Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid INT: about nor not be shocked nor fear Deuteronomy 7:21 Deuteronomy 20:3 Deuteronomy 31:6 Joshua 1:9 Job 13:25 Job 31:34 Psalm 10:18 Psalm 89:7 Isaiah 2:19 Isaiah 2:21 Isaiah 8:12 Isaiah 8:13 Isaiah 29:23 Isaiah 47:12 15 Occurrences |
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