If you are asking ‘What is the fear of God’; then you have come to a good place.
First, some personal history
I have been reading and studying the New American Standard Bible since 1972. The NASB has been my go-to Bible; my anchor for understanding God’s Word. Until 2025, when I encountered the Legacy Standard Bible.
“The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration … Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.
In the LSB, God’s covenant name is rendered as Yahweh. The meaning and implication of this name is God’s self-deriving, ongoing, and never-ending existence. Exodus 3:14–15 shows that God Himself considered it important for His people to know His name. The effect of revealing God’s name is His distinction from other gods and His expression of intimacy with the nation of Israel. Such a dynamic is a prevalent characteristic of the Scriptures as Yahweh appears in the OT over 6,800 times..
Names of God: In the Scriptures, the name of God is significant and understandably so. Traditionally, the translation “God” renders the Hebrew word Elohim. Likewise, the word “Lord” is a translation of Adonai. In the LSB, God’s covenant name is rendered as Yahweh. The meaning and implication of this name is God’s self-deriving, ongoing, and never-ending existence. Exodus 3:14–15 shows that God Himself considered it important for His people to know His name. The effect of revealing God’s name is His distinction from other gods and His expression of intimacy with the nation of Israel.[ Legacy Standard Bible. (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.]”
Yahweh is an elohim, but no other elohim is Yahweh[ Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (First Edition, p. 323). Lexham Press.]
Michael Heiser explained:
THE UNSEEN COMBATANTS: General Terminology
We saw earlier that the Hebrew Bible uses the term elohim to speak of any inhabitant of the spiritual world. The word itself provides no differentiation among beings within that realm, though hierarchy is certainly present. Yahweh, for example, is an elohim, but no other elohim is Yahweh. Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible.[ First Edition, p. 323). Lexham Press]
The Fear of God
As we ponder the fear of God; allow me to read this fifth speech of Yahweh:
Deuteronomy chapter 32, verses 26 to 35:
26 ‘I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces; I will cause the memory of them to cease from men,” 27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, Lest their adversaries misjudge, Lest they say, “Our hand is triumphant, And Yahweh has not done all this.” ’ 28 “For they are a nation where counsel perishes, And there is no discernment in them. 29 “Would that they were wise, that they had insight into this, That they would understand their future! 30 “How could one pursue one thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And Yahweh had handed them over? 31 “Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this. 32 “For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter. 33 “Their wine is the venom of serpents, And the deadly poison of cobras. 34 ‘Is it not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up in My treasuries? 35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will stumble; For the day of their disaster is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’Legacy Standard Bible (Dt 32:26–35). (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.
This fifth set of lyrics contains five turns or twists of thought:
32:26-27 Yahweh would have said, “I will scatter them …” 32:28-29 For they are a nation lacking counsel …32:30-31 How could one pursue a thousand … 32:32-33 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom … 32:34-35 Is it not laid up in store for Me … I translate:
26 ‘I would have said, “I scatter them; I will cause the memory of them to cease from men,”
27 Had I not feared the provocation by the enemy, Lest their adversaries misjudge,
Lest they say, “Our hand is triumphant,
And Yahweh has not done all this.” ’
I Would Have Said
“I would have said.” Implies a turning away from a plan ready to be executed.
The poetic counterpart: “Lest they say,” provides the reason for Yahweh not following through with his intent.
How do we get from “I will cut them to pieces” to “I will scatter them?”
First of all from the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament: “the Biblical Hebrew … ‘cut in pieces’ (Dt. 32;26, text uncertain)..”[ Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. 11, p. 461). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.]
Second, the above dictionary continues to define פֵאָה pēʾâ this way: “3. Boundary. In lists pēʾâ serves as a synonym of geḇûl, “border,” qualified by a direction. Josh. 18:12–20 defines the borders of Benjamin, 15:5 the eastern border of Judah. The list in Ezk. 47:15–20 defines the boundaries of the whole territory of the twelve tribes outside the sanctuary. Ezekiel’s so-called draft constitution sketches a map of the new Israel. In similar fashion Nu. 34:3 defines the southern boundary in the description of the boundaries of Israel’s inheritance (Nu. 34:3–12) in the promised land.. Angerstorfer, A. (2001). פֵאָה.[ In G. J. Botterweck, H. Ringgren, & H.-J. Fabry (Eds.), & D. E. Green (Trans.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Revised Edition, Vol. 11, p. 462). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.”]”
Third, the Legacy Standard Bible provides these three references, containing a Hebrew synonym:
1. “And Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples, and you will remain few in number among the nations where Yahweh drives you. “(Deut 4:27, LSB).
2. “Moreover, Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known.” (Deut 28:64, LSB).
3. ‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.” (Lev 26:33, LSB).
For now, please ponder the above definition of “scatter” and the references.
I will add to this podcast next week.
We have come to the end of today’s blog, dedicated to Wisdom for Life.
Thank you for reading and pondering! Please join me again for another interesting article on Wisdom for Life.
In the next blog on this subject: “The Fear of God Is the Fear of Yahweh.”; I will discuss Deut. 32:27a, “Had I not feared”. Which begs the question: If Yahweh is singing or speaking these words, then how can we understand Yahweh fears something?
Until he comes on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory,
may
“Yahweh bless you and keep you;
Yahweh make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
Yahweh lift up His face on you,
And give you peace.”
Legacy Standard Bible (The Book of Numbers, 6:24–27, LSB).
