Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom …”
If wisdom’s “beginning” is found in “the fear of the Lord,” then what is the fear of the Lord?
Pervasive in the biblical commentaries I search; as well as the footnotes in various study bibles I read, is the assertion that “the fear of the Lord” refers to “a deep reverence, respect, and awe for God’s power, holiness, and wisdom.”
However, as I read, and re-read, and pondered over Isaiah 11:1-2; the question regarding the meaning of the “fear of the Lord,” tugs at my thoughts.
If the seven characteristics listed in this passage are descriptions / characteristics of the Holy Spirit (seven being a number of perfection, completeness), then it feels incongruent to me that six of them describe the Holy Spirit, and one (fear of the Lord) describes our response to Him.
So, if the fear of the Lord is also a characteristic of God, then what does this mean? God is obviously not afraid. So it doesn’t mean fear in the sense of how we understand this word in English.
I searched out the Hebrew word for fear and began studying the root words and applications in other OT passages.
I came across an author, Jeff A. Benner, on https://www.ancient-hebrew.org. The following is an excerpt from his writings: (https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/living-words/the-living-words-fear.htm)
“Each Hebrew word has only one meaning but can have different applications. The literal concrete meaning of ‘yara’ [H:3372] is a “flowing of the gut,” which can be applied to “fear” or “reverence.” Have you ever been so scared or been in the presence of something so amazing that you could feel it in your gut? This “feeling” is the meaning of this word….
The fear (yirah) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding Proverbs 9:10 (KJV)
The word “fear” in this verse is the noun ‘yirah’ [H:3374], derived from the verb ‘yarah’ [H:3372]. The common understanding of this verse is if one is afraid of or in great awe of Yahweh, he will have wisdom, but as we shall see, this is not consistent with its use in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew for “fear of the LORD” (as found in the verse above) is written with two nouns, ‘yirat Yahweh.’ When a noun precedes another noun, the first noun is in the construct state, meaning it is connected to the second noun – two words together forming one concept.
An example of a construct noun can be found in the phrase ‘malkut elohiym’ (kingdom of God). Notice the first noun, “kingdom” belongs to the second noun, “God.”
Below is a complete list of construct phrases of Genesis, where the second word in the construct is “Yahweh.”
The Word of Yahweh (Genesis 15:1)
The Voice of Yahweh (Genesis 3:8)
The Face of Yahweh (Genesis 4:16)
The Name of Yahweh (Genesis 4:26)
The eyes of Yahweh (Genesis 6:8)
The Garden of Yahweh (Genesis 13:10)
The Angel of Yahweh (Genesis 16:7)
The Way of Yahweh (Genesis 18:19)
The Mount of Yahweh (Genesis 22:14)
You will notice in every instance the first word in the construct (word, voice, etc) belongs to the second word of the construct (Yahweh). So, why do we think the word “fear” in the construct phrase “fear of Yahweh” is “our” fear and not Yahweh’s? We know God cannot “fear,” but as pointed out previously, the Hebrew word ‘yara’ literally means “to flow out of the gut.” Now the question becomes, “What flows out of the gut of Yahweh?”
… His teachings and his character. Now, let’s take another look at Proverbs 9:10, but this time from a Hebrew perspective.
The flowings of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and an intimate relationship with the Holy One is understanding.”
—
Mr. Benner’s essay felt like the answer to my question. Using Strong’s Concordance to further search the scriptures regarding the fear of the Lord, I found multiple scriptures relating the fear of the Lord to the flow of water, similar to Mr. Benner’s description of the ‘flowings’ of God, (from the Hebrew root word meaning):
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27, NASB) For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, …(Jeremiah 2:13, NASB)…. O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 17:13, ESV). They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light (Psalm 36:8-9, ESV). (Bold added, for my emphasis)
Isaiah 11:3 says that, “He will delight in the fear of the LORD.”
If the fear of the LORD is the flow of God’s character and His teachings, then it resonates with me that the Messiah will “delight in the fear of the Lord.” Jesus delights in His Father’s character and teachings. And that the beginning of wisdom would be from the heart of God.
In the passages above, God is described as the fountain of living waters; and in Psalm 36, God gives “them drink from the river of (His) delights.”
So, perhaps the fear of the Lord could be understood as the flow of / the source of / “the beginning” of wisdom, sourced from the very essence of the heart of God.
