1. to be put to flight, to flee (Homer).

2. to fear, be afraid; the Sept. very often for יָרֵא; absolutely to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm: of those who fear harm or injury, Matthew 10:31; Matthew 14:30; Matthew 25:25; Mark 5:33, 36; Mark 10:32; Mark 16:8; Luke 8:50; Luke 12:7, 32; John 12:15; John 19:8; Acts 16:38; Acts 22:29; (Romans 13:4); Hebrews 13:6; 1 John 4:18; opposed to ὑψηλοφρονεῖν, Romans 11:20; of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, Matthew 14:27; Matthew 17:7; Matthew 28:5, 10; Mark 6:50; Luke 1:13, 30; Luke 2:10; Luke 9:34; ( L in brackets); John 6:19, 20; Acts 18:9; Acts 27:24 (but in the last two passages perhaps the exhortation has a wider reference); Revelation 1:17; with σφόδρα added, Matthew 17:6; Matthew 27:54; of those struck with amazement, (Matthew 9:8 L T Tr WH); Mark 5:15; Luke 5:10; Luke 8:25, 35. with an accusative of the contents (cognate accusative) (see ἀγαπάω, under the end): φόβον μέγαν, literally, to 'fear a great fear,' fear exceedingly, Mark 4:41; Luke 2:9 (1 Macc. 10:8); φόβον αὐτῶν, the fear which they inspire (see φόβος, 1), 1 Peter 3:14 (Isaiah 8:12; τοῦ Τανταλου, to be filled with the same fear as Tantalus, Schol. ad Euripides, Or. 6); with the synonymous πτόησιν (which see), 1 Peter 3:6. τινα, to fear one, be afraid of one, lest he do harm, be displeased, etc.: Matthew 10:26; Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:26, 46; Mark 11:18, 32 (cf. Buttmann, § 151, 11); ; Luke 19:21; Luke 20:19; Luke 22:2; John 9:22; Acts 5:26 (cf. Buttmann, § 139, 48; Winer's Grammar, 505 (471)); ; Romans 13:3; Galatians 2:12; τόν Θεόν, God, the judge and avenger, Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5; Luke 23:40 (Exodus 1:17, 21; 1 Samuel 12:18); τί, to fear danger from something, Hebrews 11:23, 27; to fear (dread to undergo) some suffering, Revelation 2:10. in imitation of the Hebrew (מִן יָרֵא), followed by ἀπό τίνος (cf. Buttmann, § 147, 3): Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4 (Jeremiah 1:8, 17; Jeremiah 10:2; Leviticus 26:2; 1 Macc. 2:62 1 Macc. 8:12; Judges 5:23), as in the Greek writings, φοβοῦμαι μή, to fear lest, with the subjunctive aorist: Acts ( L T Tr WH); ; μήπως, lest perchance, Acts 27:29 (here L μήπω (which see 2), others μήπου (which see)); 2 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; φοβηθῶμεν (equivalent to let us take anxious care) μήποτε τίς δοκῇ, lest anyone may seem (see δοκέω, 2 at the end), Hebrews 4:1; φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, μήπως κεκοπίακα, Galatians 4:11 (see μήπως, 1 b.); φοβοῦμαι with an infinitive to fear (i. e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm), Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:22; Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45 (for numerous examples in the Greek writings from Aeschylus down see Passow, under the word, 2, vol. ii., p. 2315{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, Buttmann, II. 4)).

3. to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience: τινα, Mark 6:20; Ephesians 5:33; τόν Θεόν, used of his devout worshippers, Luke 1:50; Luke 18:2, 4; Acts 10:2, 22, 35; (Colossians 3:22 Rec.); 1 Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7; Revelation 19:5; also τόν κύριον, Colossians 3:22 (G L T Tr WH); Revelation 15:4; τό ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ, Revelation 11:18 (Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 5:29; Deuteronomy 6:2, 13, 14; Deuteronomy 13:4; Deuteronomy 14:22(23); Proverbs 3:7; Psalm 33:10 (), and many other passages; very often in Sir., cf. Wahl, Clavis Apocr. V. T., under the word, at the end); οἱ φοβούμενοι τόν Θεόν specifically, of proselytes: Acts 13:16, 26 (see σέβω). Compare: ἐκφοβέω. [SYNONYMS: ἐκπλήσσεσθαι to be astonished, properly, to be struck with terror, of a sudden and startling alarm; but, like our astonish in popular use, often employed on comparatively slight occasions, and even then with strengthening particles (as σφόδρα Matthew 19:25, ὑπερπερισσῶς Mark 7:37); πτόειν to terrify, to agitate with fear; τρέμειν, to tremble, predominantly physical; φόβειν to fear, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Cf. Schmidt, chapter 139.]