“ekphobos”

Quick Facts

  • Pronunciation: e’k-fo-bos
  • Strongs Concordance: #G1630
    • stricken with fear or terror, exceedingly, frightened, terrified
  • Appears 2 times in 2 verses in the New Testament
  • Common translations
    • “terrified” (2x)

Where and how ekphobos is used in the New Testament

Mark 9:5-6 HCSB – “Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” — because he did not know what he should say, since they were terrified. ”

Hebrews 12:18-24 HCSB – “For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, for they could not bear what was commanded: And if even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned! The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling.) Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel. “

My thoughts and observations

Here the form of fear is terror. Of course, there are not mentions of being terrified of a church leader or their perceived ‘authority’.

Here we see Peter was terrified of what he witnessed at the Transfiguration. That is fitting!  In Hebrews the author uses the word to describe the posture of Moses (toward’s God’s appearance at the giving of the Torah) as a contrast to the approachableness of God now that Yeshua has secured direct access to the father on our behalf! Let me ask you… if God removed our terror of approaching himself, why would we ever be terrified of any church leader or other human?

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