The “Terrible” God #6

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

“Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible” (Deuteronomy 7:21 KJV).

The Authorized Version features eight references to the LORD God being “terrible.” Why?

Our 1611 translators rendered the Hebrew “yawray” as “terrible” in Deuteronomy 7:21 (“a mighty God and terrible”), Deuteronomy 10:17 (“a great God, a mighty, and a terrible”), Nehemiah 1:5 (“the great and terrible God”), Nehemiah 4:14 (“the LORD, which is great and terrible”), Nehemiah 9:32 (“our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God”), Psalm 47:2 (“For the LORD most high is terrible”), and Psalm 68:35 (“O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places”).

“Terrible” can mean “unpleasant or bad,” but that is not how the Holy Bible employs it here. It is from the Latin, “terrere” (“frighten”)—this is how the LORD is “terrible.” “Yawray” is defined as “inspiring reverence, godly fear, or awe.” It was translated “fearful” in Deuteronomy 28:58 (“…that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;”), “terrible” in Psalm 99:3 (“Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.”), “reverend” in Psalm 111:9 (“holy and reverend is his name”), and “dreadful” in Malachi 1:14 (“…for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen”). See it rendered “feared” in 1 Chronicles 16:25 and Psalm 96:4: “For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.” It was translated “dreadful” in Daniel 9:4: “O LORD, the great and dreadful God,….”

In this way of “inspiring reverence, godly fear, or awe,” JEHOVAH God does “terrible things” or “terrible acts” (Deuteronomy 10:21; 2 Samuel 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21; Psalm 106:22). “As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!” (Isaiah 64:2).

As for the Hebrew word for “terrible” in Jeremiah 20:11 (“But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one:…”), it is “awreets,” which is essentially equivalent to “yawray”—awe-inspiring, terror-striking, terrifying, causing fear, very powerful. It was translated “mighty” in Job 6:23; “in great power” in Psalm 37:35; “oppressor/oppressors” in Job 15:20, Job 27:13, and Psalm 54:3.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….