Fear of the Lord the is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety (Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9). It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial reverence. (Comp. Deuteronomy 32:6; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 1:2; Isaiah 1:63; Isaiah 1:64.) God is called "the Fear of Isaac" (Genesis 31:42, Genesis 1:31), i.e., the God whom Isaac feared.
A holy fear is enjoined also in the New Testament as a preventive of carelessness in religion, and as an incentive to penitence (Matthew 10:28; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 2:12; Ephesians 5:21; Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 1:12).