When my youngest daughter was about 12 years old we were going over the study article for the Sunday meeting "Fear of Jehovah--what does it mean?" or something like it.
The article wasn't very satisfying--couldn't make clear the difference of terror and reverence as it related to fear of God. at least I didn't think so. So I got to looking in my trusty Strong's Concordance for the word ''fear" and was thrilled to see two very distinct Hebrew words that were translated into english as "fear" but had totally different root meanings--very relevant to the study. So I told my daughter.
"No. No, Mom. You can't use it." She was really emphatic.
I pointed out how, living on the farm as I had, I knew how completely the knowing of those two words would set the matter straight. She rolled her eyes and just said "No" again. So I dropped it.
But on Sunday morning it was just as I feared: the boring repetition of re-worded paragraphs styled as answers--and nothing new. Nothing new.
Finally there came the paragraph that laid the moment for introducing those two Hebrew words. I heard a sister gave the proper paragraph paraphrase. Then a second boring response was given.It was so frustrating! I said a quick prayer that if it was to be, then it would be.
My hand shot up. My daughter gave a horrified glare and hissed at me "Don't!"
When the study conductor called on me I gave a concise description of the word ya-re: to fear, revere or reverence. The word was always in a context of worship.
But..... there was another word the Hebrew language had from its pastoralist past that anyone who was male and been afraid or seen stallions, bulls or male dogs fight would appreciate. Pach-ad described alarm, dread, terror. It showed up a lot in the scriptures in describing pending violence.
I tried not to look at my daughter's face.
"The Hebrews had to have two words for "fear" because pachad has nothing to do with worship. The root of the word means "testicle" and these herdsmen/warriors well knew that fear would draw up those parts on man or beast. In fights you can see them disappear when male animal fight or anticipate trouble. This is not a God who wants that kind of relationship with him."
Well, you could have heard a pin drop.
Maybe someone would have talked to us about that comment after the meeting, I'll never know. My daughter steered me to the door so fast nobody had a chance.
Maeve