fear
Phobos names alarm before danger or striking events, and a reverent restraint expressed in conduct and obedience.
The dominant use names alarm or dread in the face of danger, opposition, punishment, death, or overwhelming events. Other verses place it in conduct marked by reverent restraint before God, Christ, or persons owed obedience, while several narratives describe fear falling on witnesses after striking events.
Senses in use
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Alarm or dread before danger and threat · dominant
The term marks inward alarm or dread that can inhibit action, as Joseph remains hidden and the disciples keep doors shut because of the Jews in John 19:38 and John 20:19. It also occurs with death, coming calamity, punishment, and torment: in Hebrews 2:15 the APB renders people as held in slavery through “fear of death,” and in Revelation 18:10 people stand at a distance because of a city's torment.
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Fear arising from a striking event · common
In narrative clauses, the nominative singular form is what “came upon” or “seized” people after startling events. Acts 5:5 describes great fear coming upon those who heard of Ananias's death, while Mark 4:41 links great fear with the question of who commands wind and sea.
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Reverent restraint in conduct and obedience · common
The term accompanies conduct directed by reverence and obedience: 1 Peter 1:17 calls for living in reverent fear during a sojourn, and Philippians 2:12 joins it with trembling while working out salvation. It also frames submissive or careful behavior, as in Ephesians 6:5 and 1 Peter 3:16, where the APB renders the surrounding clauses with obedience, gentleness, and a good conscience.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the term with “fear,” including fear that comes upon, seizes, or motivates people; it also uses “reverence” in Ephesians 5:21 and “terrified” in Luke 2:9. These are verse-level renderings rather than fixed word-for-word equivalents.