terror
me.chit.tah denotes a feared, destructive outcome or threat, especially in contrasts between safety and calamity.
The occurrences most often present a destructive or ruinous consequence, particularly in Proverbs, where foolish speech, poverty, and wrongdoing stand in contrast to preservation, wealth, or joy. Other contexts present it as a feared threat or object of dread: it is kept away in Isaiah 54:14, addressed directly in Jeremiah 17:17, and associated with Moab’s shame in Jeremiah 48:39.
Senses in use
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Destructive consequence or ruin · dominant
In Proverbs 10:14, Proverbs 10:15, and Proverbs 10:29, the singular noun occurs in contrasts where the APB renders the surrounding outcomes as “ruin” or “destruction,” opposite stored knowledge, wealth, and the LORD’s way. In Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 18:7, and Proverbs 21:15, the clauses connect the outcome with unguarded speech or evildoing; the APB renders these clauses with “terror,” while the verse contexts portray harm falling on the fool or workers of evil.
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A feared threat or cause of dread · common
In Isaiah 54:14, the absolute singular noun stands in the assurance that this feared reality will not come near. In Jeremiah 17:17, it is addressed in the plea, “Be not a terror to me,” while Jeremiah 48:39 presents Moab as an object of fear and derision to those around him; Proverbs 14:28 similarly places it in the clause about a prince and the end of a people.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB varies across the verses, using “terror” in Isaiah 54:14, Jeremiah 17:17, Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 18:7, Proverbs 21:15, and Proverbs 14:28, but “ruin” or “destruction” in several Proverbs contrasts. These renderings show the verse-level presentation rather than a fixed English equivalent.