Synonyms: responsibility, obligation, commitment, obedience, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, respect, deference, reverence, homage, job, task, chore, assignment, commission, mission, function, charge, part, place, role, concern, requirement, tax, levy, tariff, excise, toll, fee, imposition, impost, exaction, tithe, payment, rate
Showing 1 to 25 of 211 results
1. Be Joyful & Reverent
Ecclesiastes 11:7--12:8
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
11:7–10 · The second subunit presents Qoheleth’s final commendation of joyful living, although the typical reference to eating and drinking is lacking here. The subunit begins by affirming that it is good to be alive (11:7, literally “to see the sun”; cf. 6:5). We should enjoy the light of each day God grants us, not knowing how many we will have and keeping in mind the many dark and meaningless days to follow (11:8). The reference here is to our death, as in 6:4, rather than to difficulties during life, ...
Teach the Text
Daniel J. Estes
... others. Job insists that he has treated the orphans and widows as though they were his own family (31:18). He has not abused his lofty status in the community to take advantage of the poor in legal proceedings (31:21). His care for the needy emerges from his reverence for God (31:23). 31:24–28  If I have put my trust in gold. In his earlier speech, Eliphaz insinuated that Job was materialistic (22:23–26), but now Job insists that he has not placed his confidence in his wealth (31:24–25; cf. Ps. 62 ...
3. Body / Ambassador
2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2
Understanding Series
James M. Scott
... His previous encounters with the divine merkabah (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14; 12:1–4) have probably contributed to this fear and reverence of the Lord. Already in the biblical account of Isaiah’s commission, the prophet displayed great fear at the sight of ... fears the Lord because he delivered the people from Egypt (Exod. 14:31). In general, the mighty acts of God in history and in nature instill fear and reverence in people (cf. Isa. 25:3; Hab. 3:2; Zech. 9:5; 1 Kgs. 18:39; Job 37:1, 24; Pss. 33:8; 65:6–9; Jer. 5 ...
4. Wives and Husbands
Ephesians 5:22-33
Understanding Series
Arthur G. Patzia
... to an immoral relationship with a prostitute). Some of the older commentaries suggest that this verse has a secondary reference to Christ and how he left his heavenly home in order to be joined with his bride, the church. Moule, for example, writes: “We may reverently infer that the Apostle was guided to see in that verse a divine parable of the Coming Forth of the Lord, the Man of Men, from the Father, and His present and eternal mystical union with the true Church, His Bride” (p. 143; cf. other ...
Understanding Series
Pamela J. Scalise
... ’s honor (Num. 25:10–13; cf. Mal. 2:2, 5). But Malachi gives the label “covenant” to the special obligations and provisions for all the priests, who are Levites, as set forth in the law (e.g., Deut. 17:8–13; 18:1–8; Num. 18). The ideal priest revered the Lord and stood in awe of the Lord’s name, for God had kept covenant by giving him life and peace—the best gifts of God to humankind, gifts no one else can bestow. 2:6–9 A comparison of the indictment of Malachi’s priestly audience (v. 8 ...
Understanding Series
Pamela J. Scalise
... God-fearers? Will they, and we, heed the message of Malachi and live as the Lord’s servant daughters and sons? 4:2–3 The salvation promise in 4:2–3 is for the Godfearers of 3:16 and for every subsequent believer. God addresses them together as you who revere my name, that is, “you who fear the Lord.” They will have no cause to be afraid in “the day” (4:1) when the Lord acts (cf. Isa. 33:5–6). That day will be for judgment (4:1, 3; cf. Joel 1:12–14; 3:1–16; Amos 5 ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... (6:14). Job is not buying the cliché. The cliché, further, echoes the opening line of Job (1:1). There Job “feared God and shunned evil.” In Job 28:28, the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to shun evil is understanding. But clearly neither reverence of God nor shunning evil protected Job or gave him insight into his predicament. In fact, Job’s following words (Job 29–31) rehearse the life of a man who shunned evil but has received it in immeasurable quantity. Thus the storyteller seems to offer up ...
Teach the Text
Daniel J. Estes
... the final line in this way: “For does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?” Francis Andersen in his commentary on Job adapts the Septuagint reading: “Surely all wise of heart fear him!”1The general point of the verse is that wise humans will revere God even when they cannot comprehend all that he does. This links back to the statement in 28:28, which affirmed the basic tenet of traditional wisdom, that the fear of the Lord is wisdom (cf. Prov. 9:10; Eccles. 12:13). Being wise does not mean ...
9. Various Laws
Leviticus 19:1-37
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... 3) Verse 28: No gashing oneself for the dead (see Exod. 20:3) Verse 28: No tattooing (see Exod. 20:3) Verse 29: No profaning daughter by making her a prostitute (see Exod. 20:14) Verse 30: Keep the Lord’s Sabbath (see Exod. 20:8-11) Verse 30: Revere the Lord’s sanctuary Verse 31: No turning to occult (see Exod. 20:3) The Elderly and the Alien Verse 32: Respect the elderly; fear God Verses 33-34: Love rather than oppress the alien In Commerce use Honest Scales Verses 35-36: Use honest measures for scales ...
10. Eliphaz
Job 4:1–5:27
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... (yirah) for Yahweh. The phrase and the concept permeate the wisdom books. Proverbs, the “guidebook,” as it were, for the theological perspective of the friends, develops precisely how, in the practice of life, the reverence (yirah) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. No Hebrew-speaking audience can miss encountering the word yirah here and understanding the very pointed, powerful theological underpinning. 4:7–11 · If 4:6 expresses the bedrock of Eli­phaz’s theology, 4:7–11 ...
11. Proverbs of Solomon
Proberbs 10:1--22:16
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... is folly (14:24). Life-and-death matters are addressed in 14:25–27. Verse 25 affirms the life-saving power of a truthful witness in a capital case (cf. 14:5 in the context of speech), while a proverbial pair describes three metaphorical benefits of reverence for God (14:26–27). It provides a secure fortress to protect one’s children and a life-giving fountain (cf. Prov. 13:14), while keeping one from deadly snares, since those who fear God will avoid both evil and divine punishment and will experience ...
12. The Weak and the Strong
Romans 14:1--15:13
Understanding Series
James R. Edwards
... reminder not to take the judgment seat against another person. We relinquish the cause of judgment to Christ the merciful, for he is the incarnation of the God who causes us—and our fellow believers—to stand. Additional Notes Gaugler entitles 14:1–15:13, “Reverence for the Conscience of the Other.” See his sensitive discussion of this matter in Der Römerbrief, vol. 2, pp. 317–31. The identification of the target groups in 14:1–15:13 has been the focus of a specialized study by Paul Minear ...
Understanding Series
William Nelson
... he does this by writing to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land (6:25). He addresses them with a customary greeting: May you prosper greatly! (6:25). Then he issues a decree that all his subjects must fear and reverence the God of Daniel (6:26). This is an advance over the decree in chapter 3, which is intended merely to prevent a behavior; people are forbidden from saying “anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” (3:29). Here, the decree promotes an ...
Understanding Series
Arthur G. Patzia
... readers are reminded that they have been sealed with the Holy Spirit—with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (cf. 1:13). Since he is a seal or guarantee of the believers’ destiny (the day of redemption), they are asked to revere him in their speech and thus be worthy of their inheritance. 4:31 The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer is sufficient reason to clean up one’s speech by abolishing the following vices: Bitterness (pikria) comes from harboring resentful feelings; rage ...
15. God Disciplines His Sons
Hebrews 12:1-13, Hebrews 12:14-29
Understanding Series
Donald A. Hagner
... 9:1 and 6), but here, as in 9:14, it is used to describe the spiritual life of the Christian. See H. Strathmann, TDNT, vol. 4, pp 58–65. The adverb underlying acceptably (euarestōs) occurs only here in the NT (the cognate adjective occurs in 13:21, however). Reverence (eulabeia) occurs here and in 5:7 in the NT. See note on 5:7. The word for awe (deos) occurs only here in the Greek Bible. God in his role as judge is described several times in the OT in the imagery of a consuming fire (e.g., Isa ...
16. Warning Against Refusing God
Hebrews 12:14-29, Hebrews 12:1-13
Understanding Series
Donald A. Hagner
... 9:1 and 6), but here, as in 9:14, it is used to describe the spiritual life of the Christian. See H. Strathmann, TDNT, vol. 4, pp 58–65. The adverb underlying acceptably (euarestōs) occurs only here in the NT (the cognate adjective occurs in 13:21, however). Reverence (eulabeia) occurs here and in 5:7 in the NT. See note on 5:7. The word for awe (deos) occurs only here in the Greek Bible. God in his role as judge is described several times in the OT in the imagery of a consuming fire (e.g., Isa ...
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... had a clear message, and he shared it. That message was relevant to everyone who lay in his path. In a similar but much more significant way, every single believer carries a message of both doom and salvation. We should be more bold than Paul Revere as we share the message of Jesus. We should find comfort in knowing that Satan will one day be defeated and punished. News: Do you remember the headlines the day Osama bin Laden was finally brought to justice? A sense of relief, celebration, and overwhelming ...
Teach the Text
Joe M. Sprinkle
... to the cult of the dead, in which the living “sustained” and honored dead ancestors with food offerings. This is a worldview incompatible with the Bible’s theology.8 19:32  show respect for the elderly. This respect goes along with reverence for God. 19:33–34  When a foreigner resides among you . . . Love them as yourself. Prohibition of pagan practices does not justify mistreating pagan foreigners among the Israelites. Israel is to treat foreigners decently. They glean fields beside Israel’s ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... of the more detailed account of how this happens (4:15–18). But the fact that the Lord has brought honor to Joshua that day just as he had promised (cf. 3:7) is emphasized in 4:14, such that the people revere (literally “fear”) Joshua all the days of his life just as they have previously revered Moses. After the people have crossed over, the Lord tells Joshua to command the priests carrying the ark to come up from the Jordan (4:15–17). As Joshua does, and the priests come up, the water of the Jordan ...
20. Elihu
Job 32:1--37:24
Understanding Series
Gerald H. Wilson
... it correct to describe God as both exalted in “power” and defender of “justice” as Elihu does? Therefore. Elihu reaches the conclusion of his argument. Because God is both sovereign and just, men revere him. The term translated “revere” is the verb yrʾ, “fear,” and implies much more than simply reverence. The “fear of God/Yahweh” describes the essential relationship of righteousness with Israel’s God. In Exodus 20:20 and throughout the OT, we learn that to “fear God” is not to be ...
21. Be Holy
1 Peter 1:13-2:3
Understanding Series
Norman Hillyer
... life (1:1). They are neither to become too embroiled with worldly affairs, nor to lose sight of their true vocation. The allied term paroikos appears in 2:11, and both link up with the synonym parepidēmos in 1:1 (see Additional Note on 1:1). Reverent fear is not the negative fear that cannot coexist with perfect love (1 John 4:18), but the wholesome attitude of adoring gratitude for One who has undisputed first place in the disciple’s life. 1:18 Redeemed (elytrōthēte, ransomed): see L. Morris, The ...
22. Hebrews 12:18-29
Hebrews 12:18-29
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... is anxious to clearly show the final results of God's ultimate sovereignty. The only proper response to the rock-solid, unshakable kingdom which those believers, redeemed by the blood of the new covenant, will receive is great thanksgiving "acceptable worship with reverence and awe" (v.28). The reference to "worship" here is not simply a static posture of obeisance before God. The Greek Latreuomen is a term that can be applied to service of various kinds. With thanksgiving, then, believers are to offer all ...
23. 1 Peter 1:17-23
1 Peter 1:17-23
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... eschatological hope spoken of in vv. 3-12. This "living hope" demands an equally vital response from all believers. 1 Peter encapsulates this ethical mandate with a general call to holiness on the part of the faithful. Verse 17 proposes an attitude of "reverent fear" as a baseline for personal obedience and holiness. This "fear" is not a terrified quaking boots fear that God will "get you" if you don't measure up. Note that 1 Peter unabashedly refers to God familiarly as Father - implying divine tenderness ...
24. Romans 8:12-17
Romans 8:1-17
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... address, and Paul’s reference here to it, points up a deep familial connection. But it does not suggest any diminutive, childish notion. The “Abba, Father” title incorporates into it the elements of intimate-distance, of close-knit kinship and respected reverence. It is a term a grown adult would use to address a parent or respected elder, not an uninformed, infantile expression of connection. To address the Divine God as “Abba, Father” requires the connection that only the living presence of the ...
Understanding Series
Arthur G. Patzia
... Christianity would bring some of their previous religious practices into their new faith. But the ecstasy, glossolalia, prophecy, enthusiasm, and so forth sanctioned in some of the pagan cults was not welcomed in Christianity; it did not produce the kind of reverence and order that was necessary for building up the body of Christ. This background assists one to place into a proper context other statements by Paul concerning women and worship. Paul’s responses often are drawn from his Jewish background, in ...
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