חֲרָדָה (cha.ra.dah)
cha.ra.dah
trembling
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun charahdah describes a physical reaction to intense emotion: trembling or quaking. It appears seven times in the Old Testament, primarily in Proverbs and the historical books like 1 Samuel. Rather than indicating calm reverence, this word captures the visceral shake of fear or deep anxiety. When people tremble before God or enemies, they are experiencing charahdah.
In Proverbs 28:14, the text contrasts those who harden their hearts with those who maintain "anxious care" (charahdah) before God. Here, the trembling is not just panic but a respectful fear that keeps one humble. Similarly, in 1 Samuel 6:5, the Philistines are told to include golden tumors and mice as guilt offerings because "the hand of the Lord was heavy" upon them, causing great charahdah. The word links physical shaking with spiritual weight.
Translators often render charahdah as "fear," "trembling," or "anxiety." This range shows it is more than intellectual belief; it is a bodily response to the divine or the threatening. It reminds readers that true reverence can involve a profound, shaking awareness of power far greater than oneself.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about trembling in Scripture, it often feels like a sign of weakness or panic. The Hebrew word charadah captures that physical shaking, whether from fear of enemies or the weight of God’s presence. It reminds us that faith is not always calm confidence; sometimes it involves a visceral reaction to something far greater than ourselves.
This word appears in moments of crisis and divine encounter. In 1 Samuel, the earth itself seems to shake with the intensity of the moment. In Proverbs, it describes an anxious care before God that keeps us humble. It invites us to acknowledge our smallness without losing hope, knowing that even in our shaking, we are held.
True reverence can involve a profound awareness of power beyond our control. This trembling is not a failure of faith but a recognition of reality. It grounds us in the truth that God is sovereign, and our response, however shaky, is part of walking with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- trembling2×
- the/ care1×
- terror1×
- fear of1×
- fear1×
- <into>/ trembling1×
- <into>/ a trembling of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/חֲרָדָֽה\׃1×
- לְ/חֶרְדַּ֥ת1×
- חֶרְדַּ֣ת1×
- חֲרָדָה֮1×
- חֲרָדָ֨ה1×
- חֲרָדָ֤ה1×
- חֲרָדָ֖ה1×
- הַ/חֲרָדָ֣ה1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 14:15
There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so there was an exceedingly great trembling.
This verse shows the word describing a widespread, physical shaking that accompanies divine intervention, linking natural events to spiritual weight.
-
Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.
Here the concept contrasts human fear with trust in God, highlighting how anxiety before people becomes a snare compared to reliance on the Lord.
-
Isaiah 21:4
My heart flutters. Horror has frightened me. The twilight that I desired has been turned into trembling for me.
The prophet uses this term to describe an internal, emotional trembling that transforms expected comfort into dread, showing its use for deep anxiety.