What Does “Awe” Mean In The Bible?

Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. As they went, they met a man who had been lame from birth by the gate called Beautiful. They spoke briefly, and Peter healed him instantly in Jesus’ name. The man, of course, began to walk and to praise God publicly. Luke recorded that everyone “saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him” (Acts 3:9-10). But, what does “awe” mean in the Bible?

What Does “Awe” Mean In the Bible?

The word translated awe in verse 10 means “amazement, astonishment, or wonder,” so “awe” is certainly an accurate translation. The term also can carry the meaning of being dumbfounded. This word appears only two other times in the New Testament. All three instances come from the writings of Luke. The corresponding English word is underlined in both the instances cited below.

  • In Luke 4:31-35, Luke described the situation when, early in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus had cast out a demon: Numerous people had seen the dramatic event. “Amazement came over them all, and they kept saying to one another, ‘What is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!’ And news about Him began to go out to every place in the vicinity” (vv. 36-37).
  • In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus told Peter to go out into deep water for a catch of fish. Initially Peter was skeptical, because he and his partners had worked all night and caught nothing. Even so, Peter was willing to do what Jesus had asked—and a miracle occurred. Neither the nets nor the boats could hold all the fish they pulled in! Luke recorded that “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!’ For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners” (vv. 8-10).

Awe Inspiring

It’s interesting that in the two instances cited in the bulleted list above, people were amazed at miracles Jesus performed, and in the first instance (in Acts 3:10), people were awed at a miracle performed in Jesus’ name. The lame man was hoping for and expecting money, but Peter told him, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Later, after Peter and John were arrested, they were interrogated and asked, “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

Peter boldly declared to his interrogators that it should be “known to all of you and to all the People of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.…There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it” (Acts 4:10,12). May we faithfully uphold Jesus’ name, just as did Peter and John. When we do, we should not be surprised at people’s amazement! Jesus is awe-inspiring!

B. Nathaniel Sullivan
Christian educator, Bible teacher, and Editor

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations in SundaySchoolZone.com materials are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

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