they were terribly frightened

φοβέω (φέβομαι ‘flee in terror’; Hom. et al.; Wsd 17:9; Jos., Ant. 14, 456), in our lit. only pass. φοβέομαι (Hom.+; OGI 669, 59; SIG 1268 II, 17; pap, LXX, pseudepigr., Philo, Joseph., Just.; Mel., P. 98, 746 al.; Ath. 20, 2; R. 21 p. 75, 1) impf. ἐφοβούμην; 1 fut. φοβηθήσομαι; 1 aor. ἐφοβήθην (Plut., Brut. 1002 [40, 9]; M. Ant. 9, 1, 7; Jer 40:9; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 277; s. B-D-F §79).

① to be in an apprehensive state, be afraid, the aor. oft. in the sense become frightened

ⓐ intr., abs. (Iren. 1, 4, 2 [Harv. I 36, 4]) ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα they were terribly frightened (Ex 14:10; 1 Macc 12:52) Mt 17:6; 27:54. ἐπεστράφην φοβηθείς I turned around in terror Hv 4, 3, 7.—Mt 9:8; 14:30; 25:25; Mk 5:33; Ac 16:38. ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ for they were afraid Mk 16:8 (Mk 16:9–20 is now rarely considered a part of the original gospel of Mk, though many scholars doubt that the gosp. really ended w. the words ἐφ. γάρ. The original ending may have been lost; among the possible reasons given are the accidental loss of the last page of Mark’s own first copy [the same defect, at a very early stage, in the case of the 18th book of the Κεστοί of Jul. Africanus: WBauer, Orthodoxy etc. (Engl. tr. of 2d German ed. ’64) ’71, 159ff. S. also FKenyon, Papyrus Rolls and the Ending of St. Mk: JTS 40, ’39, 56f; CRoberts, The Ancient Book and the Ending of St. Mk: ibid. 253–57] or by purposeful suppression, perh. because it may have deviated fr. the other accounts of the resurrection [for the purposeful omission of the end of a document cp. Athen. 4, 61, 166d on the 10th book of Theopompus’ Philippica, ἀφʼ ἧς τινες τὸ τελευταῖον μέρος χωρίσαντες, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν τὰ περὶ τῶν δημαγωγῶν. S. also Diog. L. 7, 34: a report of Isidorus of Pergamum on the systematic mutilation of books in the library there by Athenodorus the Stoic].—Those who conclude that nothing ever came after ἐφ. γάρ must either assume that the evangelist was prevented fr. finishing his work [Zahn et al.], or indeed intended to close the book w. these words [s. γάρ 1a]. For a short sentence, composed of a verb + γάρ s. also Epict. 3, 9, 19; 4, 8, 4; Artem. 4, 64; 1, 33 p. 35, 6; Plotinus, Ennead 5, 5, a treatise ending in γάρ [PvanderHorst, JTS 23, ’72, 121–24]; Musonius Rufus, Tr. XII; Oenomaus in Eus., PE 6, 7, 8; Libanius, Or. 53 p. 65, 20 F.; PMich 149 VI, 37 [II A.D.]. Among those favoring an ending w. γάρ: Wlh., Loisy, Lohmeyer ad loc.; ABauer, WienerStud 34, 1912, 306ff; LBrun, D. Auferst. Christi 1925, 10ff; OLinton, ThBl 8, 1929, 229–34; JCreed, JTS 31, 1930, 175–80; MGoguel, La foi à la résurr. de Jésus ’33, 176ff; HMosbech, Mkevangeliets Slutning: SEÅ 5, ’40, 56–73; WAllen, JTS 47, ’46, 46–49 [‘feel reverential awe’]; ibid. 48, ’47, 201–3. S. also EGoodspeed, Exp. 8th ser., 18, 1919, 155–60; reconstruction of the ‘lost’ ending, in Engl., by Goodsp. in his Introd. to the NT ’37, 156; HProbyn, Exp. 9th ser., 4, 1925, 120–25; RKevin, JBL 45, 1926, 81–103; MEnslin, ibid. 46, 1927, 62–68; HCadbury, ibid. 344f; MRist, ATR 14, ’32, 143–51; WKnox, HTR 35, ’42, 13ff; EHelzle, Der Schluss des Mk, ’59, diss. Tübingen; FDanker, CTM 38, ’67, 26f; JLuzarraga, Biblica 50, ’69, 497–510; KAland, MBlack Festschr., ’69, 157–80, NTEntwürfe, ’79, 246–83). φοβοῦμαι μᾶλλον I am all the more fearful IPhld 5:1. μὴ φοβηθῆτε do not be afraid Mt 10:31 v.l. (μή 1cεא). μὴ φοβοῦ, μὴ φοβεῖσθε you must no longer be afraid, stop being afraid (μή 1cγא) Mt 10:31; 14:27; 17:7; Mk 5:36; Lk 1:13, 30; 2:10; 5:10; 8:50; 12:7 al. LKöhler, D. Offenbarungsformel ‘Fürchte dich nicht!’: SchTZ 36, 1919, 33ff.—W. acc. of inner obj. (B-D-F §153; Rob. 468; Pla., Prot. 360b; Ael. Aristid. 30 p. 586 D.: φοβοῦμαι φόβον; Did., Gen. 230, 1; on LXX usage s. Johannessohn, Kasus 73) ὁ φόβος ὸ̔ν δεῖ σε φοβηθῆναι the fear which you must have Hm 7:1c. ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν (Jon 1:10; 1 Macc 10:8; TestAbr. B 13 p. 117, 17f [Stone p. 82]; JosAs 6:1) they were very much afraid Mk 4:41; Lk 2:9. If the nouns are to be taken in the pass. sense, this is also the place for τὸν φόβον αὐτῶν (objective gen.) μὴ φοβηθῆτε 1 Pt 3:14 (cp. Is 8:12) and μὴ φοβούμεναι μηδεμίαν πτόησιν vs. 6 (πτόησις 2); s. 1bγ below.—A recognizable Hellenic expr. (cp. ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων φόβος=fear in the face of the enemy), though encouraged by OT usage (Lev 26:2; Dt 1:29; Jer 1:8, 17; Jdth 5:23; 1 Macc 2:62; 8:12; En 106:4; Helbing 29; B-D-F §149; Rob. 577) φοβ. ἀπό τινος be afraid of someone Mt 10:28a; Lk 12:4; 1 Cl 56:11 (Job 5:22).—Foll. by gen. absol. 56:10. Foll. by μή and the aor. subj. to denote that which one fears (Thu. 1, 36, 1; Aesop, Fab. 317 H.=356a P.; Alex. Aphr. 31, II/2 p. 203, 20 τὸν Ἀπόλλω φοβεῖσθαι μή τι παρελθῇ τούτων ἄπρακτον=Apollo is concerned [almost as much as ‘sees to it’] that nothing of this remains undone; Jos., Ant. 10, 8, Vi. 252) Ac 23:10; 27:17; ITr 5:1; Hs 9, 20, 2. Foll. by μήποτε (Phlegon: 257 Fgm. 36, 2, 4 Jac. p. 1172, 30 φοβοῦμαι περὶ ὑμῶν, μήποτε; JosAs 7:3; ApcMos 16 al.): Hm 12, 5, 3. φοβηθῶμεν μήποτε δοκῇ τις Hb 4:1; μήπου (v.l. μήπως; ParJer 5:5) Ac 27:29; 2 Cor 11:3; 12:20. A notable feature is the prolepsis of the obj. (cp. Soph., Oed. R. 767; Thu. 4, 8, 7) φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μήπως εἰκῇ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς I am afraid my work with you may be wasted Gal 4:11 (B-D-F §476, 3; Rob. 423).—W. inf. foll. be afraid to do or shrink from doing someth. (B-D-F §392, 1b.—X., An. 1, 3, 17 al.; Gen 19:30; 26:7; ApcMos 10:18) Mt 1:20; 2:22; Mk 9:32; Lk 9:45; 2 Cl 5:1.—φοβεῖσθαι abs. in the sense take care (Just., D. 78, 4) πλέον φοβεῖσθαι be more careful than usually ITr 4:1.

ⓑ trans. fear someone or someth.

α. pers. τινά someone (X., An. 3, 2, 19 al.; PGM 4, 2171; Num 21:34; Dt 3:2; Jos., Ant. 13, 26; Just., D. 83, 1) μὴ φοβηθῆτε αὐτούς Mt 10:26. Ἡρῴδης ἐφοβεῖτο τὸν Ἰωάννην Mt 6:20. τοὺς Ἰουδαίους J 9:22.—Gal 2:12; 2:5b (saying of Jesus). God (Did., Gen. 64, 15; Theoph. Ant. 1, 14 [p. 92, 11]) Mt 10:28b; Lk 12:5abc; 23:40; 2:5c (saying of Jesus). The crowd Mt 14:5; 21:26, 46; Mk 11:32; 12:12; Lk 20:19; 22:2; Ac 5:26 (foll. by μή). τὴν ἐξουσίαν (ἐξουσία 5a) Ro 13:3. The angel of repentance Hm 12, 4, 1; Hs 6, 2, 5. The Christian is to have no fear of the devil Hm 7:2a; 12, 4, 6f; 12, 5, 2.

β. animals (in imagery) μὴ φοβείσθωσαν τὰ ἀρνία τοὺς λύκους 2:5a (saying of Jesus, fr. an unknown source).

γ. things τὶ someth. (X., Hell. 4, 4, 8 al.; En 103:4; ApcEsdr 7:2 τὸν θάνατον; Just., D. 1, 5 κόλασιν; Ath., R. 21 p. 75, 1 οὐδέν; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 90; 2, 232) τὸ διάταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως Hb 11:23. τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως vs. 27. τὴν κρίσιν 2 Cl 18:2. τὸν ὄντως θάνατον Dg 10:7. φοβοῦμαι τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην, μὴ … IRo 1:2. τὰ ὅπλα (in imagery) Hm 12, 2, 4.—1 Pt 3:14 and 6 belong here if the nouns in them are to be taken in an act. sense; s. 1a above.—Fear, avoid, shun τὶ someth. (Ps.-Callisth. 1, 41, 9 Δαρεῖος τὸ ἅρμα φοβηθείς) τὴν πλάνην τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν B 12:10. τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου Hm 7:3ac.—AVStröm, Der Hirt des Hermas, Allegorie oder Wirklichkeit? Ntl. Sem. Uppsala 3, ’36.

② to have a profound measure of respect for, (have) reverence, respect, w. special ref. to fear of offending

ⓐ God: fear (differently 1bα) in the sense reverence (Aeschyl., Suppl. 893 δαίμονας; Isocr. 1, 16 τοὺς μὲν θεοὺς φοβοῦ, τοὺς δὲ γονεῖς τίμα; Pla., Leg. 11, 927a; Lysias 9, 17; 32, 17; Plut., De Superstit. 2, 165b; LXX; PsSol 4:21; TestJob 43:9 [τὸν κύριον]; JosAs 2:5 [deities]; Philo, Migr. Abr. 21 [after Gen 42:18]. Cp. PTebt 59, 10 [II B.C.] φοβεῖσθαι καὶ σέβεσθαι τὸ ἱερόν) Lk 1:50 (anticipates the οἱ φοβούμενοι in Ac: H-JKlauck, NTS 43, ’97, 134–39); 18:2, 4 (was Ex 23:1–3 his motto: even God could not bribe him?); Ac 10:35; 1 Pt 2:17; Rv 14:7; 19:5; 1 Cl 21:7; 23:1; 28:1; 45:6; B 10:10f (τὸν κύριον); 19:2, 7; Hm 1:2; 7:1, 4f; Hs 5, 1, 5; 8, 11, 2; D 4:10. Also τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ (2 Esdr 11) Rv 11:18.—φοβούμενοι τὸν θεόν as a t.t.=σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (σέβω 1b; t.t. disputed by MWilcox, JSNT 13, ’81, 102–22; cp. TFinn, CBQ 47, ’85, 75–84; ILevinskaya, The Book of Acts in Its Diaspora Setting [BAFCS V] ’96, 51–126; BWander, Gottesfürchtige und Sympathisanten [WUNT 104] ’98, esp. 80–86; 180–203) Ac 13:16, 26 (Just., D. 10, 4 al.; sing. 10:2, 22).—τὸν κύριον (PsSol 2:33; 3:12 al.; JosAs 8:9) Christ: Col 3:22.—WAllen (s. 1a above) interprets Mk 16:8 to mean reverence for the divine.

ⓑ pers. who command respect (Plut., Galba 1054 [3, 4]; Herodian 3, 13, 2; Lev 19:3 φοβ. πατέρα καὶ μητέρα; Jos., Ant. 19, 345): of a wife ἵνα φοβῆται τὸν ἄνδρα Eph 5:33. τὸν ἐπίσκοπον IEph 6:1.—RAC VIII 661–99; TRE XI 756–59; Schmidt, Syn. III 507–36. DELG s.v. φέβομαι II. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.