ἔντρομος

trembling through fear

Definition

ἔντρομος describes a state of intense trembling or shaking caused by overwhelming fear, awe, or terror. It signifies not just a physical reaction but a profound emotional and spiritual response to a divine encounter or a moment of extreme crisis. In Acts 7:32, Moses becomes 'trembling' (ἔντρομος) at the sight of the burning bush, reacting to God's holy presence. In Acts 16:29, the Philippian jailer, after the earthquake, comes 'trembling' before Paul and Silas in fear and desperation. Hebrews 12:21 uses it to describe the terror of the Israelites at Mount Sinai, where even Moses said, 'I am trembling with fear.'

Biblical Usage

This adjective is used three times in the New Testament, always in narrative contexts describing a human reaction to a direct, supernatural intervention of God. It appears in Acts (twice) and Hebrews. The pattern shows it is employed for pivotal moments where a character is confronted with divine power or judgment, leading to a crisis that precedes repentance or revelation (e.g., the jailer's conversion in Acts 16:29-30).

Etymology

Derived from the preposition ἐν (en, meaning 'in') combined with τρόμος (tromos), a noun meaning 'trembling,' 'quaking,' or 'terror.' The compound literally means 'in trembling' or 'in a state of trembling,' emphasizing being wholly consumed by the physical and emotional experience of fear. The root τρόμος is also seen in the verb τρέμω (tremō, G5141), 'to tremble.'

Semantic Range

ἔντρομος is theologically significant as it captures the proper human response to the holiness, power, and 'fearful' majesty of God (Hebrews 12:21). It marks the starting point of repentance and awe before the divine, as seen in the conversions of Moses (to his calling) and the Philippian jailer. Understanding this intense Greek term enriches reading by highlighting that biblical 'fear of the Lord' often involves this profound, transformative trembling that leads to faith.

In the Greco-Roman world, trembling (τρόμος) was a recognized physical symptom of being in the presence of a deity or supernatural power, a concept shared with Jewish thought about encounters with Yahweh. The use of ἔντρομος in the New Testament taps into this shared cultural understanding of terror as a legitimate and expected reaction to the numinous, differing from a modern tendency to downplay or psychologize such experiences.

φόβος (phobos, G5401) — a broader term for fear, alarm, or reverence, not specifying the physical trembling. τρέμω (tremō, G5141) — the verb 'to tremble,' describing the action rather than the state. ἔκφοβος (ekphobos, G1630) — meaning 'terrified' or 'frightened out of one's wits,' with an intensive prefix.

Word Details

Scripture References