What Does “Terrible” Mean in the King James Bible?

The short answer: In the King James Bible, "terrible" means awesome. When the Bible calls God "a mighty God and terrible," it is praising His greatness, not saying He is bad. In King James' day the word carried a strong, positive sense of awe.

Why does the Bible call God "terrible"?

Because God is awesome beyond words. Our April 28, 2024 sermon explained:

"The word terrible in the Bible, and back in King James' day, meant awesome. So whenever you find terrible, you're reading it in your Bible, it does not mean bad."

Two places where the word appears:

"Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." (Deuteronomy 7:21, KJV)

"I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments." (Nehemiah 1:5, KJV)

Why didn't the word mean "bad"?

Words change over time. Today "terrible" usually means very bad. When the King James Bible was translated, it meant something that causes awe and reverent fear. The sermon described it as "a very positive, very strong emphasis to the greatness and awesomeness of God."

How should this change the way we read Scripture?

It should make us read with awe. The preacher spoke of handling the Word of God "sacredly with holiness and being in awe, just awe." When you meet an older word in the King James Bible, stop and ask what it meant then, and let it point you to the greatness of God.

Are there other King James words like this?

Yes. "Verily, verily," for example, means "so be it, so be it" or "amen, amen." Jesus used it to get His listeners' full attention. See what "verily, verily" means.

If you would like help reading the King James Bible, you are welcome at our Sunday School and our Wednesday Bible study.