The Hebrew ayom (אָיֹם) means 'dreadful,' 'terrible,' or 'awe-inspiring.' Related to the root for fear (yare), this word describes something that evokes overwhelming reverence combined with terror. In the Song of Songs it appears in a striking self-description of the beloved as 'terrible as an army with banners' — not menacing but awesome in beauty and power.
The quality of ayom — awesome, dreadful, terrifying in majesty — points to the biblical concept of the holy. God's presence consistently produces this response: the disciples at the Transfiguration 'fell facedown to the ground, terrified' (Matt 17:6); Isaiah cried 'Woe to me! I am ruined!' when he saw the LORD (Isa 6:5). True encounter with holiness undoes us. Yet in the Song of Songs, the beloved is ayom — describing not terror alone but the breathtaking, overwhelming power of love. The same word that describes divine awe describes the beloved's beauty: love and holiness share the quality of being too much for ordinary existence. This is why the fear of the LORD and the love of God are not opposites but complementary truths.