4:34 grammar

[Amira]

Hi everyone, I just saw this article:

http://quransmessage.com/articles/fear%20FM3.htm

There are 2 versions of the word "fear," apparently. Which one is used in 4:34? I can't tell which version it is, as the word is in a different form. The implications of this difference in structure are probably important.

[wanderer]

It's 'khafa'. This however, does NOT imply that the fear isn't well-founded, as Joseph clearly notes in his article. 'Khashiya' indicates a deep, intense spiritual fear (fear of God). 'Khafa' simply indicates a more general fear of the immediate situation, and is therefore more adequately suited for this verse. As you can see here: http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xwf#(4:34:23) the word is used many times to denote legitimate fear, however unlike with 'khashiya', the fears are more worldly.
Regards
wanderer

[Amira]

That makes sense. Thank you