{A fearful thing} (phoberon). Old adjective (from
phobe(935c), to frighten). In N.T. only in Heb. ( 10:27,31  12:21 ).
The sense is not to be explained away. The wrath of God faces
wrongdoers. {To fall} (	o empesein). "The falling" (articular
infinitive second aorist active of empipt(935c), to fall in,
followed here by eis). We are not dealing with a dead or an
absentee God, but one who is alive and alert ( 3:12 ).