30 Best Fear God Tattoo Ideas
Aliki Bitsakakis
Table of Contents
About Fear God Tattoos
Your body is like a canvas. You can adorn it with many things, such as clothing, jewelry, accessories, or tattoos that reflect your personality and showcase what’s important to you.
That’s why many people incorporate quotes and images with religious or spiritual significance in their tattoo design. This makes sense since religion and spirituality impact our identities.
If you’ve never heard of Fear God tattoos, they look exactly like what you would imagine: they include the words “Fear God” in big block letters or delicate cursive, often accompanied by other religious imagery.
The best Fear God tattoo is for someone who wants to display their spirituality to the world, or just remind themselves of a higher power.
In this article, you’ll learn all about Fear God tattoos, including what they symbolize, how to go about designing the tattoo, and what to expect from the whole inking process. We’ll help you decide if a Fear God tattoo is right for you.
What Do Fear God Tattoos Mean and Symbolize?
The meaning behind Fear God tattoos is fairly self-explanatory: the owner wants to be reminded to fear God. This can be interpreted in various ways and if it speaks to you as an individual, you shouldn’t worry about what others will think about the ink.
Religious tattoos such as crosses, angel wings, the gates of heaven, thorns, vines, Bible verses, and phrases such as “Fear God” are quite popular. These tattoos are a clear indication of one’s spirituality and connection to their faith.
Fear is a central component of the Christian faith—especially when thinking about the wrath of God which is prevalent in the Old Testament. There are a couple of ways to interpret the Fear God tattoo.
You can interpret it literally and fear what God will do to you if you excessively sin, or you can take a more optimistic approach, thinking about the power of God and how worshiping him ensures that you have nothing to fear.
Within the Christian Church, it’s been argued that tattoos are sinful and go against God’s wishes because you’re altering the body that God gave you. This is interesting when looking at tattoos with religious imagery.
A religious tattoo may show that your belief in God surpasses the institutional rules, or maybe you have a different interpretation of God’s teachings.
Either way, Fear God tattoos hold deep religious significance and every individual is free to interpret the tattoo any way they like.
Generally speaking, the Fear God tattoo (along with any religious-inspired tattoo) represents your spirituality, the belief that there is a higher power, obedience to that higher power (possibly through the disobedience of the institution), and could inspire strength in the face of adversity. So there are many layers to the Fear God tattoo meaning.
Where to Get a Fear God Tattoo
Fear God tattoo designs can be altered depending on where you want your tattoo. A good rule of thumb with tattoos is to follow the natural lines of the body, emphasizing the present beauty of the human form.
Here are some common spots for a Fear God tattoo:
- Forearm or bicep
- Calf or thigh
- Across the chest
- Back (lateral or horizontal)
- Neck/behind the ear
- Face/eyelids
Since the design involves two written words, Fear God tattoos can be placed anywhere on the body with a long, open space. Great locations for this tattoo include your forearm, bicep, calf, thigh, across your back, or down your spine—especially if you want a tattoo on the larger side.
If you want something a bit smaller, you can split the words. For instance, you can have “Fear” on one wrist or ankle and “God” on the other wrist or ankle. You can also place the tattoo behind your ear or on your neck.
The Fear God tattoo can really go almost anywhere, as long as your design complements the shape of your body. These tattoos are also popular choices for face tattoos (often placed along the temple or on the eyelids).
Many people get religious tattoos on parts of their bodies that are just for themselves only. These may include places that are usually covered by clothing, or on the inside of the wrist. This speaks to the intention behind the tattoo. If you want a personal reminder of your faith, a personal placement may be a good choice.
It’s important to mention that tattoos are permanent, although they can be lasered off. So, you need to be absolutely sure that you want this tattoo, if only to avoid the later headache.
How Much Do Fear God Tattoos Cost?
There are a few factors that influence the cost of a tattoo:
- Size of tattoo
- Design
- Colors, ink, and equipment used
- Placement
- Experience of tattoo artist (an experienced artist will cost more)
- Hourly rate
- Location of tattoo studio (city studios are most expensive)
When getting any tattoo, the way to calculate cost is similar. You should be prepared to spend around $100 for a good tattoo. A small tattoo (2-4 inches) can fall between a range of $50-$250, a medium-size tattoo (4-6 inches) can be $150-450, and a large tattoo (over six inches) can fall between $500-$4,000.
Sleeves and full-back tattoos will cost you a couple of thousand dollars and will probably take multiple sessions to complete. Tattoos with numerous colors will also cost you more. Every studio will break down prices differently. So chat with your tattoo artist before your inking session to ensure that it falls within your budget.
Fear God tattoos are typically on the bigger side, unless you’re getting one on your neck or wrist. These tattoos also typically use a lot of ink, since block letters are filled in, which means they also require multiple hours to apply.
Getting a Fear God tattoo differs from getting a tiny minimalist tattoo. So, in terms of cost, the price range is typically on the higher side. But, of course, talk to your tattoo artist to get an accurate quote.
30 Best Fear God Tattoo Designs
Deciding that you want a Fear God tattoo is your first step! Next, you need to pick a design that best reflects your personality and conveys your interpretation of the religious ink. Here are some Fear God tattoo designs that have been done in the past, but the possibilities are endless. So, if you’re looking for interesting Fear God tattoo ideas, keep reading.
#1: Fear God + Other Religious Imagery
If you’re thinking of getting a Fear God tattoo, clearly spirituality is important to you. So adding other religious imagery might complete the design and drive home your interpretation. Religious imagery can include crosses, angels, doves, gates to heaven, or thorns to name a few.
Depending on what other images you decide to add, the meaning behind your tattoo can change. For example, doves typically symbolize peace, while a cross references the crucifixion of Jesus.
#2: Fear God + Bible Verses
Continuing our previous train of thought, adding a Bible verse can heighten the spiritual significance of your Fear God tattoo. There are a number of Bible verses that make explicit mention of the fear of God (or fear of the Lord) that could be incorporated in your tattoo design.
Quotes in general are popular choices for tattoos, and bible verses are also quite common. A Bible verse would be elegant, traditional, and representative of what’s important to you.
#3: Red Font
Most tattoos are black and white, but color can be added as a bold statement. Red is a fitting color for a religious tattoo, making reference to the body and blood of Christ.
This color palette can be paired with the religious imagery mentioned above, or you can simply design your tattoo with the words “Fear God” and add a red accent.
#4: Cursive vs. Block Letters
Speaking of fonts, the most common fonts for Fear God tattoos are cursive or pointed block letters. Each style conveys a different tone: cursive is more delicate and elegant, and the pointed block letters are bold and aggressive.
Which font you choose depends on your personal preference, and how big of a statement you’d like to make with your tattoo.
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History of the Fear God Tattoo
Getting a tattoo while being part of a religious institution has been a subject of debate for centuries. The common assumption within Christianity is that tattoos are sinful, since they go against Leviticus 19:28 which writes, “ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you.”
However, this quote has been interpreted in a number of different ways. Some assert that Leviticus was talking about an ancient form of self-mutilation and not about tattoos at all.
Nonetheless, the debate continues and tattoos that sport religious imagery, such as the Fear God tattoos, can be an interesting rebellion against the notion that religion and tattoos shouldn’t mix.
The Latin word for tattoo was ‘stigma’ (meaning ‘mark’), which came from the Greek root word ‘steig-’ which means ‘to prick.’ In ancient times, scars and bodily markings were used for identification.
For example, the scars on your hands alluded to the kind of job you had, and slaves were regularly tattooed to separate them from the rest of society.
Additionally, according to Roman writers of the 4th and 5th centuries, soldiers received a tattoo after completing their training.
Tattoos have been incorporated into religious practices far back in our history. Oftentimes, they were used to signify allegiance to a religious sect.
It has been recorded that Christian groups, such as the Knights of St. John of Malta of the 16th-19th centuries, got tattoos to show their membership in this group.
Historically, tattoos were always met with a little skepticism though, due to their ties with slavery and also the criminals that were tattooed for identification purposes.
Outside of Christianity, tattoos are commonplace within the Indiegenous world. For many tribes, tattoos are incorporated into the social fabric of their community.
It can be argued that as the Western world expanded and encountered different people around the globe, the mainstream perception of tattoos changed.
As a result, tattoos gained popularity over the years, becoming part of mainstream culture in the West. In this part of the world, tattoos were often worn by groups of people trying to distinguish themselves from one another.
Which Celebrities Have a Fear God Tattoo?
There are a few notable celebrities with Fear God tattoos. Lil Wayne has ‘Fear God’ tattooed on his eyelids, written in a cursive script. Fans have noted how painful it must have been for him to get a tattoo on his eyelids, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Face tattoos are not exactly uncommon, but they still cause a stir, and Lil Wayne’s face tattoos are always a hot topic of conversation.
Another celebrity with a Fear God tattoo is NBA player Lonzo Ball. Lonzo Ball is covered in an array of tattoos, including portraits of Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks. He also has tattoos with Roman numerals, roses, red dice, and many more.
Additionally, he has a number of religious imagery tattooed on himself, including the gateway to heaven, a Bible verse and, of course, a Fear God tattoo on his bicep in large, pointed letters.
Ball’s Fear God tattoo is surrounded by clouds and accompanied by a small red cross near his elbow, which then leads the eye to an angel dribbling a basketball.
It’s clear that Ball sports tattoos that hold some personal significance for him. His tattoos seem to emphasize the different aspects of his life and reflect what he values most.
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