36 Bible Verses about Cowardice

Peter was seated in the square outside the house, and a servant-girl came to him. She said: You were with Jesus the Galilean. In front of everybody, he replied: I do not know what you are talking about. When he reached the gate, another saw him and said: This man was with Jesus the Nazarene. read more.
Again he denied with an oath: I have no knowledge of the man. A few moments later, those who were near approached and said to Peter: Indeed, you are one of them, because the way you speak gives you away. Then with curses and oaths he said: I do not know the man! And immediately a rooster crowed.

Peter was still in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said: You were with Jesus of Nazareth. He denied it. I do not know and I do not understand what you are talking about, he answered. He went out into the passageway. read more.
The servant woman saw him there and told bystanders, He is one of them! Peter denied it again. Later the bystanders accused Peter again saying: You cannot deny that you are one of them, because you, too, are from Galilee. Then Peter said: I swear I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I lie! I do not know the man you are talking about! Then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus said: Before the rooster crows two times, you will deny me three times. He broke down and cried.

They seized him and led him away. They took him to the high priest's house. Peter followed from a distance. They kindled a fire in the midst of the court. They sat down together. Peter sat in the midst of them. A servant girl saw him sitting by the light of the fire. She looked steadfastly upon him and said: This man was also with him. read more.
He denied it saying: Woman, I do not know him! After a little while another saw him, and said: You are one of them. Peter replied: Man I am not! Another hour passed. Someone else said: It is true this man was with him for he is a Galilean. Peter responded: I do not know what you are talking about! Immediately, while he spoke he heard the cockcrow.

Peter stood outside the door. The disciple known by the high priest went out and spoke to the woman who kept the door and he brought in Peter. The maid that kept the door asked Peter: Are you also one of this man's disciples? He said: I am not.

Simon Peter stood nearby warming himself. They asked him: Are you also one of his disciples? He denied it saying: I am not.

When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath they were afraid and ran off.

Knowing those things made Saul even more afraid of David. He was David's enemy for the rest of his life.

We saw Nephilim there. The descendants of Anak are Nephilim. We felt as small as grasshoppers. That is no doubt how we must have looked to them. All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night.

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them: for they chased them going down from before the gate to Shebarim. The heart of the people melted, and became as water. (The Israelites lost their courage and were afraid)

Just before morning, Jesus walked to them on the water.

They rowed about four miles and saw Jesus walking on the sea. He came close to the boat. They were afraid.

They all saw him and were troubled. Suddenly he spoke to them: Be of good cheer. It is I do not fear.

He said to them: Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. Suddenly there was a great calm.

He asked them, Were is your faith? They were afraid and they marveled. They asked: Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

He was in back of the boat sleeping on a cushion. They woke him. They said: Master is it nothing to you that we are in danger of destruction?

All the Israelite congregation raised their voices and cried out loud all that night. They complained to Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in Egypt or in this desert! Why is Jehovah bringing us to this land? Is it just to have us die in battle? Our wives and children will be taken as prisoners of war! Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? read more.
They said to each other: Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole congregation of Israel assembled there.

Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God: You complained in your tents, and said: Jehovah hates us so he brought us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brothers caused us to lose heart. They said: The people are stronger and taller than we are. The cities are large and the walls go up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.'

He was about to enter Egypt. He said to his wife Sarai: I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say: 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you. read more.
When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. Pharaoh's officials saw her. They praised her to Pharaoh. She was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake. Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Jehovah inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. What have you done to me? he asked. Why did you not tell me she was your wife? Why did you say: 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!

he said that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. God appeared to the king in a dream and said: You are going to die, because you have taken this woman. She is already married. Abimelech had not come near her. He said: Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy my people and me? read more.
Abraham said that she was his sister. She said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience. I have done no wrong! God said to him in a dream: Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. In fact, I kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Give the man's wife back to him now. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die. So Abimelech got up early in the morning. He called all his servants and told them everything. The men were very afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham. He said to him: What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you? You have brought a great sin on me and on my kingdom. You have done to me things that ought not to be done. Abimelech also asked Abraham: What were you thinking when you did this? Abraham said: I thought that because there are no people who reverence God in this place, I would be killed because of my wife. Besides, she is my sister. She is my father's daughter, but not my mother's. She is also my wife.

David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem: We must run away quickly, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave right away or he will catch up to us and bring ruin upon us when he massacres the city.

The people who live there are strong. The cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.

The men who had gone with him said: We cannot attack those people! They are too strong for us! They spread lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said: The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall. We saw Nephilim there. The descendants of Anak are Nephilim. We felt as small as grasshoppers. That is no doubt how we must have looked to them.

This has taken place so that the writings of the prophets will come true. Then all his disciples left him.

When all the kings of the Amorites, on the west side of the Jordan River and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard that Jehovah dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we passed over, their hearts grew faint with fear. They were discouraged because of the children of Israel.

As soon as we heard these things we became discouraged. No man had courage because of you. Jehovah your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

As a result of this Pilate sought to release him. The Jews cried out: If you release this man you are not Caesar's friend. Every one that makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment-seat. They were at a place called The Stone Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation of the Passover, about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews: Behold, your King! read more.
They cried out: Away with him, away with him, impale him! Pilate asked: Should I impale your King? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered him to them to be impaled.

Many of the rulers believed in him, although they did not confess their faith because of the Pharisees, for they would be expelled from the synagogue. They loved the glory from men more than the glory from God.

A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel. David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem: We must run away quickly, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave right away or he will catch up to us and bring ruin upon us when he massacres the city. The king's servants told him: No matter what happens, we are Your Majesty's servants. read more.
The king left on foot. His whole household followed him. The king left ten concubines behind to take care of the palace. The king and his troops left the city on foot. They stopped at the city limits.

The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying: Why have you given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as Jehovah has blessed us abundantly. Joshua answered: If you are a great people, then get to the wood country, and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim is too narrow for you. The children of Joseph said: The hill is not enough for us. All the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. read more.
Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying: You are a great people. You have great power. You will not have only one lot. The mountain will be yours. For it is a wood, and you will cut it down. The farthest limits will be yours. You will drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong.

Aaron said, Do not be angry with me. You know the people as well as I do. They are determined to do evil. They said to me: 'That man Moses led us out of Egypt, but now we do not know what has happened to him. Make us a god to lead us.' Then I asked them to bring me their gold earrings. They took them off and gave them to me. I threw the gold into a fire, and out came this bull.

Announce to the people: 'Anyone who is afraid should go back home.' We will stay here at Mount Gilead. Twenty-two thousand went back, but ten thousand stayed.'

The sons of Ephraim were archers well equipped with bows. Yet they turned and ran in the day of battle.

When Cephas came to Antioch, I openly resisted him because he was completely wrong. He ate with the people of the nations until some men James sent arrived. When they arrived, he drew back and separated himself. He feared those who were of the circumcised people. The rest of the Jews were hypocrites with him, so much that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. read more.
I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the good news. Therefore I said to Cephas, in front of them all: If you, being a Jew, live as the nations do and not as the Jews, why do you compel the people of the nations to live like the Jews?

The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves, thickets and rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits. Some of them went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers trembled with fear.

Joseph of Arimathaea was a disciple of Jesus. He approached Pilate secretly for fear of the Jews. He asked Pilate for permission to take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission. So he took the body away.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi! We know you are a teacher from God. No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

His wife Rebekah was very beautiful. He was afraid that someone might kill him to get her. So he told everyone that Rebekah was his sister. After Isaac had been there a long time, King Abimelech looked out a window and saw Isaac intimately laughing and caressing Rebekah. Abimelech called him in and said: Rebekah must be your wife! Why did you say she is your sister? I thought someone would kill me, Isaac answered.

These five kings ran away and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

When the Israelite soldiers saw Goliath they were afraid and ran off.

How can I go? Samuel asked. When Saul hears about it he will kill me Jehovah said: Take a heifer with you and say: 'I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.'

The parents said these things because they feared the Jews. The Jews had agreed that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

Jacob answered Laban: I was afraid you might take your daughters from me by force.

The jailor, who was roused out of sleep and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

This has taken place so that the writings of the prophets will come true. Then all his disciples left him.

Adam said: The woman you put here with me gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.

The guards shook with fear and became as dead men.

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them: for they chased them going down from before the gate to Shebarim. The heart of the people melted, and became as water. (The Israelites lost their courage and were afraid)

The sons of Ephraim were archers well equipped with bows. Yet they turned and ran in the day of battle.

Announce to the people: 'Anyone who is afraid should go back home.' We will stay here at Mount Gilead. Twenty-two thousand went back, but ten thousand stayed.'