23 Bible Verses about Excuses

Most Relevant Verses

Genesis 3:12-13

And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I took it. And the Lord God said to the woman, What have you done? And the woman said, I was tricked by the deceit of the snake and I took it.

Exodus 32:22-24

And Aaron said, Let not my lord be angry; you have seen how the purposes of this people are evil. For they said to me, Make us a god to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has come to him. Then I said to them, Whoever has any gold, let him take it off; so they gave it to me, and I put it in the fire, and this image of an ox came out.

1 Samuel 13:11-12

And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were going away from me, and you had not come at the time which had been fixed, and the Philistines had come together at Michmash; I said, Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have made no prayer for help to the Lord: and so, forcing myself to do it, I made a burned offering.

1 Samuel 15:20-21

And Saul said, Truly, I have done the orders of the Lord and have gone the way the Lord sent me; I have taken Agag, the king of Amalek, and have given the Amalekites up to destruction. But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.

Exodus 4:10

And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not a man of words; I have never been so, and am not now, even after what you have said to your servant: for talking is hard for me, and I am slow of tongue.

Judges 6:15

And he said to him, O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

Proverbs 22:13

The hater of work says, There is a lion outside: I will be put to death in the streets.

Proverbs 26:13

The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

Matthew 25:14-30

For it is as when a man, about to take a journey, got his servants together, and gave them his property. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to everyone as he was able; and he went on his journey. Straight away he who had been given the five talents went and did trade with them, and made five more.read more.
In the same way he who had been given the two got two more. But he who was given the one went away and put it in a hole in the earth, and kept his lord's money in a secret place. Now after a long time the lord of those servants comes, and makes up his account with them. And he who had the five talents came with his other five talents, saying, Lord, you gave into my care five talents: see, I have got five more. His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord. And he who had the two talents came and said, Lord, you gave into my care two talents: see, I have got two more. And he who had had the one talent came and said, Lord, I had knowledge that you are a hard man, getting in grain where you have not put seed, and making profits for which you have done no work: And I was in fear, and went away, and put your talent in the earth: here is what is yours. But his lord in answer said to him, You are a bad and unready servant; if you had knowledge that I get in grain where I did not put seed, and make profits for which I have done no work, Why, then, did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I would have got back what is mine with interest? Take away, then, his talent and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have more: but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And put out the servant who is of no profit into the outer dark: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.

Luke 19:12-27

So he said, A certain man of high birth went into a far-away country to get a kingdom for himself, and to come back. And he sent for ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds and said to them, Do business with this till I come. But his people had no love for him, and sent representatives after him, saying, We will not have this man for our ruler.read more.
And when he came back again, having got his kingdom, he gave orders for those servants to whom he had given the money to come to him, so that he might have an account of what business they had done. And the first came before him, saying, Lord, your pound has made ten pounds. And he said to him, You have done well, O good servant: because you have done well in a small thing you will have authority over ten towns. And another came, saying, Your pound has made five pounds. And he said, You will be ruler over five towns. And another came, saying, Lord, here is your pound, which I put away in a cloth; Because I was in fear of you, for you are a hard man: you take up what you have not put down, and get in grain where you have not put seed. He said to him, By the words of your mouth you will be judged, you bad servant. You had knowledge that I am a hard man, taking up what I have not put down and getting in grain where I have not put seed; Why then did you not put my money in a bank, so that when I came I would get it back with interest? And he said to the others who were near, Take the pound away from him, and give it to the man who has ten. And they say to him, Lord, he has ten pounds. And I say to you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And as for those who were against me, who would not have me for their ruler, let them come here, and be put to death before me.

Matthew 25:41-45

Then will he say to those on the left, Go from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is ready for the Evil One and his angels: For I was in need of food, and you gave it not to me; I was in need of drink, and you gave it not to me: I was wandering, and you took me not in; without clothing, and you gave me no clothing; ill, and in prison, and you came not to me.read more.
Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.

Luke 14:16-24

And he said to them, A certain man gave a great feast, and sent word of it to a number of people. And when the time had come, he sent his servants to say to them, Come, for all things are now ready. And they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.read more.
And another said, I have got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret that I am unable to come. And another said, I have been married, and so I am not able to come. And the servant came back and gave his master an account of these things. Then the master of the house was angry and said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets of the town and get the poor, the blind, and those who are broken in body. And the servant said, Lord, your orders have been done, and still there is room. And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the roads and the fields, and make them come in, so that my house may be full. For I say to you that not one of those who were requested to come will have a taste of my feast.

Matthew 22:2-3

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a feast when his son was married, And sent out his servants to get in the guests to the feast: and they would not come.

Luke 9:59-62

And he said to another, Come after me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and give the last honours to my father. But he said to him, Let the dead take care of their dead; it is for you to go and give news of the kingdom of God. And another man said, I will come with you, Lord, but first let me say a last good-day to those who are at my house.read more.
But Jesus said, No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is good enough for the kingdom of God.

John 9:41

Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin: but now that you say, We see; your sin is there still.

John 15:22

If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin.

Romans 2:1

So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.

Romans 3:19-23

Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God: Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets;read more.
That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another, For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;

From Thematic Bible


Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » Personal incompetency

Exodus 4:1

And Moses, answering, said, It is certain that they will not have faith in me or give ear to my voice; for they will say, You have not seen the Lord.

Exodus 4:10

And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not a man of words; I have never been so, and am not now, even after what you have said to your servant: for talking is hard for me, and I am slow of tongue.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » For sin, not accepted

Romans 2:1

So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.

John 15:22

If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » Pressure of business

Luke 14:18-19

And they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I am full of regret that I am unable to come. And another said, I have got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » The hardness of the master

Matthew 25:24-25

And he who had had the one talent came and said, Lord, I had knowledge that you are a hard man, getting in grain where you have not put seed, and making profits for which you have done no work: And I was in fear, and went away, and put your talent in the earth: here is what is yours.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » No need discovered

Matthew 25:44-45

Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » Difficulties of the undertaking

Proverbs 22:13

The hater of work says, There is a lion outside: I will be put to death in the streets.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » Personal weakness (jeremiah)

Jeremiah 1:6-7

Then said I, O Lord God! see, I have no power of words, for I am a child. But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am a child: for wherever I send you, you are to go, and whatever I give you orders to say, you are to say.

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » King saul for usurping the function of the priest

1 Samuel 13:12

I said, Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have made no prayer for help to the Lord: and so, forcing myself to do it, I made a burned offering.

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » Also for keeping the forbidden spoil

1 Samuel 15:21

But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » By adam for eating the forbidden fruit

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » Aaron for making the golden calf

Exodus 32:24

Then I said to them, Whoever has any gold, let him take it off; so they gave it to me, and I put it in the fire, and this image of an ox came out.

Excuses » Seven excuses offered for the neglect of duty » Lack of social position (gideon)

Judges 6:15

And he said to him, O Lord, how may I be the saviour of Israel? See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » Sin absolutely inexcusable

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Theasaurus: Excuses

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain