23 Bible Verses about Excuses

Most Relevant Verses

Genesis 3:12-13

And the man replied, "The woman whom you gave [to be] with me--she gave to me from the tree and I ate." Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "What [is] this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Exodus 32:22-24

And Aaron said, "{Let not my lord become angry}. You yourself know the people, that {they are intent on evil}. And they said to me, 'Make for us gods who will go before us, because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And I said to them, 'Whoever [has] gold, take [it] off.' And they gave [it] to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this bull calf."

1 Samuel 13:11-12

But Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Because I saw that the army {was scattering} from me and you did not come {at the appointed time} and [that the] Philistines had gathered at Micmash, therefore I said, 'Now [the] Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet implored the face of Yahweh.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering."

1 Samuel 15:20-21

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me! I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites I have utterly destroyed. The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."

Exodus 4:10

And Moses said to Yahweh, "Please, Lord, I [am] not a man of words, {neither recently nor in the past nor since your speaking} to your servant, because I [am] heavy of mouth and of tongue."

Judges 6:15

He said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan [is] the weakest in Manasseh, and I [am] the youngest in my father's house."

Proverbs 22:13

A lazy person says "A lion in the street! In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!"

Proverbs 26:13

A lazy person says "A lion [is] in the road! A lion among the streets!"

Matthew 25:14-30

For [it is] like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately. The one who had received the five talents went out [and] traded with them and gained five more.read more.
In the same way the one [who had] the two gained two more. But the one who had received the one went away [and] dug up the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. And the one who had received the five talents came up [and] brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few [things]; I will put you [in charge] over many [things]. Enter into the joy of your master!' And the one [who had] the two talents also came up [and] said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!' And the one who had received the one talent came up also [and] said, 'Master, [because I] knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter [seed]. And [because I] was afraid, I went away [and] hid your talent in the ground. See, you have [what is] yours!' But his master answered [and] said to him, 'Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter [seed]. Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and [when I] returned I would have gotten back [what was] mine with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give [it] to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, [more] will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness--in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

Luke 19:12-27

Therefore he said, "A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business {until I come back}.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to be king over us!'read more.
And it happened that when he returned [after] receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. So the first arrived, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, {have authority} over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made five minas.' So he said to this one also, 'And you be over five cities.' And another came, saying, 'Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man--you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!' He said to him, '{By your own words} I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, [when I] returned, would have collected it with interest?' And to the bystanders he said, 'Take away from him the mina and give [it] to the one who has the ten minas!' And they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten minas.' 'I tell you that to everyone who has, [more] will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring [them] here and slaughter them [in] my presence!'"

Matthew 25:41-45

Then he will also say to those on [his] left, 'Depart from me, [you] accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me [anything] to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me [anything] to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me.'read more.
Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to me.'

Luke 14:16-24

But he said to him, "A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, 'Come, because now it is ready!' And they all {alike} began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field, and {I must} go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.'read more.
And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have married a wife, and for this [reason] I am not able to come.' And the slave came [and] reported these [things] to his master. Then the master of the house became angry [and] said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!' And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and press [them] to come in, so that my house will be filled! For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!'"

Matthew 22:2-3

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man--a king--who gave a wedding celebration for his son. And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come.

Luke 9:59-62

And he said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Lord, first allow me to go [and] bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead! But you go [and] proclaim the kingdom of God." And another [person] also said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house."read more.
But Jesus said, "No one who puts [his] hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God!"

John 9:41

Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

John 15:22

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. But now they do not have a valid excuse for their sin.

Romans 2:1

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one [of you] who passes judgment. For in that which you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, for you who are passing judgment are doing the same [things].

Romans 3:19-23

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, in order that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may become accountable to God. For by the works of the law {no person will be declared righteous} before him, for through the law [comes] knowledge of sin. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified about by the law and the prophets--read more.
that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For [there] is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

From Thematic Bible


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

Exodus 4:1

And Moses answered, and he said, "And if they do not believe me and they do not listen to my voice, but they say, 'Yahweh did not appear to you?'"

Exodus 4:10

And Moses said to Yahweh, "Please, Lord, I [am] not a man of words, {neither recently nor in the past nor since your speaking} to your servant, because I [am] heavy of mouth and of tongue."

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

Romans 2:1

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, every one [of you] who passes judgment. For in that which you pass judgment on someone else, you condemn yourself, for you who are passing judgment are doing the same [things].

John 15:22

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. But now they do not have a valid excuse for their sin.

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

Luke 14:18-19

And they all {alike} began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field, and {I must} go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.'

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

Matthew 25:24-25

And the one who had received the one talent came up also [and] said, 'Master, [because I] knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter [seed]. And [because I] was afraid, I went away [and] hid your talent in the ground. See, you have [what is] yours!'

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

Matthew 25:44-45

Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to me.'

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

Proverbs 22:13

A lazy person says "A lion in the street! In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!"

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

Jeremiah 1:6-7

Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know [how] to speak, for I [am] a youth." But Yahweh said to me, "You must not say, 'I [am] a youth,' for to {whomever} I send you, you will go, and {whatever} I command you, you will speak.

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

1 Samuel 13:12

therefore I said, 'Now [the] Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet implored the face of Yahweh.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering."

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

1 Samuel 15:21

The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at 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

And I said to them, 'Whoever [has] gold, take [it] off.' And they gave [it] to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this bull calf."

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

Judges 6:15

He said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan [is] the weakest in Manasseh, and I [am] the youngest in my father's house."

Excuses » To justify wrongdoing » Sin absolutely inexcusable

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Theasaurus: Excuses