29 Bible Verses about Public Opinion

You will not {follow} a majority for evil, and you will not testify concerning a legal dispute to turn aside after a majority to pervert [justice].

{Have I concealed} my transgressions as [other] human beings to hide my iniquity in my bosom because I dreaded [the] great multitude, and [the] contempt of clans terrified me, so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of [the] doorway?

But the army said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, not a hair from his head will fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the army ransomed Jonathan and he did not die.

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned because I have transgressed {the commandment of Yahweh} and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice.

Now at each feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd--the one whom they wanted. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So [after] they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you--Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?"read more.
(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. And [while] he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent [a message] to him, saying, "{Have nothing to do with that righteous man}, for I have suffered much as a result of a dream today because of him.") But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death. So the governor answered [and] said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "What then should I do [with] Jesus, the one who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" And he said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they began to shout even louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!" So Pilate, [when he] saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water [and] washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to [it]!" And all the people answered [and] said, "His blood [be] on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas for them, but [after] he had Jesus flogged, he handed [him] over so that he could be crucified.

And [when he] saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. ({Now this was during the feast} of Unleavened Bread.)

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'This people says, "{The time has not come to rebuild the temple of Yahweh}.'" And the word of Yahweh came {through} Haggai the prophet, saying, "[Is it] a time for you yourselves to dwell in your houses that have been paneled [while] this house [is] desolate?"read more.
And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{Consider your ways}! You have sown much but have harvested little. You have eaten without [being] satisfied; {you have drunk without being satiated}; you have worn clothes without [being] warm; the one who earns wages puts it in {a pouch with holes}.' Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{Consider your ways}! Go up the mountain and bring wood and build the house so that I may be pleased with it and honored,' says Yahweh. 'You have looked for much, and look! [It came] to little; and [when] you brought [it] home, I blew it [away]. Why?' {declares} Yahweh of hosts. 'Because my house [is] desolate and you [are] running each to your own house! Therefore, because of you [the] heavens have withheld [the] dew and the earth has withheld its produce. I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and wild animals, and on {all their labor}.'"

"Then we set out from Horeb, and we went [through] the whole [of] that great and terrible desert that you saw [on] the way [to] the hill country of the Amorites as Yahweh our God had commanded us, and [so] we came up to Kadesh Barnea. I said to you, '{You have reached} the hill country of the Amorites that Yahweh our God [is] giving to us. See, Yahweh your God has set before you the land; go up and possess [it] as Yahweh the God of your ancestors said to you; do not fear and do not be dismayed.'read more.
"Then all of you approached me, and [you] said, 'Let us send men {before us}, and let them explore the land for us, and let them bring back {a report} to us [concerning] the way that {we should take} [and concerning] the cities that we shall come to.' The plan was good {in my opinion}, and [so] I took from [among] you twelve men, {one from each tribe}. And they {set out} and {went up into the hill country}, and they went up to the wadi of Eschol, and they spied out [the land]. They took in their hands {some of the fruit} of the land, and they brought [it] down to us, and they brought to us back {a report}, and they said, 'The land that Yahweh our God [is] giving to us [is] good.' But you were not willing to go up, and you rebelled against the {command} of Yahweh your God. And you grumbled in your tents, and you said, 'Because of the hatred of Yahweh [toward] us he has brought us out from the land of Egypt to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. Where [can] we go up? Our brothers have {made our hearts melt}, {saying}, "The people are greater and taller than we are, [and there are] great fortified cities [reaching] up to heaven, and we saw the sons of the Anakites [living] there." ' "And so I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, and do not fear them. Yahweh your God, who is going {before you}, will himself fight for you, {just as} he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and [just as he did] in the wilderness when you saw that Yahweh your God carried you, just as someone carries his son, all [along] the way [that] you traveled until {you reached} this place.' But through all of this you did not trust in Yahweh your God, {who goes} {before you} on your way, seeking a place for your encampment, in fire at night and in a cloud by day, to show you the way that {you should go}. "Then Yahweh heard the sound of your words, and he was angry, and he swore, {saying}, 'No one of these men of this evil generation will see the good land that I swore to give to your ancestors, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; he himself shall see it, and to him I will give the land upon which he has trodden and to his sons because {he followed Yahweh unreservedly}.' Even with me Yahweh was angry because of you, saying, 'Not even you shall enter there. Joshua, the son of Nun, {your assistant}, will go there; encourage him because he will cause Israel to inherit it. And your little children, who you thought shall become plunder, and your sons, who do not today know good or bad, shall themselves go there, and I will give it to them, and they shall take possession of it. But you turn and set out [in the direction of] the wilderness by way of the {Red Sea}.'

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations. But the matter {was displeasing to Samuel} when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," so Samuel prayed to Yahweh.read more.
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Like all the deeds they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt until this day, they have forsaken me and have served other gods--so they [are] doing to you also. And so then, listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly warn them; you must explain to them the custom of the king who will rule over them."

Elijah approached to all the people and said, "How long [will] you [go] limping over two opinions? If Yahweh [is] God, go after him; but if Baal, go after him." But the people did not answer him a word.

O generation, you see the word of Yahweh. Have I been a desert to Israel? Or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, 'We roam about freely, we will not come again to you'? Can a young woman forget her ornaments? [Or] a bride her sashes? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. How well you do [on] your way to seek love! {Therefore} even [to] the wicked [woman] you can teach your ways.read more.
Also on your skirts is found [the] blood of [the] life of [the] innocent, [the] poor. You did not find them in the act of breaking into a house. But in spite of all these [things], yet you say, 'But I am innocent, surely his anger has turned away from me.' Look, I [am] entering into judgment with you because of your saying, 'I have not sinned.'

And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of Yahweh. {And then} as Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded [him] to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, {saying}, "You will die! Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, {saying}, 'This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be in ruins, {without} inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the temple of Yahweh.read more.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the house of the king [to] the temple of Yahweh, and they sat in the entrance of the New Gate of Yahweh's [temple]. Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, {saying}, "{This man deserves the death sentence}, because he has prophesied against this city as that [which] you have heard with your ears." Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and to all the people, {saying}, "Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Now {therefore} amend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent of the disaster that he has spoken over you. But [as for] me, look, I [am] in your hand, do to me what [is] good and right in your eyes. Only you must certainly know that if you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves innocent blood, and on this city and on its inhabitants, for {truly} Yahweh sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears." Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, "{This man does not deserve} a sentence of death, for in the name of Yahweh our God, he has spoken to us."

"And Yahweh heard the sound of your words {when you spoke to me}, and Yahweh said to me, 'I have heard the sound of the words of this people that they have spoken to you; [they] are right [with respect to] all that they have spoken. {If only} {they had such a mind}'; [that is], to fear me and to keep all my commandments {at all times}, so that {it will go well} for them and for their children {forever}.

But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve Yahweh, for he [is] a holy and jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster to you; he will destroy you after he has done good to you." And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve Yahweh."read more.
And Joshua said to the people, "You [are] witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves to serve Yahweh." And they said, "[We are] witnesses." He said, "Remove the foreign gods that [are] in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice."

Now [when] Jesus came to the region of Caesarea {Philippi}, he began asking his disciples, saying, "Who do people say [that] the Son of Man is?" And they said, {Some} [say] John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say [that] I am?"read more.
And Simon Peter answered [and] said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" And Jesus answered [and] said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal [this] to you, but my Father [who is] in heaven.

And Jesus and his disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say [that] I am?" And they told him, saying, "John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others that [you are] one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say [that] I am?" Peter answered [and] said to him, "You are the Christ!"

And it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say [that] I am?" And they answered [and] said, "John the Baptist, but others, Elijah, and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen." And he said to them, "But who do you say [that] I am?" And Peter answered [and] said, "The Christ of God."

Then, [when they] heard these words, [some] from the crowd began to say, "This man is truly the Prophet!" Others were saying, "This man is the Christ!" But others were saying, "No, for the Christ does not come from Galilee, [does he]? Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"read more.
So there was a division in the crowd because of him.

Do you think that I have come to grant peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

And there was a lot of grumbling concerning him among the crowds; some were saying, "He is a good [man]," but others were saying, "No, but he deceives the crowd."

So some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath!" Others were saying, "How can a man [who is] a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them.

Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and for this [reason] miraculous powers are at work in him." For Herod, [after] arresting John, bound him and put [him] in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,read more.
because John had been saying to him, "It is not permitted for you to have her." And [although he] wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

Then the captain went with the officers [and] brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned [by them]).

So the governor answered [and] said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "What then should I do [with] Jesus, the one who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" And he said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they began to shout even louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!"read more.
So Pilate, [when he] saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water [and] washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to [it]!" And all the people answered [and] said, "His blood [be] on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas for them, but [after] he had Jesus flogged, he handed [him] over so that he could be crucified.

Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm [them]. So he executed James the brother of John with a sword. And [when he] saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. ({Now this was during the feast} of Unleavened Bread.)

And [although he] wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

However, no one was speaking openly about him for fear of the Jews.

So there was a division in the crowd because of him.