42 Bible Verses about Warfare, Examples Of

When the LORD thy God hath brought thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee: the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perezites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; seven nations more in number and mightier than thou: and when the LORD thy God hath set them before thee that thou shouldest smite them: see that thou utterly destroy them and make no covenant with them nor have compassion on them.

I will send my fear before thee and will kill all the people whither thou shalt go. And I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee, and I will send hornets before thee, and they shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites before thee. I will not cast them out in one year, lest the land grow to a wilderness: and the beasts of the field multiply upon thee.read more.
But a little and a little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased that thou mayest inherit the land. And I will make thy coasts from the reed sea unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river. I will deliver the inhabiters of the land into thine hand, and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Hear, Israel: thou goest over Jordan this day, to go and conquer nations greater and mightier than thyself: and cities great and walled up to heaven, and people great and tall, even the children of the Anakims, which thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say, 'Who is able to stand before the children of Anak?' Therefore shalt thou know this day, that the LORD thy God goeth over before thee, a consuming fire. He shall destroy them and shall subdue them before thee. And thou shalt cast them out, and bring them to nought quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.read more.
Speak not in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out before thee, saying, 'For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land.' Nay, but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth cast them out before thee. It is not for thy righteousness' sake and right heart that thou goest to possess their land: But partly for the wickedness of these nations, the LORD thy God doth cast them out before thee, and partly to perform that which the LORD thy God sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But in the cities of these nations which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth. But shalt destroy them without redemption, both the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perezites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee, that they teach you not to do after all their abominations which they do unto their gods, and so should sin against the LORD your God.

And Joshua took the whole land according to all that the LORD said unto Moses, and gave it a possession unto Israel, every man his part in their tribes: and the land rested from war.

And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Behold, I have given into thine hand, Jericho and her king and the men of war.

And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Fear not, nor dread: but take all the men of war with thee, and up and get thee to Ai. Behold, I have given into thy hand, the king of Ai, and his people, his city and his land. And thou shalt do to Ai and her king, as thou didst unto Jericho and her king. Nevertheless the spoil and cattle thereof, ye shall take unto yourselves. But lay a watch unto the town on the backside thereof."

And Joshua smote all the hill countries and the south countries, and the valleys, and the springs of water, with all their kings and let nought remain, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh Barnea, unto Gaza, and all the coasts of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. And all those kings and their land, Joshua took at one time: because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

And the children went in, and possessed the land, and thou subduedest before them the inhabiters of the land, even the Cananites, and gavest them into their hand, and their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them what they would.

{To the Chanter, an instruction of the sons of Korah} We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what thou hast done in their time of old. How thou hast driven out the Heathen with thy hand, and planted them in; how thou hast destroyed the nations and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession through their own sword, neither was it their own arm that helped them - But thy righthand, thine arm and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

And the LORD was with Judah that he conquered the mountains, but they could not drive out the inhabiters of the valleys, because they had chariots of iron.

But as soon as Israel was waxed mighty, they put the Cananites to tribute: but expelled them not.

And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers. And I said that I would never break my covenant with you, but ye should have made no covenant with the inhabiters of this land, ye should have broken down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Why have ye this done? Wherefore I have likewise determined that I will not cast them out before you: that they may be a fall unto you, and their gods shall be snares unto you."

And then the children of Israel went to again, and committed wickedness in the sight of the LORD. And then the LORD hardened Eglon the king of the Moabites, against the children of Israel, because they had committed wickedness before the LORD. And this Eglon gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and the Amalekites, and went and smote the children of Israel, and conquered the city of palm trees. And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of the Moabites eighteen years.

"'But and if ye will not hearken unto me, nor will do all these my commandments, or if ye shall despise mine ordinances, either if your souls refuse my laws, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but shall break mine covenant: then I will do this again unto you: I will visit you with vexations, swelling, and fevers, that shall make your eyes dazzle; and with sorrows of heart. And ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.read more.
And I will set my face against you and ye shall fall before your enemies, and they that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when no man followeth you.

"But and if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep and to do all his commandments and ordinances which I command thee this day; then all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee:

And so the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD and forgot the LORD their God and served Baalim and Asheroth. Therefore the LORD was angry with Israel and delivered them into the hands of Cushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia. So that the children of Israel served Cushanrishathaim eight years.

And the children of Israel committed wickedness in the sight of the LORD. And the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Midianites seven years. And when the hand of the Midianites was sore upon Israel, the children of Israel made them dens in the mountains and caves and strongholds. For when Israel had sown then came the Midianites, the Amalekites, and they of the east country upon them and pitched their tents against them,

And when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and made it strong, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him; wherefore, the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, with twelve hundred chariots and three score thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt, with them of Libya, and the Sukkiims and the black Moors.read more.
And they took the strong cities that were in Judah and came to Jerusalem.

And when the year was out, the host of the Syrians came against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the lords of the people from among the people and sent all the spoil of them unto the king to Damascus. And though the army of Syria came with a small company of men, yet the LORD delivered a very great host into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. And thereto they served Joash according.

And so they arose early in the morning and gat them out unto the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and so shall ye continue: and believe his prophets and so shall ye prosper."

If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, the LORD will set thee on high above all nations of the earth.

When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard that, they were afraid of the Philistines, and said to Samuel, "Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he may save us out of the hands of the Philistines." And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it altogether for a burnt offering unto the LORD, and cried unto the LORD for Israel. And the LORD heard him.read more.
And as Samuel offered the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. But the LORD thundered a great thunder the same day upon the Philistines, and turmoiled them, that they were beaten before Israel. And the men of Israel issued out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and slew them, until they came under Bethcar. And then Samuel took a stone and pitched it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name thereof the stone of help, saying, "Thus far hath the LORD helped us." And so the Philistines were brought under, that they came no more into the coasts of Israel: for the hand of the LORD was upon the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Thereto, the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel came again to Israel, even from Ekron to Gath, with the coasts of the same, which Israel plucked out of the hands of the Philistines. For there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came and besieged Jabesh in Gilead. And all the people of Jabesh said unto Nahash, "Make a covenant with us and we will be thy servants." And Nahash the Ammonite said, "Hereto will I make a covenant with you: even to thrust out all your right eyes, that I may bring that shame upon all Israel." Then said the elders of Jabesh, "Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel. And then if there come no man to help us, we will come out to thee."read more.
Then came the messengers to Gibeah where Saul dwelt, and told this tidings in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept. And behold Saul came following his oxen out of the field, and asked what ailed the people to weep. And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. Then came the spirit of God upon Saul, when he heard those tidings, and he was exceeding angry. And took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall his oxen be served." Then the fear of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as it had been but one man. And when they were numbered in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundredth thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said unto the messengers that came, "So say unto the men of Jabesh in Gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun be hot, ye shall have help.'" And the messengers came and showed the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. And then the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out unto you, that ye may do with us all that pleaseth you." And on the morrow Saul put the people in three parts. And they came in upon the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites, until the heat of the day. And they that remained, scattered: so that two of them were not left together.

And he said, "Hearken all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem, and also king Jehoshaphat! Thus sayeth the LORD unto you: 'Be not afeard or faint hearted by reason of this great multitude. For the war is not yours, but God's. "And tomorrow ye shall go down to them: see, they come up at Ziz, and ye shall meet them in the flags of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. Moreover, it belongeth not to you for to fight this quarrel: but step forth and stand and behold the help of the LORD which is with you: fear not, nor let your heart fail you, O ye of Judah and of Jerusalem. Tomorrow go out to them: for the LORD is with you."read more.
And Jehoshaphat bowed himself with his face to the city, and all Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, to bow themselves unto the LORD. And the Levites and the children of the Kohathites and of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And so they arose early in the morning and gat them out unto the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and the inhabiters of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and so shall ye continue: and believe his prophets and so shall ye prosper." And he gave the people counsel, and set the singers of the LORD and them that praised in holy apparel, to go out before the army and to say, "Praise the LORD for his mercy lasteth ever." And what time they began to laud and praise, then the LORD set layers await against the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, to destroy them utterly and to wipe them out. And when they had made an end of the inhabiters of Seir, then they helped to destroy each other. And when Judah came to Mizphah in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude. And behold, they were dead carcasses fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

There was long strife between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and four score thousands of chosen men and good warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

But Abner the son of Ner that was captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim; and made him king over Gilead and over the Asherites, and over Jezreel; and over Ephraim and Benjamin and over all Israel. And Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel - and reigned two years. But the house of Judah only followed David.read more.
And the time which David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. And Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out of Mahanaim, to Gibeon. And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the Pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one part on the one side the pool and the other on the other side. And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Joab answered, "Be it." Then there arose and went over: twelve of Benjamin by number, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David. And they caught each his fellow that came against him, by the head and thrust his sword in his side, and so fell down all at once. Wherefore the place was called Helkathhazzurim which is in Gibeon. And there began an exceeding cruel battle that same day. But Abner and the men of Israel were put to the worse of the servants of David.

Then said David unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Up, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart; lest he come suddenly and catch us and bring some mischief upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as he lived. And the rest of the deeds of Abijam and all that he did, are written in the book of the deeds that were done in the days of the kings of Judah. And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

The remnant of the acts of Joash and all he did, and his power, how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the Chronicle Book of the Kings of Israel.

But Joash king of Israel sent again to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "A thistle in Lebanon sent to a cypress tree in Lebanon, saying, 'Give thy daughter to my son to wife.' But the wild beasts in Lebanon went and trod down the thistle. Because thou hast beaten the Edomites, therefore thine heart riseth. Be glorious: but tarry at home. For what needest thou to provoke to mischief - that thou shouldest be overthrown and Judah with thee?" But Amaziah would not hear. And so Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah saw either other at Bethshemesh in Judah.read more.
And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh. And then he went to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasure of the king's house, and hostages thereto: and then returned to Samaria again. The rest of the acts of Joash which he did, and his power, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

But when they had transgressed against the God of their fathers and had gone awhoring after the gods of the people of the land, which God destroyed before them, God stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, and carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, Habor, Hara and to the River Gozan, where they remain unto this day.

And then the king of Assyria came throughout all the land, and came to Samaria and besieged it three years. And in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away unto Assyria and put them in Halah, in Habor on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. For the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God which brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and feared other gods.read more.
And they walked in the ordinance of the heathen which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel, and in the things which the kings of Israel had made.

But they mocked the messengers of God and despised their words and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD so arose against his people that it was past remedy. And so he brought upon them the king of Chaldeans and slew their young men with the sword in their holy temple, and neither spared young man nor maiden, neither old man, neither so much as him that stooped for age: But gave all into his hand.

Therefore, in the ninth year of his reign, the tenth day of the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon with all his power to Jerusalem: and pitched against the town and made engines against it on every side.

But in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth Month, the tenth day of the Month, it happened that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, with all his Host, came before Jerusalem: and besieged it, and made them bulwarks round about it. And this besieging of the city endured unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

And the seventh day of the fifth month which was in the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan servant of the king of Babylon and chief Marshal, unto Jerusalem: and burnt the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the great houses burnt he with fire. And all the host of the Chaldeans that were with the chief Marshal brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.read more.
And the rest of the people that were left in the city, and them that were fled to the king of Babylon, and the remnant of the common people,

Now the tenth day of the fifth Month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the chief captain and the king of Babylon's servants came unto Jerusalem, and burnt up the house of the LORD. He burnt up also the king's palace, all the houses, and all the gorgeous buildings in Jerusalem. And the whole Host of the Chaldeans that were with the chief Captain brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.read more.
As for the poor people and such folk as yet was left in the city, which also were fallen to the king of Babylon, yea, and what people as yet remained: Nebuzaradan the chief Captain carried them away prisoners.

And the king of Babylon smote them and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And so Judah was carried away out of all their land.

and the king of Babylon caused them to be put to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And thus Judah was led away captive, out of his own land.

It happened afterward, that the LORD spake to me again, and said, "What seest thou? And I said: I do see a seething pot, looking out of the north hitherward." Then said the LORD unto me, "Out of the north shall come a plague upon all the dwellers of the land. For lo, I will call all the officers of the kingdoms of the north, sayeth the LORD. And they shall come, and every one shall set his seat in the gates of Jerusalem, and in all their walls round about and through all the cities of Judah.read more.
And through them shall I declare my judgment, upon all the wickedness of those men that have forsaken me: that have offered unto strange gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.