38 Bible Verses about Abstinence

Most Relevant Verses

1 Corinthians 7:5

Defraud ye not one the other, except with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan may not tempt you for your incontinence.

Acts 27:21

But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened to me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

Leviticus 10:8-10

And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may make a difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Numbers 6:3-4

He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine-tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

Judges 13:4

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

Judges 13:13-14

And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman, let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.

Esther 1:8

And the drinking was according to the law; none constrained: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

Proverbs 23:31-32

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Proverbs 31:4

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

Jeremiah 35:6-8

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers. Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

Jeremiah 35:14

The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not to me.

Deuteronomy 29:6

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drank wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

Judges 16:17

That he told her all his heart, and said to her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazarite to God from my birth: if I be shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

Judges 13:3-5

And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from his birth: and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.

Daniel 1:8

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:12

Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

Jeremiah 35:6-14

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers. Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;read more.
Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem. Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not to me.

Leviticus 10:9

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

Numbers 6:3

He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

Proverbs 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Jeremiah 35:6

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

Daniel 10:3

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

1 Corinthians 8:13

Wherefore, if food maketh my brother to fall into sin, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to fall into sin.

Jeremiah 35:5-8

And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, Drink ye wine. But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers.read more.
Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

Acts 15:29

That ye abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from lewdness: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye will do well. Fare ye well.

Deuteronomy 23:22

But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

From Thematic Bible


Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » Law from the nazarites

Numbers 6:3

He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

Deuteronomy 29:6

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drank wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

Judges 13:4

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » Daniel's temperance principles

Daniel 1:8

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 10:3

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » Brotherly love demands

1 Corinthians 8:13

Wherefore, if food maketh my brother to fall into sin, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to fall into sin.

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » Encouraged upon the priests

Leviticus 10:9

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » The wise man's injunction

Proverbs 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » The law of the rechabites

Jeremiah 35:6

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » Rule for kings

Proverbs 31:4

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

Abstinence » Total abstinence » Strong Drink » John the baptist a total abstainer

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Leviticus 7:22-27

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