36 Bible Verses about Cowardice

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard: and a maidservant came unto him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied it before them all, saying, I know not what you say. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maidservant saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. read more.
And again he denied it with an oath, I do not know the man. And after awhile came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them; for your speech betrays you. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crowed.

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, there came one of the maidservants of the high priest: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And you also were with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what you say. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crowed. read more.
And the maidservant saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And after a little, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilean, and your speech agrees with it. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom you speak. And the second time the cock crowed. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me three times. And when he thought on this, he wept.

Then they took him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maidservant beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. read more.
And he denied it, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, you are also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And after the space of about one hour another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what you say. And immediately, while he yet spoke, the cock crowed.

But Peter stood at the door outside. Then went out that other disciple, who was known unto the high priest, and spoke unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then said the girl that kept the door unto Peter, Are not you also one of this man's disciples? He said, I am not.

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Are not you also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid.

And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually.

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

And the men of Ai struck of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and struck them on the descent: therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near unto the ship: and they were afraid.

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and said unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

And he said unto them, Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him.

And he was in the rear of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, and said unto him, Teacher, care you not that we perish?

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And why has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? read more.
And they said one to another, Let us choose a leader, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: And you murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

And it came to pass, when he came near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save you alive. Say, I pray you, that you are my sister: that it may be well with me for your sake; and my soul shall live because of you. read more.
And it came to pass, that, when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he treated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and male donkeys, and menservants, and maidservants, and female donkeys, and camels. And the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that you have done unto me? why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me as a wife: now therefore behold your wife, take her, and go your way.

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you are but a dead man, for the woman that you have taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, will you slay also a righteous nation? read more.
Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart; for I also have kept you from sinning against me: therefore I permitted you not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: and if you restore her not, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours. Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What have you done unto us? and how have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What was your thinking, that you have done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.

Nevertheless the people are strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

And from there on Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend: whosoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he said unto the Jews, Behold your King! read more.
But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword. And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall command. read more.
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

And the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, Why have you given us only one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing we are a great people, since the LORD has blessed us until now? And Joshua answered them, If you are a great people, then get up to the forest country, and clear ground for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim is too narrow for you. But the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and its villages, and they who are in the valley of Jezreel. read more.
And Joshua spoke unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, You are a great people, and have great power: you shall not have one lot only: But the mountain country shall be yours; for it is a forest, and you shall cut it down: and all the borders of it shall be yours: for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they are strong.

And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord grow hot: you know the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, who shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever has any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it to me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

But when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision. And the other Jews joined likewise with him; so that Barnabas also was carried away with their hypocrisy. read more.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If you, being a Jew, live after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel you the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him.

And the men of the place asked him about his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a truth she is your wife: and how said you, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid.

And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Perhaps you would take by force your daughters from me.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

And for fear of him the guards did shake, and became as dead men.

And the men of Ai struck of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and struck them on the descent: therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.