36 Bible Verses about Cowardice

And Peter sat outside in the court. And a girl came to him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied all before them, saying, I do not know what you say. And when he had gone out into the porch, another saw him and said to those there, This one was also with Jesus of Nazareth. read more.
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you. Then he began to curse and to swear, I do not know the man. And immediately the cock crowed.

And as Peter was below in the palace, one of the servant women of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked on him and said, And you also were with Jesus the Nazarene. But he denied, saying, I do not know nor even understand what you are saying. And he went out into the forecourt. And a cock crowed. read more.
And a servant woman saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, This one is of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, those who stood by said again to Peter, Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech agrees. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I do not know this man of whom you speak. And the second time a cock crowed. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus said to him, Before a cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times. And thinking on it, he wept.

And laying hold on Him, they led Him away and brought Him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. And lighting a fire in the middle of the court, and they sitting down, Peter sat in their midst. But a certain slave-girl saw him as he sat by the fire and earnestly looked on him and said, This man was with him also. read more.
And he denied Him, saying, Woman, I do not know Him. And after a little while another saw him and said, You also are of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not! And about an hour afterward, another confidently affirmed, saying, Truly this one was also with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I do not know what you say. And immediately, while he still spoke, the cock crowed.

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

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Then they said to him, Are you not also one of his disciples? He denied and said, I am not.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, they ran from him and were very much afraid.

And Saul was still more afraid of David. And Saul became David's enemy continually.

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own sight like 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 about thirty-six men of them, for they chased them from before the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the road going down. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

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

Then having rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the ship. And they were afraid.

For they all saw Him and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and said, Be of good cheer. I AM! Do not be afraid.

And He said to them, Why are you afraid, little-faiths? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

And He said to them, Where is your faith? And being afraid, they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this One? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!

And He was in the stern of the boat, asleep on a headrest. And they awakened Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we perish?

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

But you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, Because Jehovah hates 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 brothers have broken our heart, saying, We have seen there a people greater and taller than we are. The cities are great and walled up to the heavens, also the sons of the giants.

And it happened, when he had come near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look upon. And it will be when the Egyptians see you, they shall say, This is his wife. And they will kill me, but they will save you alive. I pray you, say that you are my sister, so that it may be well with me for your sake. And my soul shall live because of you. read more.
And it happened when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also 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 he-asses, and male servants, and maidservants, and she-asses, and camels. And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife? Why did you say, She is my sister? And so I was about to take her to me as wife. Now therefore behold your wife. Take her and go.

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you are about to die, for the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her. And he said, Lord, will You also kill a righteous nation? read more.
Did he not say to me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the sincerity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this. And God said to him in a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the sincerity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her. Now therefore, restore his wife to the man. For he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live. And if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours. And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears. And the men were greatly afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What have you done to us? In what have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see 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 kill me for my wife's sake. And yet truly 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 to all his servants with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee! For otherwise we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.

However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also 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 to the sons of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up those who live in it. And all the people whom we saw in it were men of stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

But all this happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples fled, forsaking Him.

And it happened, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that Jehovah had dried up the waters of Jordan in front of the sons of Israel until we had passed over, that their hearts melted. Neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the sons of Israel.

And we had heard, and our hearts melted, nor did any more spirit remain in any man, because of you. For Jehovah your God, He is God in Heaven above and in earth beneath.

From this time, Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. Then when Pilate heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement (but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha). And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, Behold your king! read more.
But they cried out, Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered Him up to them that He might be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away.

Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.

And a messenger came to David saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said to all his servants with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee! For otherwise we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste 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 to the king, Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king shall choose. read more.
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed in a place that was far off.

The sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua saying, Why have you given me one lot and one portion to inherit, since I am a great people, because Jehovah has blessed me until now? And Joshua answered them, If you are a great people, and if mount Ephraim is too narrow for you, get up to the forest and cut down more for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants. And the sons of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites who live in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, those who are of Beth-shean and its towns, and those who are of the valley of Jezreel. read more.
And Joshua spoke to 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. But the mountain shall be yours, for it is a forest, and you shall cut it down. And the outer limits of it shall be yours. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.

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

Now, therefore, speak in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and go away early from Mount Gilead. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned. And there remained ten thousand.

The sons of Ephraim, armed shooters of bows, turned back in the day of battle.

But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed. For before some came from James, he ate with the nations. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also dissembled with him, so as even Barnabas was led away with their dissembling. read more.
But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, If you, being a Jew, live as a Gentile, and not as the Jews, why do you compel the nations to judaize?

And the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place (for the people were distressed). And the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews) begged of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave permission. Then he came and took the body of Jesus.

And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him.

And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, She is my sister. For he feared to say, My wife; lest the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was beautiful of form. And when he had been there a long time, it happened that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through the window, and saw; and behold! Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac and said, Behold! She surely is your wife. And why did you say, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die on account of 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, they ran from him and were very much afraid.

And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer of the herd in your hand with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

His parents spoke these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed 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 your daughters away from me by force.

And being awakened, and seeing the doors of the prison being open, drawing a sword, the jailer was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

But all this happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples fled, forsaking Him.

And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.

And the keepers shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

And the men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them, for they chased them from before the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the road going down. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

The sons of Ephraim, armed shooters of bows, turned back in the day of battle.

Now, therefore, speak in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and go away early from Mount Gilead. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned. And there remained ten thousand.