29 Bible Verses about Public Opinion

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause hiding behind many to wrest judgment;

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom; if I feared a great multitude or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door?

Then the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great saving health in Israel? No, in no wise: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan that he did not die.

Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and thy words because I feared the people and consented unto their voice.

Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release unto the people a prisoner, whoever they desired. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom desire ye that I release unto you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?read more.
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was seated upon the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the princes of the priests and the elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two desire ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then all the people answered and said, His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Thus speaketh the LORD of the hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not yet come, the time to build the house of the LORD. Then came the word of the LORD by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying, Do you have time, all of you, to dwell in your panelled houses, and this house is deserted?read more.
Now therefore thus hath the LORD of the hosts said; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much and bring in little; ye eat, but ye are not filled; ye drink, but ye are not satisfied; ye clothe yourselves, but you are not warm; and he that is a hireling receives his wages in a bag with holes. Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house; and I will place my will in her, and I will be glorified, said the LORD. Ye look for much and find little; and when ye lock it up at home, I shall blow upon it. Why? said the LORD of the hosts. Because my house is deserted, and ye run each one of you unto his own house. Therefore the rain of the heavens over you is held back, and the earth has held back her fruits. And I called for a drought upon this land and upon the mountains and upon the wheat and upon the wine and upon the oil and upon that which the earth brings forth and upon the men, and upon the beasts and upon every labour of hands.

And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorite, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea. Then I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorite, which the LORD our God gives unto us. Behold, the LORD thy God has given the land before thee; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers has said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.read more.
And ye came near unto me every one of you and said, We will send men before us, and they shall spy us out the land and bring us word again by what way we must go up and into what cities we shall come. And the saying seemed good unto me, and I took twelve men of you, one of each tribe. And they turned and went up into the mountain and came unto the valley of Eshcol and spied out the land. And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down unto us and brought us word again and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God gives us. Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God; and ye 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 Amorite, to destroy us. Where shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, This people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The LORD your God who goes before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did with you in Egypt before your eyes; and in the wilderness thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went until ye came into this place. Yet with all this ye did not believe in the LORD your God, who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, with fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and with a cloud by day. And the LORD heard the voice of your words and was angry and swore, saying, Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he has trodden upon, and to his sons, because he has perfectly followed the LORD. Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou shalt not go in there either. But Joshua, the son of Nun, who stands before thee, he shall go in there; encourage him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover your little ones, whom ye said should be a prey and your children who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in there, and unto them will I give it, and they shall inherit it. But as for you, return and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel in Ramah and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons do not walk in thy ways; therefore make us a king to judge us like all the Gentiles. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.read more.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, with which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do unto thee. Now, therefore, hearken unto their voice; however first protest solemnly against them by declaring unto them the rights of the king that shall reign over them.

And Elijah came near unto all the people and said, How long shall ye halt between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.

O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? Why do my people say, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? Shall the virgin, perchance, forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Why dost thou trim thy way to seek love? therefore thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy ways.read more.
Even in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents; thou didst not find them in any trespass, but by all these things. Yet thou didst say, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee because thou hast said, I did not sin.

And the priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.read more.
When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house. Then the priests and the prophets spoke unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he has prophesied against this city as ye have heard with your ears. Then Jeremiah spoke unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings and hear the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD himself will repent of the evil that he has pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as seems good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon its inhabitants; for of a truth the LORD has sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. Then the princes and all the people said unto the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy to die, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

And the LORD heard the voice of your words when ye spoke unto me, and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children for ever!

Then Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not allow your rebellions nor your sins. If ye forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you, after he has done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, No, but we will serve the LORD.read more.
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye shall be witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We shall be witnesses. Now, therefore, take away, the strange gods which are among you and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people replied unto Joshua, We will serve the LORD our God and hear his voice.

When Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But who say ye that I am?read more.
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.

And Jesus and his disciples went out into the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, One of the prophets. Then he said unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art the Christ!

And it came to pass as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him, and he asked them, saying, Who do the people say that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But who do ye say that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

Then many of the people, when they heard this word, said, Truly this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the scripture said, That the Christ comes of the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?read more.
So there was a division among the people because of him.

Think ye that I am come to the earth to give peace? No, I tell you, but rather division;

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him, for some said, He is a good man; others said, No, but he deceives the people.

Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This man is not of God because he does not keep the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such signs? And there was a division among them.

There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these words.

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus and said unto his slaves, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John and bound him and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.read more.
For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude because they counted him as a prophet.

Then the captain with the officers went and brought them without violence, for they feared being stoned by the people.

The governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two desire ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.read more.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then all the people answered and said, His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Now at that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to mistreat certain of the congregation . And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude because they counted him as a prophet.

But no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.

So there was a division among the people because of him.