Cowardice

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

General scriptures concerning

• Leviticus 26:36–37 As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them. They will stumble over one another as before th…
• Deuteronomy 20:8 Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
• Deuteronomy 32:30 How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
• Joshua 7:5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
• Joshua 23:10 One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
• Judges 7:3 Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
• Job 15:24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
• Job 18:11 Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step.
• Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
• Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

See Courage

Instances of

Adam, in attempting to shift responsibility for his sin upon Eve

• Genesis 3:12 And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Abraham, in calling his wife his sister

• Genesis 12:11–19 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and o…
• Genesis 20:2–12 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” Now Abimelech had not gone near her…

Isaac, in calling his wife his sister

• Genesis 26:7–9 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.” When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king o…

Jacob, in flying from Laban

• Genesis 31:31 “I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

Aaron, in yielding to the Israelites, when they demanded an idol

• Exodus 32:22–24 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let hi…

The ten spies

• Numbers 13:28 Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
• Numbers 13:31–33 But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!” So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature.

The Israelites

In fearing to attempt the conquest of Canaan

• Numbers 14:1–5 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bring…
• Deuteronomy 1:26–28 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated. Where can we go? Our brothers have made…

In the battle with the people of Ai

• Joshua 7:5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

To meet Goliath

• 1 Samuel 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.

To fight with the Philistines

• 1 Samuel 13:6–7 Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking…

20,000 Of Gideon's army

• Judges 7:3 Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

Ephraimites

• Psalm 78:9 The archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.

Ephraimites and Manassehites

• Joshua 17:14–18 Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.” Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear fo…

Amoritish kings

• Joshua 10:16 Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.

Canaanites

• Joshua 2:11 When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
• Joshua 5:1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.

Samuel, fearing to obey God's command to anoint a king in Saul's place

• 1 Samuel 16:2 “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’

David, in fleeing from Absalom

• 2 Samuel 15:13–17 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the…

Nicodemus, in coming to Jesus by night

• John 3:1–2 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”

Joseph of Arimathaea, secretly a disciple

• John 19:38 Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.

Parents of the blind man, who was restored to sight

• John 9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

Early converts among the rulers

• John 12:42–43 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

The disciples

During the storm at sea

• Matthew 8:26 “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
• Mark 4:38 But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
• Luke 8:25 “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

When they saw Jesus walking on the sea

• Matthew 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.
• Mark 6:50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
• John 6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea — and they were terrified.

When Jesus was apprehended

• Matthew 26:56 But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.

Peter, in denying the Lord

• Matthew 26:69–74 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said. But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.” When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the…
• Mark 14:66–72 While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down and saw him warming himself there. She looked at Peter and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” But he denied it. “I do not know or even understand what you are talking about,” he said. Then he w…
• Luke 22:54–60 Then they seized Jesus, led Him away, and took Him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed at a distance. When those present had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. A servant girl saw him seated in the firelight and looked in…
• John 18:16–17 But Peter stood outside at the door. Then the disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
• John 18:25 Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
• John 18:27 Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Pilate, in condemning Jesus, through fear of the people

• John 19:12–16 From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement…

Guards of the sepulcher of Jesus

• Matthew 28:4 The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.

The Philippian jailer

• Acts 16:27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.

Peter and other Christians, at Antioch (of Syria)

• Galatians 2:11–14 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group . The other Jews join…