Loyalty

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From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index.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.

Enjoined

• Exodus 22:28 You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
• Numbers 27:20 Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.
• Ezra 6:10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
• Ezra 7:26 If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
• Job 34:18 who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
• Proverbs 24:21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
• Ecclesiastes 8:2 Keep the king’s command, I say, because of your oath before God.
• Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
• Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
• Titus 3:1 Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

Enforced

• Ezra 10:8 Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
• Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Disloyalty

• 2 Peter 2:10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.

See Patriotism

Instances of

Israelites

• Joshua 1:16–18 So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, a…
• 2 Samuel 3:36–37 All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
• 2 Samuel 15:23 Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.
• 2 Samuel 15:30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
• 2 Samuel 18:3 But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.”
• 2 Samuel 21:17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
• 1 Chronicles 12:38 All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.

David

• 1 Samuel 24:6–10 So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.” With these words David restrained his men, and he did not let them rise up against Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went…
• 1 Samuel 26:6–16 And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai. That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear…
• 2 Samuel 1:14 So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”

Uriah

• 2 Samuel 11:9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

Ittai

• 2 Samuel 15:21 But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”

Hushai

• 2 Samuel 17:15–16 So Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “This is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have advised. Now send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but be sure to cross over. Otherwise the king and all the…

David's soldiers

• 2 Samuel 18:12–13 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ If I had jeopardized my own life— and nothing is hidden…
• 2 Samuel 23:15–16 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; inste…

Joab

• 2 Samuel 19:5–6 Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that th…

Barzillai

• 2 Samuel 19:32 Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

Jehoiada

• 2 Kings 11:4–12 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of…

Mordecai

• Esther 2:21–23 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behal…