Cowardice
51 passages listed in Nave’s Topical Bible and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. Verse text: Berean Standard Bible; links open in your translation.
28 sections
- 20, 000 of Gideon's Army
- Aaron, in Yielding to the Israelites, when They Demanded an Idol
- Abraham, in Calling his Wife his Sister
- Adam, in Attempting to Shift Responsibility for his Sin Upon Eve
- Amoritish Kings
- Canaanites
- David, in Fleeing from Absalom
- During the Storm at Sea
- Early Converts Among the Rulers
- Ephraimites
- Ephraimites and Manassehites
- General Scriptures Concerning
- Guards of the Sepulcher of Jesus
- Isaac, in Calling his Wife his Sister
- Jacob, in Flying from Laban
- Joseph of Arimathaea, Secretly a Disciple
- Nicodemus, in Coming to Jesus by Night
- Parents of the Blind Man, Who Was Restored to Sight
- Peter and Other Christians, at Antioch (Of Syria)
- Peter, in Denying the Lord
- Pilate, in Condemning Jesus, Through Fear of the People
- Samuel, Fearing to Obey God's Command to Anoint a King in Saul's Place
- The Philippian Jailer
- The Ten Spies
- To Fight with the Philistines
- To Meet Goliath
- when Jesus Was Apprehended
- when They Saw Jesus Walking on the Sea
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.
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. …
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, …
- Genesis 20:2–12 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. …
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.”
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 …
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.” …
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!”
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. …
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.” …
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 …
- 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.
- Isaiah 51:12–13 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass? …
- Galatians 6:12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
- 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
Guards of the Sepulcher of Jesus
- Matthew 28:4 The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
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 …
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.
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.
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. …
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.
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. …
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. …
- Mark 14:66–72 While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down …
- 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. …
- 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. …
- 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.” …
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.’
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.
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!” …
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. …
To Meet Goliath
- 1 Samuel 17:24 When all the men of Israel saw Goliath, they fled from him in great fear.
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.
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.
Related topics
Cowardice in Fearing to Attempt the Conquest of CanaanCowardice in the Battle with the People of AiSarahPublic Opinion
Topics: Nave’s Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook (1897), public domain, via the Berean Bible topical index.