Bible Verses About Fear (KJV)
The command fear not appears again and again in the Bible, and it is almost never given alone. It comes attached to a reason, and the reason is always God's presence or God's promise. The verses below are quoted in full from the King James Bible with a short note on each.
Take one with you today rather than reading all sixteen and remembering none.
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
The command comes with four reasons attached.
Psalm 27:1
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Fear shrinks when it is measured against who God is.
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
He goes with you. He does not merely send you.
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Fear is not from Him, so it does not have the last word.
Psalm 56:3-4
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."
Notice what time I am afraid. Trust is a decision made inside fear, not after it.
Psalm 118:6
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?"
A good verse for facing people rather than circumstances.
Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Whithersoever leaves no place outside His presence.
Isaiah 43:1
"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."
Called by name. God's care is not general.
Psalm 91:5
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day."
For the fears that come in the dark.
Matthew 10:28
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
The cure for a hundred small fears is one right fear.
Luke 12:32
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
The tone here is tender. He calls them little and then gives them a kingdom.
Hebrews 13:6
"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Say it out loud. Scripture expects it to be spoken.
Psalm 34:4
"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
All is a large word, and David meant it.
Proverbs 29:25
"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
Fear of what others think is a trap, named plainly.
1 John 4:18
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
Love does not argue with fear. It displaces it.
Isaiah 12:2
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
Strength and song together. Courage often begins with worship.
Where this leaves you
There is one fear worth keeping: the fear of standing before God with sin unforgiven. Christ removed it for everyone who trusts Him. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ, you can do it right where you are. You do not need a church building, a special prayer, or a better week. Tell Him plainly that you are a sinner, that you believe He died for your sins and rose again, and that you are trusting Him alone to save you. He has promised that whoever comes to Him He will in no wise cast out.
Common questions
- What does the Bible say about fear?
- The Bible repeatedly says fear not, and it attaches a reason each time: God is present, God is strong, and God has redeemed His people. Isaiah 41:10 and Joshua 1:9 are the clearest examples.
- How many times does the Bible say fear not?
- Counts vary by translation and by whether related phrases such as be not afraid are included, so figures from roughly 80 to 365 are quoted. The exact number matters far less than the reason given each time.
- What is the difference between fear of God and being afraid?
- The fear of God is reverence and awe toward Him, which Scripture calls the beginning of wisdom. Being afraid is dread of harm. Rightly fearing God is what frees a person from being ruled by lesser fears.
- What Bible verse helps with fear at night?
- Psalm 91:5 speaks directly to the terror by night, and Psalm 4:8 says the Lord makes His people dwell in safety and lie down in peace.