Verse collection
Bible verses about fear
Thirteen verses for when you are afraid, shortest first. Do not be afraid is the most repeated instruction in the Bible, and it is almost always followed by a reason.
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The Bible never says fear is silly. It says, over and over, do not be afraid, for I am with you, and the second half is what carries the first. The verses below pair the instruction with its reason, and a few of them are honest about the fear before they answer it. Every verse below is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible with a line of context. For worry that does not have a clear object, see Bible verses for anxiety; the verses here are for the fear that has a face. Pick a short one and learn it in about five days.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus, sending the disciples out into danger, and reasoning from sparrows. If God attends to them, He attends to you.
He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Not fearing bad news is a strange freedom, and the verse says how it is possible: a heart already steadfast before the news arrives.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
David, after faking madness to escape a foreign king. He sought, God answered, and the deliverance was from the fears, not only the enemies.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Little flock is tender, and the reason not to fear is a Father who is pleased to give. Fear expects to lose; this expects to receive.
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
The question at the end is meant to be answered. What can man do to me? Something, perhaps, but nothing final.
The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
The fear of what people think, named as a snare. Trust in the LORD is set against it as high ground against a trap.
So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
The writer quotes Psalm 118 and tells his readers to say it with confidence. A verse designed to be spoken aloud, which is how memorized verses work.
For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
God takes hold of your right hand: the picture is a parent and a child crossing something dangerous. Three verses after Isaiah 41:10, and gentler.
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
Two questions, whom shall I fear and whom shall I dread, both answered before they are asked by what the LORD is: light, salvation, stronghold.
The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
Moses to Joshua, about to lead a nation into war. Goes before you, will be with you, will never leave you: the presence is the whole argument.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
Fear is driven out, not argued out, and what drives it is love that has been perfected. The fear here is of punishment, and love answers it directly.
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid is a resolve, not a report. The rest of the verse gives the resolve its footing: strength, song, salvation.
He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day
Wings, shield, rampart: three pictures of cover, and then the fears named one at a time, the terror of the night first. A psalm many people learn whole.
Word counts use this site's counting rule in the Berean Standard Bible. Each reference links to the verse in its chapter, because a verse understood in context lands better than a verse alone. Where a verse is quoted on its own, a trailing comma or a quotation mark left unbalanced is dropped (Deuteronomy 31:8, Isaiah 12:2, Psalm 91:4-5).
Say it out loud
Hebrews 13:6 tells its readers to say the psalm with confidence, which assumes they know it. Fear arrives without warning, and a verse already in memory is the one you can say at the moment it does. The five-step method takes a few minutes a day: hear the verse aloud, say it while more and more words hide themselves, and finish by reciting it from just the reference. Start with Psalm 118:6 or Matthew 10:31.
Questions
What does the Bible say about fear?
Do not be afraid is the most repeated command in the Bible, and it nearly always comes with a reason attached: for I am with you (Isaiah 41:10), for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 43:1), for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). The psalms answer fear with what God is, the LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1), and 1 John 4:18 says what finally removes it: perfect love drives out fear.
How many times does the Bible say do not fear?
Counts vary by translation and by which phrases are included, from around a hundred to well over three hundred for every form of fear not, do not be afraid, and be not dismayed. The exact figure matters less than the pattern: the instruction is given to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Mary, the shepherds, the disciples in the storm, and the women at the empty tomb, always at the moment they had reason to be afraid.
Which Bible verse about fear should I memorize first?
Psalm 118:6 is seventeen words and ends with a question you can put to any fear: The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Matthew 10:31 is twelve words and gentler: So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Either is learned in a few days with a few minutes of practice.
Half remember a different verse?
The words don't need to match exactly, just type what you remember.