A young girl stands in a picturesque meadow. In another part of the field is a gigantic African rhinoceros, which begins charging toward the girl. Her serene and happy face remains unmoved. As the rhinoceros gets closer, the words appear on the screen, “Trust is not being afraid.” A split second before the rhino tramples the helpless child, it stops, and the girl, her smile never wavering, reaches up and pets the animal on its massive horn. The final words then appear, “even when you are vulnerable.” The commercial was designed to tout the abilities of an insurance company to protect its clients from the uncertainties of life. How much more does it describe the believer, who can say with the psalmist, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’ ” (Psalm 91:2)!1 Just like this little girl in this commercial, believers in Jesus can stand fearlessly in the face of the charging rhinos in Satan’s herd. ‘Fear not’ is not just a nice Sunday School suggestion. It’s a commandment laced throughout the entirety of the Word of God. Because it’s a commandment from God, it’s also doable. It doesn’t take any special act of grace or prayer to make it good in your life. All it takes is simple obedience.
[Tweet “Here are 125 Bible verses with one common theme: fear not.”]
For more scripture lists see the following page.
| Genesis 15:1
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After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” |
| Genesis 21:17
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And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. |
| Genesis 26:24
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And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” |
| Genesis 35:17
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And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” |
| Genesis 43:23
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He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. |
| Genesis 46:3
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Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. |
| Genesis 50:19
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But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? |
| Genesis 50:21
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So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. |
| Exodus 14:13
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And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. |
| Exodus 20:20
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Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” |
| Numbers 21:34
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But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” |
| Deuteronomy 1:21
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See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ |
| Deuteronomy 3:2
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But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ |
| Deuteronomy 3:22
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You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.’ |
| Deuteronomy 20:1
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“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. |
| Deuteronomy 20:3
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and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, |
| Deuteronomy 31:6
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Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” |
| Deuteronomy 31:8
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It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” |
| Joshua 1:9
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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” |
| Joshua 8:1
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And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. |
| Joshua 10:8
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And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” |
| Joshua 10:25
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And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” |
| Joshua 11:6
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And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” |
| Judges 4:18
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And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. |
| Judges 6:10
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And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.” |
| Judges 6:23
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But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” |
| Ruth 3:11
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And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. |
| 1 Samuel 4:20
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And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. |
| 1 Samuel 12:20
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And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. |
| 1 Samuel 22:23
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Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” |
| 1 Samuel 23:17
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And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” |
| 1 Samuel 28:13
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The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” |
| 2 Samuel 9:7
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And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” |
| 2 Samuel 13:28
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Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” |
| 1 Kings 17:13
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And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. |
| 2 Kings 1:15
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Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king |
| 2 Kings 6:16
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He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” |
| 2 Kings 17:35
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The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, |
| 2 Kings 17:37
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And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, |
| 2 Kings 19:6
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Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. |
| 2 Kings 25:24
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And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” |
| 1 Chronicles 28:20
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Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. |
| 2 Chronicles 20:15
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And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. |
| 2 Chronicles 20:17
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You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” |
| 2 Chronicles 32:7
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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. |
| Job 9:35
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Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. |
| Job 11:15
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Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. |
| Psalm 23:4
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Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. |
| Psalm 27:1
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The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? |
| Psalm 27:3
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Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. |
| Psalm 56:4
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In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? |
| Psalm 64:4
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shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear. |
| Psalm 78:53
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He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. |
| Psalm 118:6
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The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? |
| Proverbs 3:25
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Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, |
| Proverbs 31:21
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She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. |
| Isaiah 7:4
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And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. |
| Isaiah 8:12
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“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. |
| Isaiah 10:24
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Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. |
| Isaiah 35:4
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Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” |
| Isaiah 37:6
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Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. |
| Isaiah 40:9
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Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” |
| Isaiah 41:10
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fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. |
| Isaiah 41:13
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For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” |
| Isaiah 41:14
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Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. |
| Isaiah 43:1
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But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. |
| Isaiah 43:5
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Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. |
| Isaiah 44:2
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Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. |
| Isaiah 44:8
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Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” |
| Isaiah 51:7
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“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. |
| Isaiah 54:4
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“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. |
| Isaiah 54:14
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In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. |
| Jeremiah 1:8
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Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” |
| Jeremiah 3:8
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She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. |
| Jeremiah 5:22
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Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. |
| Jeremiah 10:5
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Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” |
| Jeremiah 10:7
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Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. |
| Jeremiah 23:4
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I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. |
| Jeremiah 26:19
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Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.” |
| Jeremiah 30:10
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“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. |
| Jeremiah 40:9
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Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. |
| Jeremiah 42:11
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Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. |
| Jeremiah 46:27
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“But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. |
| Jeremiah 46:28
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Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” |
| Lamentations 3:57
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You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ |
| Ezekiel 2:6
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And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. |
| Ezekiel 3:9
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Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” |
| Daniel 10:12
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Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. |
| Daniel 10:19
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And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” |
| Joel 2:21
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“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! |
| Joel 2:22
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Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. |
| Zephaniah 3:16
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On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. |
| Haggai 2:5
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according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. |
| Zechariah 8:13
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And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” |
| Zechariah 8:15
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so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. |
| Matthew 1:20
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But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. |
| Matthew 10:26
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“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. |
| Matthew 10:28
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And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. |
| Matthew 10:31
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Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. |
| Matthew 14:27
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But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” |
| Matthew 17:7
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But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” |
| Matthew 28:5
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But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. |
| Matthew 28:10
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Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” |
| Mark 5:36
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But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” |
| Mark 6:50
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for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” |
| Luke 1:13
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But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. |
| Luke 1:30
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And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. |
| Luke 2:10
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And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. |
| Luke 5:10
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and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” |
| Luke 8:50
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But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” |
| Luke 12:4
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“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. |
| Luke 12:7
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Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. |
| Luke 12:32
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“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. |
| John 6:20
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But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” |
| John 12:15
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“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” |
| Acts 18:9
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And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, |
| Acts 27:24
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and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ |
| 2 Timothy 1:7
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for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. |
| Hebrews 11:23
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By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. |
| Hebrews 11:27
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By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. |
| Hebrews 13:6
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So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” |
| 1 Peter 3:14
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But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, |
| Revelation 1:17
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When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, |
| Revelation 2:10
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Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. |
| Revelation 15:4
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Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” |
__________
References:
- Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2008), 463. ↩