18 Bible Verses on Fear and Anxiety, and What Each Command Is Attached To

Christian Pure Team

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Summary

  • The Bible does not say “do not be afraid” 365 times; the real figure is around a hundred, depending on translation.
  • Almost every command not to fear comes with a reason attached, and the reason is presence rather than a change in circumstances.
  • Isaiah 43:2 says when you pass through the waters, not if, and through rather than around.
  • David writes “when I am afraid”, not if, and the trust happens alongside the fear rather than instead of it.
  • Proverbs 12:25 puts the remedy in somebody else’s mouth: a kind word, said to a person weighed down.

The Bible does not say “do not be afraid” 365 times, once for each day of the year. It is a lovely claim and it is not true: depending on the translation and on what gets counted, the real figure is somewhere around a hundred. What is true, and more useful, is that almost none of those commands arrives on its own. Each one comes with a reason attached, and the reason is nearly always the same — not that…

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Bibliography (Click to show)

Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

The claim of 365 occurrences is not supported by any concordance; counts of “fear not”, “do not fear” and “do not be afraid” together run to roughly a hundred, varying by translation.

The command is repeated to Joshua at 1:6, 1:7 and 1:9.

The heading of Psalm 34 places it when David feigned insanity before Abimelek; the episode is at 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

Peter attaches the casting of anxiety to humility at 1 Peter 5:6.

Psalm 4 opens in distress at verses 1-2 and ends at bedtime in verse 8.

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