Bible verses about courage are some of the most repeated commands in Scripture, yet they are rarely pep talks. Again and again, God tells frightened people to be strong and of good courage, and almost every time He gives the same reason: “I will be with thee.” Biblical courage is less about a brave personality and more about where a person’s confidence rests.
This page walks through the major Bible verses about courage in their setting. You will meet Joshua at the edge of the Jordan, Esther outside the king’s court, three young men before a furnace, and apostles standing before the council that condemned Jesus. Along the way we look at the Hebrew and Greek words behind the English, how the theme grows from the Old Testament into the New, and a few hard questions that honest readers ask.
Every verse below is quoted word for word from the King James Version, with the reference under each passage.
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.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)
Moses speaks these words to all Israel before his death, so the first of these Bible verses about courage is addressed to a whole nation, not a single hero.
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.
Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
Many later Bible verses about courage echo this command, which is backed by a question that roots Joshua’s courage in God’s authority rather than his feelings.
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:6-7 (KJV)
Courage here is tied to obedience: Joshua must be strong to lead the people and very courageous to keep the law without turning aside.
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 28:20 (KJV)
David hands Solomon the task of building the temple and promises that God will not fail him until the work is finished.
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (KJV)
Facing the Assyrian army, Hezekiah contrasts an “arm of flesh” with the LORD who fights for His people, and the people rest on his words.
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?
Psalms 27:1 (KJV)
Among the Bible verses about courage in the Psalms, this one turns fear on its head: if the LORD is light and strength, whom shall I fear?
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalms 27:14 (KJV)
Waiting and courage belong together in this verse, which shows that biblical boldness often looks like patient endurance.
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Psalms 31:24 (KJV)
Written by a man surrounded by enemies and slander, this verse promises that God strengthens the heart of all who hope in Him.
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.
Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
Few Bible verses about courage are as tender as this one, where God gives exiles who feel forgotten five reasons not to fear.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14 (KJV)
Mordecai’s challenge to Esther is one of the quieter Bible verses about courage, showing that God’s purposes can call ordinary people to risk.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Daniel 3:17-18 (KJV)
The phrase “but if not” reveals courage that trusts God’s power while refusing to make obedience depend on the outcome.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Matthew 14:27 (KJV)
Jesus speaks to terrified disciples on a stormy sea, and the reason He gives for good cheer is simply “it is I.”
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 (KJV)
On the night before the cross, Jesus admits tribulation is certain and grounds His disciples’ courage in His victory over the world.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13 (KJV)
This is one of the Bible verses about courage that explains its source: the council saw the boldness of Peter and John and knew they had been with Jesus.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13 (KJV)
Paul closes a letter to a divided church with four short commands, including “quit you like men,” an old phrase meaning act with courage.
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Philippians 1:20 (KJV)
Writing from prison, Paul hopes for “all boldness” so that Christ is honored whether he lives or dies.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
Often memorized with other Bible verses about courage, this reminder to a timid young pastor sets power, love and a sound mind against fear.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:6 (KJV)
Quoting Psalm 118, this verse lets believers speak boldly because the Lord is their helper, a fitting summary of Bible verses about courage.
The Bible verses about courage in English translations use several words, and the originals add color. The most common Old Testament pairing is “be strong and of good courage,” which renders two Hebrew verbs, chazaq (to be firm, to grip tightly) and ‘amats (to be alert, steadfast, bold). You can study the second word on Blue Letter Bible’s entry for ‘amats, which lists its uses across the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, two Greek ideas stand out. Tharseo means to take heart, and it is the word behind Jesus’ “be of good cheer.” Parrhesia means boldness or openness of speech, especially speaking plainly when it is risky. Understanding these words helps us read these passages correctly: they describe a steady heart and an honest mouth, not recklessness or bravado.
Notice also what courage is not. Scripture never praises courage for its own sake. The Bible verses about courage we study here are always attached to trust in God, faithfulness to His word, or love for others.
The Bible verses about courage in Deuteronomy 31 come at a moment of transition. Moses is 120 years old and knows he will not enter Canaan. He speaks the charge to the people, then to Joshua in front of them, and finally the LORD Himself commissions Joshua with the same words. Leadership is passing to a new generation, and fear is a real danger.
Joshua 1 repeats the command three times in a few verses. You can read the whole chapter at Bible Gateway’s KJV text of Joshua 1. Each time the command is tied to something different: God’s promise of the land, careful obedience to the law, and God’s constant presence wherever Joshua goes.
That pattern teaches something important about these passages. Courage is commanded, which means it is partly a choice and not only a feeling. Yet the command is never left hanging. God supplies the ground to stand on before He tells His servant to stand. For more on how strength and boldness work together in these chapters, see our study of Bible verses about strength and courage.
If you lay the Old Testament Bible verses about courage side by side, one reason appears more than any other: “the LORD thy God is with thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, 1 Chronicles 28:20 and Isaiah 41:10 all make the same move. The command not to fear is followed by a promise of presence.
This matters because it guards against a common misunderstanding. Many people read these passages as if they said, “Believe in yourself.” The texts point in the opposite direction. Joshua is not told that he is gifted enough to conquer Canaan. He is told that God will not fail him nor forsake him. Hebrews 13:5-6 later takes that very promise and applies it to ordinary Christians facing money worries and hostility.
The link between courage and trust is so close that the two themes often overlap. Our pages on Bible verses about trust and Bible verses about faith and courage explore that connection in more depth.
The Psalms show courage from the inside. Instead of commands from a leader, we hear the prayers of people who are afraid and are working their way toward confidence. Psalm 27 opens with bold questions, but by the middle David is pleading, “Hide not thy face far from me.” The psalm ends with the counsel to wait on the LORD and be of good courage.
That movement is honest. Bible verses about courage in the Psalms do not pretend fear disappears at the first prayer. Psalm 31 is written by someone who says his life is spent with grief and his neighbors avoid him. Only after pouring out that pain does he tell others to be of good courage and hope in the LORD.
The Psalms therefore teach that courage and lament are not enemies. Crying out to God is often the path by which a frightened heart becomes steady. Readers who want to follow that path further may find help in our collections of Bible verses about prayer and Bible verses about comfort.
Some of the most striking Bible verses about courage come from people living under foreign kings with no army of their own. Esther is a Jewish woman in the Persian court. When a decree threatens her people, Mordecai asks whether she has come to the kingdom “for such a time as this.” Her reply, “if I perish, I perish,” is courage without guarantees. Britannica’s overview of the Book of Esther gives helpful background on its setting and themes.
Daniel 3 tells of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Their answer is carefully balanced. They believe God is able to deliver them. “But if not,” they say, they still will not serve the king’s gods. Their courage does not depend on predicting the result.
Both stories show that courage in Scripture is often quiet and costly. It looks like a woman walking uninvited into a throne room, or three men calmly declining an order. No one in these scenes feels powerful. They are simply faithful.
Several Bible verses about courage are spoken by leaders to the people who will carry on their work. David, near the end of his life, charges Solomon to build the temple. He does not minimize the task; he calls it great. But he assures his son that God “will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work.”
Hezekiah faced a different challenge. The Assyrian king Sennacherib had surrounded Jerusalem and was mocking Judah’s trust in God. In 2 Chronicles 32 Hezekiah gathers the captains and tells them there are more with Judah than with the enemy. The people, the text says, “rested themselves” on his words.
These Bible verses about courage show that a leader who trusts God can steady others. Encouragement in Scripture is not flattery. Leaders name the danger honestly and then point to what is more certain than the danger. You can see this pastoral side of courage in our page of Bible verses about encouragement.
In the Gospels, many Bible verses about courage come straight from Jesus’ lips. The Greek word is tharseo, and the King James Version usually renders it “be of good cheer.” He says it to a paralyzed man, to a woman who touched His garment, and to disciples straining at the oars in a storm.
Matthew 14:27 is especially vivid. The disciples think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus answers, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” The reason for courage is not that the wind has stopped, because it has not yet. The reason is who is standing on the water. Peter then steps out, sinks when he looks at the wind, and is caught by Jesus’ hand.
John 16:33 widens the lens. Jesus tells His followers plainly that in the world they will have tribulation. He grounds their courage in His own victory: “I have overcome the world.” Among all these passages, this one may be the clearest statement of why Christians can be brave while still suffering. It connects closely to the hope explored in our Bible verses about hope.
The Bible verses about courage in Acts often use the word parrhesia, boldness of speech. You can trace it through the New Testament on Bible Hub’s page for the Greek word parrhesia. In Acts 4, Peter and John are arrested for preaching about the resurrection and brought before the same council that handed Jesus to Pilate.
Peter speaks clearly and without apology. The council members are astonished because these men are “unlearned and ignorant,” without formal rabbinic training. The rulers can only conclude that they had been with Jesus. Boldness here is not a trained skill or a loud personality. It flows from time spent with Christ and from the filling of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Acts 4:8.
After their release, the believers do not pray for safety. They ask God to grant them boldness to keep speaking. The early church understood that courage is something to request from God, not something to manufacture. That pattern shapes how many Christians read Bible verses about courage today.
Paul’s letters add a surprising note to this theme: courage and weakness can exist in the same person. He tells the Corinthians that he came to them “in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Yet the same letter ends with the command to watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, and be strong.
In Philippians 1:20, written while he was a prisoner, Paul hopes that he will not be ashamed but will have all boldness, so that Christ is magnified whether by life or death. His courage is measured by faithfulness, not by whether he is released.
2 Timothy 1:7 is one of the most quoted Bible verses about courage. Timothy seems to have been reserved, and Paul reminds him that God has not given the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Love is in that list. Christian courage is meant to serve others, not to prove oneself. For related passages, see Bible verses about courage and strength.
Reading the Bible verses about courage from beginning to end, you can see the theme grow. The table below gives a simple overview.
| Stage | Key passages | Focus of courage |
|---|---|---|
| Law and conquest | Deuteronomy 31, Joshua 1 | Entering the promised land with God present |
| Kingdom | 1 Chronicles 28, 2 Chronicles 32 | Building, leading and resisting enemies |
| Worship and prayer | Psalms 27 and 31 | Waiting on God in fear and distress |
| Exile | Esther 4, Daniel 3, Isaiah 41 | Faithfulness under foreign powers |
| Gospels | Matthew 14, John 16 | Taking heart because of Jesus Himself |
| Church | Acts 4, Paul’s letters | Bold witness and endurance in suffering |
The movement is from physical battles to spiritual faithfulness, but the foundation never changes. In every stage, God’s presence and promises come first. In the New Testament that presence is revealed in Jesus and given through the Holy Spirit. Readers interested in how this links to belief itself may enjoy our Bible verses about faith.
Is fear a sin? The Bible verses about courage do not treat every fear as disobedience. David was afraid, Jesus was deeply troubled in Gethsemane, and Paul trembled at Corinth. The commands not to fear call people away from fear that rules the heart and pushes them to abandon God. Feeling afraid and still obeying is itself a form of courage.
Does courage guarantee a good outcome? Not in this life. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were delivered, but Stephen, who spoke boldly in Acts 7, was stoned. Hebrews 11 lists people who were rescued and others who were not. Scripture promises God’s presence and final victory, not an escape from every loss.
Are these promises meant for everyone? Some were first spoken to particular people, such as Joshua or Solomon. Most Christian interpreters hold that the underlying truth, God’s faithful presence with His people, applies broadly, as Hebrews 13 shows. Traditions differ on how directly to apply such passages, so it is wise to read context carefully.
From Moses’ farewell to Paul’s prison letters, the Bible verses about courage tell one consistent story. God does not ask His people to be fearless by nature. He asks them to trust Him, and He gives the reason again and again: He is with them, He will not fail them, and in Christ He has overcome the world.
If you want to keep studying Bible verses about courage alongside related themes, peace and strength are close companions. Our pages on Bible verses about peace and Bible verses about strength are good next steps.
Nobody writes songs about Shiphrah and Puah, yet their story in Exodus 1 is one of the quietest acts of bravery in the Old Testament. Pharaoh, the most powerful man on earth, ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill baby boys at birth. These two women had no army, no platform, and every reason to comply. The text gives the reason they did not in a single line: “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive” (Exodus 1:17).
Think about how that played out in an ordinary week. Pharaoh summoned them and demanded an explanation, and they answered with a calm, practical excuse about Hebrew women delivering before a midwife could arrive. They did not stage a protest. They simply kept doing their work the right way, one delivery after another, while a king glared at them. Courage here looks like steady refusal, repeated daily, with no applause.
Many of us will meet a version of this at a desk or on a job site: a boss who wants numbers fudged, a group chat that has turned cruel, a family custom that quietly harms someone. Nobody will film it. The midwives show that a person can say no without making a speech, and that the fear of God, meaning a settled loyalty to what He says, can be stronger than the fear of the person with the power.
First Samuel 14 opens with Israel pinned down by a Philistine garrison, and King Saul sitting under a pomegranate tree doing nothing. Meanwhile his son Jonathan whispers to the young man who carries his armor, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6). Two men, and a rock face to scale with hands and knees before any fighting began.
What I like is the humility in the words “it may be.” Jonathan does not claim a guaranteed result. He takes a step, watches for a sign, and lets God close the door if He wants to. The armor bearer answers, “Do all that is in thine heart: behold, I am with thee according to thy heart” (1 Samuel 14:7). That is a small, loyal sentence, and it made the climb possible.
Courage is rarely a solo performance. Someone usually stands beside the brave person and says, I am with you. If you are the one facing the cliff, tell somebody before you start. If you are the armor bearer, know that your quiet loyalty is part of the victory, even when only one name gets remembered.
Some people read the call to be strong and pick the loudest option on the table. Scripture does not hand out that permission. Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Paul escaped Damascus in a basket let down through a window (Acts 9:25), and nobody has ever called that cowardly. Wisdom and nerve work as a pair.
A useful test is to ask what you are actually following. Is it a clear word from God, a duty you owe someone, a need in front of you? Or is it pride, a wish to prove something, or a dare from your own ego? Real courage usually costs the person who shows it, and it usually serves somebody other than themselves. Risky behavior that endangers your family, your health, or your finances because you feel bold is not what these verses describe.
It also helps to take counsel. Bring the decision to a mature friend or a pastor and let them poke at your plan. If your resolve survives honest questions, it is probably sturdier than a mood. If it collapses, you may have saved yourself a painful mistake. Either outcome is a kindness from God, and neither one makes you weak.
The bravest prayer in the Gospels may be the one that sounds the least heroic. In Gethsemane, Jesus tells His friends that His soul is sorrowful, then prays that the cup might pass from Him. He does not hide the dread. Then comes the sentence that settles it: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). He named the fear first and obeyed second, and both were honest.
That order gives permission to anyone who feels their knees shaking before a hard day. You do not need to pretend. You can tell the Father exactly how heavy it is. The Gospel of Luke even records an angel strengthening Him there, a reminder that strength can arrive in the middle of the struggle rather than before it.
So if you are lying awake before a surgery, a confrontation, a move, or a funeral you have to speak at, try praying in His pattern. Say plainly what you wish could be different. Then ask for the grace to do the right thing anyway, and take the next step when morning comes.
Keep exploring with these related pages: Bible Verses For Courage and Faith, Bible Verses About Courage and Faith, Bible Verses For Strength and Courage, Bible Verses About Courage and Strength and Bible Verses For Courage.
For deeper study, Bible Gateway, Bible Hub and Bible Study Tools are all free to use.
Joshua 1:9 is probably the best known, because it joins the command to be strong with the promise that God goes wherever Joshua goes. Deuteronomy 31:6 and 2 Timothy 1:7 are also widely quoted.
The exact wording varies slightly, but in the King James Version the phrase and close variants appear in Deuteronomy 31, Joshua 1 and 10, 1 Chronicles 22 and 28, and 2 Chronicles 32, along with Psalms 27:14 and 31:24. These Bible verses about courage cluster around moments of transition and danger.
They overlap. Old Testament Bible verses about courage often stress firmness and endurance, while New Testament boldness, parrhesia, stresses open and honest speech in risky settings. Both depend on trust in God rather than self-confidence.
Joshua, David, Esther, Daniel and his three friends, Hezekiah, Peter, John, Stephen and Paul are all shown acting courageously. Many of them also show fear or weakness at other times, which makes their examples more realistic.
This page focuses on what the Bible verses about courage teach. For verses arranged around real-life situations such as new jobs, illness or hard conversations, visit our companion page of Bible verses for courage.
