Bible Verses About Depression

Scripture does not shrink from depression. These verses about depression speak honestly to a heavy heart and point to the God who remains near in the dark.

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” — Psalm 42:11 (KJV)

The psalmist interrogates his own soul — why art thou cast down — without receiving an answer. The refrain repeats through the psalm, which suggests the question had to be asked more than once.

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” — Psalm 40:1-2 (KJV)

The horrible pit and miry clay describe ground that gives way underfoot, the sensation of having nothing solid. Deliverance is described as waiting first, patiently, and only then being lifted.

“But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” — 1 Kings 19:4 (KJV)

Elijah asked to die the day after his greatest public victory, sitting under a juniper tree. What God sent first was sleep and food, twice, before any conversation.

“Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.” — Psalm 143:7 (KJV)

My spirit faileth is stated without apology, alongside a plea not to be hidden from. The prayer is short, which is often all that is available.

“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” — Psalm 13:1-2 (KJV)

How long is asked four times in two verses, addressed to a God the psalmist believes has forgotten him. Scripture preserves the complaint rather than correcting it.

“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.” — Lamentations 3:19-20 (KJV)

The writer says his soul has his affliction still in remembrance and is humbled within him. The famous mercies-new-every-morning lines come next, but only after this is said.

“Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.” — Psalm 88:9 (KJV)

This psalm is the darkest in the collection and, unusually, ends without resolution. That it was kept in the songbook says something about what worship may include.

“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.” — Psalm 77:2-3 (KJV)

The sore that ran in the night and the refusal to be comforted describe a specific kind of night. Remembering God is said to bring trouble rather than relief, which is rarely quoted.

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” — Psalm 34:17 (KJV)

The righteous cry and are heard — the verb is crying, not composing a prayer. It sets a low bar for what counts as calling out.

“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” — Psalm 3:3 (KJV)

Written while fleeing an armed rebellion, calling God the lifter up of mine head. The image is of someone whose head is down and cannot raise it themselves.

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.” — Psalm 130:1 (KJV)

Out of the depths I have cried — the psalm begins at the bottom rather than arriving there. Depth is treated as a place from which prayer is still possible.

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” — 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (KJV)

Paul writes that he was pressed out of measure, above strength, so that he despaired even of life. The admission comes from the apostle who wrote most of the New Testament.

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” — Psalm 31:24 (KJV)

Be of good courage is addressed to all who hope in the LORD, at the end of a psalm full of distress. Strengthening the heart is described as something that happens to those waiting.

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” — Isaiah 42:3 (KJV)

A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench — two images of something barely functioning. Neither is discarded for being weak.

“And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” — Jonah 2:2 (KJV)

Prayed from inside the fish, describing it as the belly of hell. It records that God heard a prayer offered from a place the pray-er had brought himself to.

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” — Psalm 23:3 (KJV)

He restoreth my soul sits in the middle of the shepherd psalm, before the valley is mentioned. Restoration is presented as ordinary shepherd work, done repeatedly.

“Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” — Psalm 42:8 (KJV)

The psalmist speaks of God's song being with him in the night, in the same psalm where he says his soul is cast down. Both are recorded as true at the same time.

Carry these verses with you

Save and revisit these verses anytime with Quiethaven — read the whole Bible offline, get a verse of the day on your lock screen, and turn reading into prayer.

Keep Scripture close — free on iPhone.

Download on the App Store

More verses by topic

From the blog

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about depression?

The 17 passages gathered on this page are the ones readers turn to most on depression: Psalm 42:11, Psalm 40:1-2, 1 Kings 19:4, Psalm 143:7, Psalm 13:1-2, Lamentations 3:19-20, Psalm 88:9, Psalm 77:2-3, Psalm 34:17, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 130:1, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, Psalm 31:24, Isaiah 42:3…

What is a good Bible verse about depression?

Psalm 42:11 is the passage most often quoted on depression, with Psalm 40:1-2 and 1 Kings 19:4 close behind. Which one helps depends on whether you need reassurance, instruction or simply company.

Where can I read these depression verses?

You can read all of these verses about depression — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.