Bible Verses About Doubt

Doubt is not the opposite of faith — unbelief is. These verses about doubt show how Scripture honors honest questions and meets us where we are.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” — 2 Timothy 2:13 (KJV)

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful — written by a prisoner to a discouraged younger man. God's constancy is presented as independent of the reader's grip on it.

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” — Mark 9:24 (KJV)

The father of an epileptic boy answers a call for belief with a plea about his unbelief. It is the most quoted honest sentence in the Gospels, and the boy is healed anyway.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” — Matthew 14:31 (KJV)

Peter had already walked on water before he looked at the wind. The rebuke comes after Jesus catches him, not instead of catching him.

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” — John 20:27 (KJV)

Thomas is offered the exact evidence he demanded, rather than scolded for demanding it. Be not faithless but believing follows the offer.

“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” — Matthew 11:2-3 (KJV)

John the Baptist, in prison, sends to ask whether Jesus is the one — the same man who had announced him. Doubt here belongs to the most confident figure in the story.

“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.” — Psalm 73:2 (KJV)

The psalmist admits his feet were almost gone because he envied the prosperity of the wicked. The whole psalm is a record of doubt worked through rather than suppressed.

“And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” — Luke 24:38 (KJV)

Why do thoughts arise in your hearts is asked of disciples who thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus answers the doubt by asking for food.

“And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.” — Matthew 28:17 (KJV)

At the resurrection appearance some worshipped and some doubted, and the commission is given to both. Matthew keeps the detail rather than tidying it.

“And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” — Genesis 15:8 (KJV)

Abram asks whereby shall I know, immediately after being credited with righteousness for believing. Belief and a request for evidence coexist in the same conversation.

“And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.” — Judges 6:36-37 (KJV)

Gideon asks for a sign twice, having already spoken with the angel. God grants both without comment on his nerve.

“Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.” — Psalm 77:7-9 (KJV)

Five questions in a row ask whether God has forgotten to be gracious. The psalm turns only when the writer starts deliberately remembering.

“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” — Habakkuk 1:2 (KJV)

The prophet opens his book complaining that God does not hear and does not save. The complaint is preserved as Scripture rather than answered with a rebuke.

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” — John 6:68 (KJV)

Peter's to whom shall we go is said after many disciples left over a hard teaching. It is loyalty reasoned out rather than felt.

“Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.” — Isaiah 40:27-28 (KJV)

The prophet quotes the people's own complaint back to them — my way is hid from the LORD — before answering with creation. Doubt is named accurately before it is addressed.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” — 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)

Now we see through a glass darkly concedes that partial knowledge is the present condition. Certainty is placed after, not now.

“And of some have compassion, making a difference:” — Jude 1:22 (KJV)

The instruction to have compassion on doubters is addressed to the church, not to the doubters. It makes doubt a pastoral responsibility rather than a fault to police.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” — Numbers 11:23 (KJV)

Is the LORD's hand waxed short is asked of Moses, who had just calculated that the meat could not possibly be supplied. Doubt is met with a question rather than a proof.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the Bible say about doubt?

The 17 passages gathered on this page are the ones readers turn to most on doubt: 2 Timothy 2:13, Mark 9:24, Matthew 14:31, John 20:27, Matthew 11:2-3, Psalm 73:2, Luke 24:38, Matthew 28:17, Genesis 15:8, Judges 6:36-37, Psalm 77:7-9, Habakkuk 1:2, John 6:68, Isaiah 40:27-28, 1…

What is a good Bible verse about doubt?

2 Timothy 2:13 is the passage most often quoted on doubt, with Mark 9:24 and Matthew 14:31 close behind. Which one helps depends on whether you need reassurance, instruction or simply company.

Where can I read these doubt verses?

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