Doubt

Across the canon

In the King James text (51 verses)

Every verse where Scripture speaks of doubt, gathered by word. Quoted below: a spread across the whole canon, Old Testament and New — never more than two from any one book. The complete list is one click beneath them.

1. Genesis 37:33

   And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Numbers 14:30

   Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

   ›Commentary on Numbers 14:301 voice

   “Note, Disbelief of the promise is a forfeiture of the benefit of it. Those that despise the pleasant land shall be shut out of it. The promise of God should be fulfilled to their posterity, but not to them.

   Everything gathered on Numbers 14:30→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Deuteronomy 28:66

   And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:662 voices

   “Thy life shall hang in doubt - Either because thou art in the hands of thy enemies that have power, and want no will, to destroy thee: or because of the terrors of thy own mind, and the guilt of thy conscience making thee to fear, even where no fear is.

   “The blessings are here put before the curses, to intimate, 1. That God is slow to anger, but swift to show mercy: he has said it, and sworn, that he would much rather we would obey and live than sin and die. It is his delight to bless.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 28:66→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Job 12:2

   No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

   ›Commentary on Job 12:22 voices

   “When wise men and good men die it is a comfort to think that wisdom and goodness shall not die with them. Some think Job here reflects upon Zophar's comparing him (as he thought) and others to the wild ass's colt, ch. xi. "Yes," says he, "we must be asses; you are the only men." 2.

   “All the wisdom which is in the world, lives in you, and will be utterly lost when you die. When wise and good men die, it is a comfort to think that wisdom and goodness do not die with them: it is folly to think, that there will be a great, irreparable loss of us when we are gone, since God has the residue of the spirit, and can raise up others more fit to do his work.

   Everything gathered on Job 12:2→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Psalms 126:6

   He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

   ›Commentary on Psalms 126:62 voices

   “It will be easy, in singing this psalm, to apply it either to any particular deliverance wrought for the church or our own land or to the great work of our salvation by Christ.

   “He that goeth forth--literally, better, "He goes--he comes, he comes," &c. The repetition implies there is no end of weeping here, as there shall be no end of joy hereafter (Isa 35:10). precious seed--rather, seed to be drawn from the seed box for sowing; literally, "seed-draught." Compare on this Psalm, Jer 31:9, &c.

   Everything gathered on Psalms 126:6→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Isaiah 63:16

   Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

   ›Commentary on Isaiah 63:161 voice

   “4:12); now at last they renounce this, to trust in God alone as their Father, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary. Even though Abraham, our earthly father, on whom we have prided ourselves, disown us, Thou wilt not (Isa 49:15; Isaac is not mentioned, because not all his posterity was admitted to the covenant, whereas all Jacob's was;

   Everything gathered on Isaiah 63:16→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Daniel 5:12

   Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

   ›Commentary on Daniel 5:121 voice

   “Yet what was the wisdom of them both compared with the treasures of wisdom hidden in Christ? (2.) He had an admirably good heart: An excellent spirit was found in him, which was a great ornament to his wisdom and knowledge, and qualified him to receive that gift; for God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.

   Everything gathered on Daniel 5:12→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Matthew 13:58

   And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 13:582 voices

   “Note, Sometimes there is most of the power of religion where there is least of the pomp of it: the poor receive the gospel. When Christ went to the sea-side, multitudes were presently gathered together to him. Where the king is, there is the court; where Christ is, there is the church, though it be by the sea-side.

   “He wrought not many mighty works, because of their unbelief - And the reason why many mighty works are not wrought now, is not, that the faith is not everywhere planted; but, that unbelief every where prevails.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 13:58→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. John 10:24

   Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

   ›Commentary on John 10:241 voice

   “The struggle was between their convictions, which told them he was Christ, and their corruptions, which said, No, because he was not such a Christ as they expected.

   Everything gathered on John 10:24→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. 2 Corinthians 12:1

    It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

    ›Commentary on 2 Corinthians 12:12 voices

    “Then he addresses himself to the Corinthians, blaming them for what was faulty among them, and giving a large account of his behaviour and kind intentions towards them,

    “Paul is afraid, lest this should befall him. The graces conferred by God are, indeed, to be acknowledged, that we may be aroused, -- first, to gratitude for them, and secondly, to the right improvement of them; but to take occasion from them to boast -- that is what cannot be done without great danger.

    Everything gathered on 2 Corinthians 12:1→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. 1 Timothy 1:13

    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

    ›Commentary on 1 Timothy 1:131 voice

    “A reviler - Of his doctrine and people. But I obtained mercy - He does not say, because I was unconditionally elected; but because I did it in ignorance. Not that his ignorance took away his sin; but it left him capable of mercy; which he would hardly have been, had he acted thus contrary to his own conviction.

    Everything gathered on 1 Timothy 1:13→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. 1 John 2:19

    They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

    ›Commentary on 1 John 2:191 voice

    “(2.) The reason why they are permitted thus to depart from apostolical doctrine and communion--that their insincerity may be detected: But this was done (or they went out) that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us,

    Everything gathered on 1 John 2:19→

    Verse page →Original language →

Words searched, at word start, across the King James text: doubt… · unbelief… · waver…

Lives that met it (5)

Curated character profiles whose own account speaks of doubt.

• SarahMother of Nations · PatriarchalSarah was Abraham's wife and the mother of Isaac. Her barrenness tested the promise, but God gave her a son in her old age. She represents the covenant of promise and the free children of God.
• Ahaz12th King of Judah · Divided KingdomOne of the most wicked kings of Judah who practiced child sacrifice, introduced Assyrian religion into Jerusalem, closed the Temple, and refused Isaiah's offer of a divine sign. The Immanuel prophecy was given during his crisis.
• John the BaptistThe Forerunner · NT EraJohn the Baptist, son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, was the prophetic forerunner of Christ — the "Elijah to come" whose wilderness baptism announced the kingdom at hand. Jesus said of him: "Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist" (Matt 11:11).
• MarthaFaithful Servant of Bethany · New TestamentMartha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, welcomed Jesus into her home and served Him faithfully, though she was gently corrected for anxious distraction. Her confession of Jesus as the Christ before Lazarus' resurrection stands among Scripture's clearest declarations of faith.
• ThomasThe Apostle Who Doubted, Then Believed · New TestamentThomas, also called Didymus, is remembered for doubting the other apostles' report of the resurrection until he saw and touched the risen Christ himself, then offering one of Scripture's clearest confessions: 'My Lord and my God.'