Humorous Biblical scenes, from hilarious insults to NSFW moments
The Bible might not be the first place you’d expect to find a laugh, but there’s actually a lot of humor in Scripture. From verses that sound funny when you take them out of context to epic insults and even some cringeworthy laughs, we’ve rounded up the funniest moments the Bible has to offer.
We recognize that solely looking for humor in the Bible may not be the best
way to engage with Scripture. However, looking at verses from a new perspective can help you appreciate the Bible and its complex messages even more. This article is meant to be a lighthearted look at Bible verses with no mean-spiritedness attached.
What are the funniest Bible verses?
- 1 Samuel 21:15—“Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here?”
- 2 Kings 9:20—“He drives like a maniac.”
- Job 12:2—“Wisdom will die with you.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:28—“Those who marry will face many troubles.”
- Song of Solomon 4:1—“Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead.”
- Proverbs 17:17—“A brother is born for times of adversity.”
- Proverbs 25:17—“Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—too much of you, and they will hate you.”
Steps
Section 1 of 6:
Bible Verses That Tell It Like It Is
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Exodus 14:11 (NIV) “[The Israelites] said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?”
- Why it’s funny: After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they were pursued by Pharaoh and his army. You can just hear the sarcastic tone of the crowd when they ask Moses if he only freed them from slavery because there wasn’t enough space to bury all of them in Egypt.
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2Joshua 13:1 (NKJV) “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years…” [1] X Research source
- Why it’s funny: You know you’re aging if even God thinks you’re old—and the repetition in the verse really drives it home.
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31 Samuel 21:14–15 (NIV) Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here…?”
- Why it’s funny: Even though the audience knows that David is just pretending to be mad, Achish doesn’t realize it’s an act—and he makes it clear that there are plenty of madmen in Gath, no need to bring him another one.
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41 Samuel 25:25 (NIV) “Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him.”
- Why it’s funny: David is preparing to bring an army against a wealthy, greedy man named Nabal. But Nabal’s wife Abigail intervenes, and she makes it clear that her husband is no wise man.
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52 Kings 9:20 (NIV) “The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.”
- Why it’s funny: We might think of bad drivers as a modern invention, but it turns out people have been driving recklessly since the earliest days of chariots.
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6Nehemiah 6:8 (NIV) “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” [2] X Research source
- Why it’s funny: When Nehemiah’s enemies accuse him of something that isn’t true, he shuts them down with a plain-spoken retort that people can still use today.
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7Job 11:12 (NIV) “But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human.”
- Why it’s funny: A man named Zophar assumes that Job’s great suffering must be a punishment for sin, and he offers scathing criticism when he says that donkeys will give birth to people before Job gains wisdom.
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8Job 12:2 (NIV) “Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you!”
- Why it’s funny: Job has had enough of his “friends” and their criticism, and he delivers one of the most epic insults of all time—”wisdom will die with you.”
- Job’s tirade continues over the next few chapters.
Other gems include:
- Job 13:5: “If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.” [3] X Research source
- Job 16:3: “Will your long-winded speeches never end?”
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9Job 38:2 (NIV) “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?”
- Why it’s funny: The volley of insults continues through Job—and this time, it’s God delivering the blow. He’s basically saying to Job, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” And God keeps at it for another two chapters , asking Job if he has all the same powers as God (the answer, obviously, is no).
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10Ecclesiastes 10:1 (NIV) “As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” [4] X Research source
- Why it’s funny: This is a pretty colorful way of saying that even a few little mistakes can make a wise and honorable person appear foolish.
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11Jeremiah 23:33 (NIV) “When these people…ask you, ‘What is the message from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the Lord.’”
- Why it’s funny: If you ask a prophet for a message from God, you don’t expect the message to be, “I will forsake you.” But that’s exactly what God said to Jeremiah when He was angry about the rise of false prophets among the Israelites.
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121 Corinthians 7:28 (NIV) “Those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” [5] X Research source
- Why it’s funny: Nothing out of context here–the apostle Paul apparently had a pretty dim view of marriage and the hardships it can bring.
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References
- ↑ https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/funny-biblical-passages
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
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- ↑ https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/funny-biblical-passages
- ↑ https://holysojourners.com/my-top-5-funniest-bible-stories/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://holysojourners.com/my-top-5-funniest-bible-stories/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://ronedmondson.com/2010/11/7-funniest-verses-in-the-bible.html
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://stephenmillerbooks.com/funny-odd-bible-proverbs/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ http://bibleverselover.com/funny-bible-verses/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
- ↑ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezekiel+23&version=NIV
- ↑ https://holysojourners.com/my-top-5-funniest-bible-stories/
- ↑ https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/funny-biblical-passages
- ↑ https://deeperchristian.com/my-favorite-bible-passages-taken-out-of-context/
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