50 Comforting Bible Verses for Grief & Loss

We’re going to share 50 comforting Bible verses for grief with you today. Perhaps more importantly, we want to show you how to use Scripture verses to comfort the grieving in genuine, meaningful, Christ-centered ways.

The Bible does provide great comfort for those who are grieving. The pain of loss is real and deep, and the Scriptures do not gloss over or minimize what mourners experience.

However, well-meaning friends and family will sometimes quote encouraging Bible verses in an attempt to lift up the downcast.

This comes off poorly because grieving people don’t need to be comforted out of their grief, they need to be comforted through their grief.

Thankfully, God tells us just how to do that through his Word.

How the Bible Helps Those Grieving a Loss

True and lasting comfort comes not from an inspirational quote, a shoulder to cry on, or a hot meal delivered after the funeral (though we wholeheartedly encourage all those things).

No, real comfort is found in having hope.

This is so important that the Bible itself says that it was written so that we would have hope:

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” — Romans 15:4

God’s method for comfort in loss is simple:

1. God offers hope in the midst of grief (1 Thess. 4:13)
2. This hope is founded upon the death and resurrection of Jesus (1 Thess. 4:14)
3. We receive this hope through the Word of God (1 Thess. 4:15)

God’s Word gives us hope because it testifies that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, and in so doing he overcame and defeated death itself. 

Remember, the Bible isn’t a collection of inspirational quotes. It’s the story of creation, fall, and redemption.

To put it in slightly different terms, the Bible is the story of life, death, and resurrection.

Because the Bible is the story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection (Luke 24:27), when we believe in him we are united with him (Rom. 6:5) and thus the Bible becomes the story of our life, death, and resurrection (Gal. 2:20).

And that’s how we can find comfort in every affliction (2 Cor. 1:3-4). That brokenness you feel right now? That’s rooted in the death that happened when mankind sinned and rebelled against God. But the hope is that Jesus bore the punishment for that rebellion to fix it all and restore us to real, lasting, forever fellowship with God.

Do you believe that?

If so, you will find much comfort in the following Bible verses about grief.

Comforting Bible Verses for Grief

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. — Psalm 121:1-2

The hills look to be so far away right now.

Psalm 121 is a “Song of Ascents,” which is a collection of songs (Psalms 120-134) that Israelites would sing on their way to the annual sacrificial feasts at Jerusalem.

As the travelers faced the challenges of the journey, they would look ahead to the hills, where Jerusalem was — where they would find the temple, the dwelling place of God.

Now that Christ has come and sent his Spirit to live within those who believe, we can say along with Revelation 21:3 that “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Where does help come from? It comes from the Lord, who came to be with you.

2. Cast all your anxieties upon him, because he cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7

The verses before this one, 1 Peter 5:5-6, say that God “gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

Nothing is more humbling than grief. The loss of a loved one reminds you that your life is a mere breath. Dear Christian, cast your anxieties upon God, not so that you can live a carefree life but that in your humbled state he might care for you.

3. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:26

We know full well that our hearts fail us. Our bodies break down, our human emotions and wills and thoughts go astray.

Here is where hope is found: “But God.”

Paul uses these words in another famous passage to point us to the Gospel: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

In Psalm 73, our trials are overcome by God, who is our strength in weakness and our portion in time of famine. He will provide strength and sustenance forever.

4. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. — Deuteronomy 31:8

God comforts through his Word. The way to receive that comfort is to believe what he says: The Lord goes before you, is with you, and will not leave or forsake you.

Those truths may be particularly hard to believe right now. Yet he is faithful to his promises: He is with you, whether you feel his presence or, perhaps more likely, not. Trust in his Word in the midst of your grief.

5. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. — Lamentations 3:31-33

God does all things well. He measures the end from the beginning, and has set the span of our lives. So yes, He is sovereign over the things that cause us to grieve. In that sense, He causes grief.

Yet at the same time this passage makes it clear that causing grief is not His primary goal. Just a few verses previous we are reminded that “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

In the waiting we come to experience God’s goodness. As we endure these hardships, quietly trusting in His steadfast love, we come to know His salvation. Without trouble, what would we need to be saved from?

The promise is sure: He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love.

6. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. — Isaiah 26:3

Peace comes from setting your mind on the Lord, because trust only makes sense when you realize who it is in whom you trust. As the next verse says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

7. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” — John 11:25-26

The hope of resurrection unto eternal life gives great comfort in the wake of loss. Jesus spoke these words to console his grieving friend Martha, whose brother Lazarus had just died.

Here’s the amazing thing: Jesus would go on to prove his statement by raising Lazarus from the dead. But before he did, he called for Mary, the other sister, to come, and together they grieved. That’s where we see the shortest verse in Scripture, verse 34: “Jesus wept.”

Jesus weeps with us in our mourning, even as he plans the great resurrection where he will make all things new. Our God is one who enters into our lives to share our burdens as we learn to trust in him.

8. You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? — Psalm 56:8

God knows. As you toss and turn, as the tears roll down, rest in the truth that God knows.

He doesn’t know in a detached, all-knowing computer sort of way, but in a personal, close, intimate way. Instead, He counts each prayer and sigh throughout the restless night. He collects your tears and writes about them in his great storybook, which ends with every tear wiped away and all things made new.

Until that day, rest in the ending to this Psalm: “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” He knows, he cares, and he delivers so that you may walk with him in the light of life.

9. “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10

When you lose someone you love, everything in you reels because your world has been destabilized. You grieve and your emotions are all over the place. It feels like you’ve forgotten how to do basic things. Life just doesn’t seem right; instead, things feel shaky or slippery or unsettled.

That’s what it feels like to have the mountains depart and the hills removed. The world all around you is unstable. What was solid, substantial, strong, and secure is now… gone.

Yet God’s promise still stands. Even though everything around you is tumultuous, his covenant of peace — his promise of goodness towards you — shall not be removed. He has compassion on you. He cares. 

10. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. — Matthew 11:28-30

Here is the sweet Gospel call. Are you burdened? Are you heavy laden? Jesus bids you come. Come and rest. Yes, he calls you to bear his yoke, but it is easy because it is good.

Jesus is gentle, and will handle your sorrows and griefs with care because he himself bore them at the cross.

Comforting Bible Verses About Death

If you’ve experienced the death of a loved one, you know the profound sense of loss that now touches every area of your life. But there is hope and comfort to be found in the Scriptures!

The Bible is God’s Word, and, as 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness in the knowledge of Him and in His great promises.

In other words, in the Bible we can find the strength and hope we need for this life – even the loss of a loved one.

May the Lord bless you with his grace and presence as you grieve your loved one.

11. Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. — Romans 5:3-4

12. From the end of the earth will I cry to you. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. — Psalm 61:2

13. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. — John 14:1-4

14. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38-39

This verse says it so very plainly. In Christ, God loves us. We cannot be separated from that love, even by death.

The famous first question from the Heidelberg Catechism captures this idea perfectly:

Q: What is your only comfort in life and death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

15. And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. — Ecclesiastes 12:7

16. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. — Romans 14:8

17. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. — Philippians 1:21

18. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

This promise is perhaps my favorite Bible verse for grief.

19. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16

20. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. — Revelation 21:4

Comforting Bible Verses for Unexpected Death

Losing a loved one is always hard, but it is all the more shocking when the death is unexpected. God did not leave you to face these trials alone — he gave us his Word, which has everything we need for life and godliness, and he gave us his Spirit to be near us in times of need.

Remember what Isaiah prophesied, which was fulfilled in Jesus: “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” You, my friend, are bruised and smoldering. But our dear Lord will not break you, nor will he quench you.

Come and rest in the promises of God.

21. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. — Isaiah 43:2

22. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. — John 6:39-40

23. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. — Psalm 34:18

24. After your season of suffering, God in all his grace will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. — 1 Peter 5:10

(A paraphrase from an unknown source.)

25. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. — 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The entire passage is meant to be a comfort for those who grieve. Read it slowly and prayerfully:

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

26. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. — Psalm 116:15

27. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. — Philippians 3:20-21

28. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. — Psalm 119:50

29. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. — Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar sections in all of Scripture, and for very good reason. It is a comforting Bible verse for anyone who has experienced the grief that comes with the loss of a loved one.

Read the whole thing here.

30. I am with you always. — Matthew 28:20

This promise from Jesus is a remarkable one: “I am with you always.” Think about that — he is with you now. Even as he was leaving his disciples behind, in their sadness, fear, doubt, and bewilderment at all that happened, Jesus gave them something to do and then gave them a promise to sustain them.

First, he commissioned his disciples (and by extension, us) to go out into the world and proclaim his gospel, making more disciples and teaching them all his commands. Along with that simple yet life-encompassing commission, he provided a beautiful promise: he is with us.

Yes, the Suffering Savior, who knows grief and pain and death and loss, is present in your life right now. It’s this promise that allows you to see hope even in your darkest hour. When you’ve met the risen Christ and trust that he has conquered death on your behalf, you know that in Him everything will one day be made new and right.

As Thomas Watson has said, “A gracious heart spies mercy in every condition.” Here is that mercy: Jesus is with you.

Related: Unexpected Death Quotes

Comforting Bible Verses for Loss of a Child

Losing a child is without a doubt one of the most heartbreaking things any human can experience.

Incredibly, God understands what it is like to lose a child. After all, he gave his only Son in order to redeem us. And he did so willingly, knowing far better than anyone what the cost would be. Run to him in the midst of sorrow, and know that he will receive you, comfort you, and bind up your wounds.

31. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. — John 16:22

Related: 60 Comforting Sympathy Messages for Loss of a Child

32. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. — Matthew 5:4

33. I have loved you with an everlasting love. — Jeremiah 31:3

34. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. — Psalm 55:22

35. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. — Psalm 25:16

Related: 17 Best Funeral Songs for Child Loss

Bible Verses for Comfort and Encouragement

The mourner needs time to process and heal. In the midst of that time, the best things you can do is provide comfort and strength through the hope that is in Christ.

Sometimes, this is shown in practical ways. Here are 83 highly specific ways to comfort someone. Your support is always going to include a combination of being present and giving them space. When you are present, silence is good. But there are often times to speak up, too.

Here is our guide to the gentlest and most helpful words of comfort. For Christians, those words are always going to include the sure and trustworthy Word of God. Read on for some of the most beloved Bible verses for comfort and strength in times of loss.

36. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

37. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. — Psalm 147:3

38. Then you shall call and the Lord will answer; you shall cry and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ — Isaiah 58:9

39. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust. — Psalm 91:2

40. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. — Proverbs 18:10

41. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — II Corinthians 4:18

42. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? — Psalm 27:1

43. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. — Psalm 116:2

44. Hold on to the promises. — Adapted from Hebrews 10:23

Here’s how the ESV translates it: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

45. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. — Romans 5:1-5

46. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. — Isaiah 40:31

47. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

48. God is greater than our hearts. — 1 John 3:20

Your heart is feeling so many things right now. Pain, sorrow, regret, bewilderment. Longing and heartache. Love and anger. Confusion and fear, yet sweet joy at the memories of your loved one.

God made our hearts capable of feeling all these things, and it is right for you to feel this way. Your loved one was a part of your life, and therefore affected every part of your life. The loss is real, and your emotions are the proper response to such a loss.

God wants you to know this: He is greater. He is greater than the whirlwind of emotions. In fact, as he did with Job, he speaks to you from the whirlwind. He is greater than whatever your heart is going through right now, and he has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you.

In 1 John 3:19-20, the apostle writes to reassure your heart. Here’s the full quote:

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

God knows all — even your grief. And he is greater.

49. When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. — Psalm 94:18-19

50. Whoever believes in me has eternal life. — John 6:47

Jesus offers the only true source of comfort: “Whoever believes in me has eternal life.” This is a promise that brings comfort!

Annihilation offers no hope: You will never see those you love again, nor will you be seen by anyone. Wishful thinking is just that: A wish, but with nothing solid to rest upon. Living the best you can has no hope, because you know that no matter how good you’ve been, you could have done a little bit better… but didn’t.

Jesus promises that whoever believes in him will live forever. He proved that he conquered death by rising from the grave, paying the penalty for sin in his death and bestowing on all who trust in him the same righteousness that he lived out while here on earth. Trust him!

More verses: 50 Best Funeral Scriptures

How to Share Bible Verses to Comfort the Grieving

It’s always hard to know what to say. So here’s the thing: Just do it.

Yes, you don’t want to be overbearing and put your foot in your mouth. If you’ve read this far, you don’t seem like the type to do that. Be sensitive, but don’t let your sensitivity keep you from saying what could be truly helpful.

After all, as Paul wrote in Romans 15:14, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.”

Did you catch that? As believers, God fills us with knowledge through his Word so that we are able to instruct one another. By his grace, we’re able to use the Scriptures to encourage and comfort and show each other something of the goodness and glory of God.

Even in the midst of suffering.

So be encouraged — you have what it takes to share the Scriptures with someone who is grieving.

But, practically speaking, how do you do that? Here’s what I suggest:

1. Choose several meaningful passages from the verses quoted above.
2. Text one to your friend and arrange to meet up with them — if they’re feeling up to it. You can say something as simple as, “I was thinking of you and wanted to share this verse. If you’re feeling up to seeing people, I’d love to get together soon.”
3. Write one down in a sympathy card or note, and add your personal thoughts and condolences. Give this to your friend when you visit.
4. Have another one or two that you plan to share with your grieving friend when you visit.
5. Here’s the most important point: Know the Scriptures well, and love Christ greatly. As your knowledge of God and your affection for his Word and his ways grows, you will naturally think of and say things that honor him and encourage others.

I’ll close by reminding you of what Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Do you realize that truth? God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through knowing him. As you grow in your understanding of the Bible, you’ll have what you need to truly comfort your grieving friend with the Scriptures.

Read Next: Bible Verses About Grief and Hope