Bitterness is a feeling of resentment, displeasure, or hostility that is caused by an offense or when someone has hurt us. It can be directed towards others, such as friends, family members, co-workers, or even God.
It can also be the result of a situation in which we feel like we’ve been wronged. Bitterness can make it difficult for us to forgive and move on. In the Bible, bitterness is often connected with sin and unforgiveness.
Bitterness is a powerful feeling. And according to the Bible, it’s also one of the most dangerous emotions we can experience. Bitterness can poison our relationships, destroy our peace of mind, and keep us from experiencing God’s love.
Bitterness can also be directed inwardly, causing feelings of self-hatred and depression. When someone harbors bitterness in their heart, it poisons their entire being and affects every area of their life.
The first thing to understand about bitterness is that it’s not just a negative emotion. It’s also a choice. We can choose to let bitterness take control of our lives, or we can choose to let go of it. When we choose to let go of bitterness, we open ourselves up to God’s love and forgiveness.
When we harbor bitterness in our hearts, it can damage our relationships and even lead us into more sin. That’s why it’s so important to deal with bitterness as soon as we start to feel it. These Bible verses about bitterness will help you do just that.
The Causes of Bitterness
Many different things can cause a person to feel bitter. Some common causes of bitterness include:
- Hurt: When we are hurt, it is natural to feel angry and resentful. This can be caused by physical or emotional pain.
- Disappointment: We may feel bitter when our expectations are not met. This can happen in our personal lives or our careers.
- Betrayal: We may feel bitter when someone we trust hurts us. This can be a friend, family member, or romantic partner.
- Jealous: We may feel bitter when we see someone else achieve something we want. This can be due to envy or insecurity.
The Effects of Bitterness
Bitterness is not a healthy emotion, and it can hurt our lives. Some common effects of bitterness include:
- It can damage our relationships: When we are bitter, we may say and do things that damage our relationships with others. We may also withdraw from people and become isolated.
- It can hinder our ability to forgive. When we are bitter, we may find it difficult to let go of the hurt and move on.
- It can make us unhappy. Bitterness can cause us to focus on the negative and make us feel unhappy.
- It can impact our physical health. For example, research has shown that bitterness can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.
- Negative emotions: Bitterness can lead to other negative emotions such as anger, resentment, and jealousy. These emotions can be destructive and harmful to our mental and physical health.
- Miss out on joy: When we are focused on bitterness, we may miss out on the good things in life. We may also miss out on opportunities to forgive and move on.
Bible Verses About Bitterness
If you are struggling with bitterness today, I encourage you to turn to God’s Word for help. The following Bible verses about bitterness will help you overcome this destructive emotion and find healing for your soul.
1. Amos 8:10
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
2. Ezekiel 3:14
So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
3. Amos 5:7
Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
4. Jeremiah 23:15
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
5. Job 21:25
And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.
6. Proverbs 14:30
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
7. Proverbs 17:25
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
8. Revelation 8:11
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
9. Proverbs 27:7
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
10. Matthew 20:22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
11. 2 Kings 2:19
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
12. Job 27:2
As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
13. James 3:11
Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
14. Ruth 1:20
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
15. Numbers 5:24
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
16. Numbers 5:23
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
17. Isaiah 38:17
Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
18. Deuteronomy 29:18
Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
19. Ezekiel 27:31
And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
20. Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
21. Genesis 27:34
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
22. Job 10:1
My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
23. Genesis 49:23
The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24. Revelation 10:9
And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
25. Acts 8:23
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
26. Proverbs 14:10
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
27. Numbers 5:27
And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
28. Isaiah 38:15
What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
29. Job 9:18
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
30. 1 Samuel 1:10
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
31. 1 Samuel 15:32
Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
32. Psalm 71:20
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
33. Proverbs 5:4
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
34. Deuteronomy 32:32
For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
35. James 3:14
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
36. Exodus 15:23
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
37. Habakkuk 1:6
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
38. Isaiah 24:9
They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
39. Hebrews 12:15
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
40. Ecclesiastes 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
41. Exodus 1:14
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
42. Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
43. Ezekiel 21:6
Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
44. Romans 3:14
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
45. Proverbs 31:6
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
46. Isaiah 5:20
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
47. Psalm 73:21
Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
