"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
This is comfort by proximity. God does not merely send an idea; he draws near to the brokenhearted.
SCRIPTURE BY TOPIC
Bible Verses About Comfort
When you are grieving, anxious, afraid, or simply worn down, Scripture does not ask you to pretend you are fine. It gives you the promise of God's nearness.
QUICK REFERENCE
Top 10 Bible verses about comfort
If you need comfort now, begin with these passages. They are short enough to pray slowly and strong enough to carry real sorrow.
- Psalm 34:18 - "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
- Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - "The God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation."
- Psalm 23:4 - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."
- Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee."
- John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."
- Matthew 11:28 - "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
- Psalm 147:3 - "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."
- Revelation 21:4 - "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death."
- Mosiah 18:9 - "Mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." (Book of Mormon)
Biblical Comfort
Comfort is not denial. It is God's presence in pain.
When the Bible speaks about comfort, it does not mean shallow reassurance or forced positivity. Biblical comfort is stronger than that. It is the nearness of God in sorrow, the promise that suffering is not the final word, and the gift of enough strength for the next step.
That is why the strongest comfort verses often appear in painful places: gravesides, exile, persecution, fear, exhaustion, and grief. Scripture does not comfort you by pretending the valley is not real. It comforts you by saying, "thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).
Grief and Loss
Comfort for grief and loss
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
Jesus does not shame mourning. He calls mourners blessed because they are precisely the people God promises to meet.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying."
The final comfort of Scripture is not that grief becomes manageable. It is that God will end death itself.
For a fuller study, see Bible verses for grief and the grief journey guide.
Fear and Anxiety
Comfort when you are afraid
Fear often asks, "What if I am alone in this?" The Bible's repeated answer is, "I am with thee." That phrase appears at the center of many comfort passages because God's presence is the foundation of courage.
- Isaiah 41:10 - God answers fear with presence, help, and strength.
- John 14:27 - Jesus gives peace that does not depend on stable circumstances.
- Philippians 4:6-7 - prayer becomes the doorway to peace that guards the heart and mind.
- 1 Peter 5:7 - anxiety can be cast on God because his care is personal.
Related collections: Bible verses for anxiety, Bible verses about fear, and Bible verses about peace.
Hard Times
Comfort in hard times
Some seasons cannot be fixed quickly. Scripture's comfort in those seasons is not a shortcut around endurance. It is the promise that God sustains his people inside endurance.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus does not wait for the exhausted to get stronger. He invites the weary to come as they are.
"They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength."
Waiting on God is not passive resignation. It is the posture where strength is renewed.
See also Bible verses about strength, Bible verses about hope, and Bible verses for hard times.
Community
Comforting others with the comfort you received
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says God comforts us "that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble." Comfort is not meant to stop with us. It becomes a ministry.
Sometimes the most biblical comfort is simple presence: sitting with someone, praying without correcting, listening without rushing, and carrying part of the weight. The Book of Mormon describes covenant discipleship this way: "mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:9).
Book of Mormon & Restoration Companion
What the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants add
The Bible names God as "the God of all comfort." The Restoration scriptures name how that comfort arrives — through a Christ who has been where you are, in a community covenanted to mourn with you, and as a peace that does not wait for circumstances to change.
Alma 7:11–12
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind... that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
The deepest comfort scripture offers: Christ did not learn how to comfort you by observation. He learned by experience. Whatever you are carrying, he has carried. Succor is an old word for the running-toward of help — God moving toward your specific pain because he has felt your specific pain.
Mosiah 18:8–9
"As ye are desirous to come into the fold of God... are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."
The baptismal covenant in Alma's words. The body of Christ is bound to mourn with you. If you feel alone in your grief, this verse rebukes the silence around you and binds those who love Christ to show up — with food, with presence, with quiet sitting. If you are the comforter, this verse is your mandate.
D&C 121:7–9
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high... Thy friends do stand by thee."
Joseph Smith heard this in Liberty Jail during one of the worst seasons of his life. The Lord did not minimize the suffering. He put time around it — a small moment — and named the friends still standing with him. Comfort here is not the absence of pain. It is the company you keep inside it.
Helaman 5:47
"Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world."
The voice from heaven to Nephi and Lehi in literal prison. Comfort here is not contingent on the building's shaking stopping or the cloud lifting. It is anchored in Christ. Many of God's most personal comforts arrive while the surrounding situation is still hard.
Read these alongside Psalm 34:18, 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, and Matthew 5:4 above. The Bible names God as the source of comfort; the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants name the experience of receiving it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about comfort in the Bible
What is the best Bible verse for comfort?
Psalm 34:18 is one of the strongest: "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart." Matthew 5:4, Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, and Revelation 21:4 are also central comfort passages.
What Bible verse comforts someone who is grieving?
Matthew 5:4 speaks directly to mourners: "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Psalm 34:18 promises God's nearness, and Revelation 21:4 gives the final hope that death and sorrow will end.
How can I use these verses when I feel overwhelmed?
Choose one short verse and pray it slowly. For example, with Psalm 23:4, breathe through the phrase "thou art with me." The goal is not to master every passage at once. It is to let one promise become steady under your feet.
What do the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants say about comfort?
The Restoration scriptures give comfort an Atonement vocabulary. Alma 7:11–12 says Christ took on "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind" so that "he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people." Mosiah 18:8–9 makes mourning with others a covenant: "mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." D&C 121:7–9, given in Liberty Jail, names present suffering "a small moment." D&C 6:34 promises "I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd." Helaman 5:47 records Christ giving peace not because circumstances changed but because faith in him remained: "Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved."
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