Bullying is the use of power against someone who has less of it, and it has existed long before the word was coined.
Goliath stood in the valley of Elah for forty days and hurled insults at Israel’s army.
Every morning and every evening he came out and taunted them, and every morning and every evening the entire army fled in fear.
The intimidation was systematic and deliberate, designed to crush confidence before any weapon was raised. That is what bullying does.
The physical harm is the least of it. The persistent message that you are less than, that you do not belong, that you will not be defended, is what does the lasting damage.
The Bible does not use the word bullying, but it tracks the behavior with precision.
It describes those who oppress the poor because they are poor. It names the scorners, the taunt-throwers, the ones who use their position to humiliate those beneath them.
Proverbs 17:5 says whoever mocks the poor insults their Maker. That is a theological statement.
The person being targeted is not just a victim. They are an image-bearer. What is done to them lands on the one who made them.
What the Bible says to the person being bullied is different from what it says to the bystander and different again from what it says about the bully.
To the one being targeted: you are seen, you are defended, you are not defined by what the bully says about you.
Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 9:9 says the Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed. Isaiah 43:1 says God has called you by name and you are his.
To those watching: Proverbs 31:8 says speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Silence in the face of cruelty is not neutrality. It is participation by another name.
What God Says About the One Being Bullied
1. The Lord Is a Stronghold for the Oppressed, a Stronghold in Times of Trouble
“The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” ESV | Psalm 9:9
2. The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted and Saves Those Who Are Crushed in Spirit
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” NIV | Psalm 34:18
3. I Have Called You by Name, You Are Mine
“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’” ESV | Isaiah 43:1
4. You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” ESV | Psalm 139:14
5. No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” NKJV | Isaiah 54:17
6. The Lord Will Fight for You, You Need Only to Be Still
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” NIV | Exodus 14:14
7. The Lord Is on My Side, I Will Not Fear, What Can Man Do to Me?
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” ESV | Psalm 118:6
What God Thinks of the Bully’s Behavior
8. Whoever Mocks the Poor Insults His Maker
“Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” ESV | Proverbs 17:5
9. Do Not Use Your Freedom as an Opportunity to Harm Others
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” ESV | Galatians 5:13
10. Let No Corrupting Talk Come Out of Your Mouths but Only Such as Is Good for Building Up
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” ESV | Ephesians 4:29
11. With the Tongue We Praise Our Lord and Father, and With It We Curse Human Beings Made in God’s Likeness
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.” NIV | James 3:9
12. The Lord Examines the Righteous but the Wicked, Those Who Love Violence, He Hates With a Passion
“The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.” NIV | Psalm 11:5
13. Woe to Those Who Make Unjust Laws and Deprive the Poor of Their Rights
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.” NIV | Isaiah 10:1–2
Speak Up: What Scripture Asks of Those Watching
14. Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” NIV | Proverbs 31:8
15. Rescue Those Being Led Away to Death, Hold Back Those Staggering Toward Slaughter
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” NIV | Proverbs 24:11
16. Do Not Stand Idly by When Your Neighbor’s Life Is at Stake
“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.” NIV | Leviticus 19:16
17. Defend the Weak and the Fatherless, Uphold the Cause of the Poor and Oppressed
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” NIV | Psalm 82:3
Responding to Bullying Without Becoming What Hurt You
18. Do Not Repay Evil for Evil but Overcome Evil With Good
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” NIV | Romans 12:17
19. Bless Those Who Persecute You, Bless and Do Not Curse
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” NIV | Romans 12:14
20. Do Not Be Overcome by Evil but Overcome Evil With Good
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” NIV | Romans 12:21
21. The Lord Will Repay, Vengeance Is Mine Says the Lord
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” ESV | Romans 12:19
You Are Not What They Said
22. The Lord Does Not Look at the Things People Look At; He Looks at the Heart
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” NIV | 1 Samuel 16:7
23. You Are Precious in My Eyes and Honored, and I Love You
“Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.” ESV | Isaiah 43:4
24. Neither the One Who Plants nor the One Who Waters Is Anything, but God Who Makes Things Grow
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” NIV | 1 Corinthians 3:7
25. Blessed Are You When People Insult You and Persecute You Falsely Because of Me
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” NIV | Matthew 5:11
God’s Justice Is Coming
26. God Will Bring Every Act to Judgment Including Every Hidden Thing
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” NIV | Ecclesiastes 12:14
27. He Will Defend the Afflicted Among the People and Save the Children of the Needy
“May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.” NIV | Psalm 72:4
What the Bully Said Is Not the Final Word
Goliath was the biggest, loudest, most intimidating presence in the valley.
He was also wrong about David. He misjudged everything about the situation: what David was, what David carried, and what was standing behind David. The forty-day campaign of intimidation ended in a few seconds, and the entire Philistine army fled.
The person doing the bullying is not omniscient. They do not have access to what God has placed in the person they are targeting. The verdict they are pronouncing is neither accurate nor permanent, and not the last word.
Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. That closeness is not a future promise. It is a present reality for the person currently in the valley.
Readers Ask About Bullying and the Bible
What does the Bible say about bullying?
Proverbs 17:5 says whoever mocks the poor insults their Maker. Psalm 11:5 says God hates those who love violence. Ephesians 4:29 commands speech that builds up rather than tears down. Proverbs 31:8 calls for speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. The Bible does not excuse bullying. It treats it as an offense against the image of God in the person targeted.
How should a Christian respond to being bullied?
Romans 12:14–21 provides the framework: bless those who persecute, do not repay evil for evil, leave vengeance to God. This does not mean passive acceptance of abuse. It means refusing to become what hurt you. Seeking help, removing yourself from danger, and speaking to appropriate authorities are all consistent with these principles.
What Bible verses give strength when you are being bullied?
Psalm 9:9 calls God a stronghold for the oppressed. Isaiah 43:1 says God has called you by name and you are his. Psalm 118:6 says with God on your side, there is nothing man can ultimately do. Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon formed against you shall prosper. These verses address identity and divine protection directly.
What does the Bible say about cyberbullying?
The Bible does not name cyberbullying specifically, but its principles apply without adjustment. James 3:9 condemns cursing human beings made in God’s likeness regardless of the medium. Ephesians 4:29 commands building up rather than tearing down. Proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue, which includes typed words. The medium is different. The moral weight is identical.
What should a Christian parent do if their child is being bullied?
Proverbs 31:8 commands speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Psalm 82:3 says to defend the weak and the fatherless. Parents are authorized and instructed by Scripture to advocate for their children, involve appropriate authorities, and stand between the child and ongoing harm. Choosing silence or teaching a child to endure cruelty without seeking help is not the biblical posture.
Father, Hear the Person Reading This Who Is Carrying What a Bully Said About Them
Father, I want to bring before you the specific words that have lodged in the person reading this, the names they were called, the way they were treated, the accumulated message that they are less than what you made them to be.
Let Isaiah 43:1 land where the damage is: you called this person by name, and they are yours, and that fact is not revised by what anyone else has said about them.
Give them the strength to seek help, the courage to speak, and the settled knowledge that your verdict about who they are is the only one that holds.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.