Betrayal is a deeply human experience that touches the heart. The Bible offers many stories and teachings that reflect this painful reality. These verses provide wisdom and comfort, highlighting God’s unwavering faithfulness. As we explore 120 Bible verses about betrayal, may we find understanding, healing, and a reminder of God’s steadfast presence.

Betrayal by Friends

• Psalm 41:9 – “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
• Job 19:19 – “All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me.”
• Psalm 55:12-14 – “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
• Jeremiah 20:10 – “I hear many whispering, ‘Terror on every side!’ They conspire against me and plot to take my life.”
• Micah 7:5-6 – “Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.”
• Proverbs 16:28 – “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
• Matthew 26:14-16 – “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
• Luke 22:48 – “But Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'”
• Proverbs 27:6 – “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
• 2 Timothy 4:10 – “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”

Betrayal by Family

• Genesis 37:18-20 – “But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. They said to each other, ‘Here comes that dreamer! Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.'”
• 1 Samuel 16:11 – “Then he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered. ‘He is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.'”
• Psalm 69:8 – “I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children.”
• Genesis 4:8-10 – “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?'”
• 2 Samuel 16:11 – “David then said to Abishai and all his officials, ‘My son, my own flesh and blood, who came from my own body, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.'”
• Genesis 27:35-36 – “But he said, ‘Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.’ Esau said, ‘Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!'”
• Judges 15:6 – “The Philistines asked, ‘Who did this?’ And they were told, ‘Samson, the Timnite’s son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion.’ So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.”
• Matthew 10:21 – “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.”
• Matthew 10:35-36 – “For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.'”
• Luke 21:16 – “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.”

Betrayal by Leaders

• 2 Samuel 15:10-12 – “Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’’ While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.”
• 1 Kings 12:16 – “When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: ‘What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!’ So the Israelites went home.”
• Psalm 55:20-21 – “My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
• Acts 7:52 – “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—”
• Micah 3:5 – “This is what the LORD says: ‘As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.'”
• John 12:4-6 – “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
• Jeremiah 5:26-28 – “‘Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice.'”
• Ezekiel 22:27 – “‘Your princes in the midst of you are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.'”
• Acts 1:18 – “(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.”
• Luke 13:34 – “‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.'”

Betrayal of Trust

• Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
• Psalm 109:4-5 – “In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.”
• Luke 22:21 – “But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.”
• Mark 14:10-11 – “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
• Proverbs 25:19 – “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.”
• Proverbs 19:5 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
• Jeremiah 9:4 – “‘Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.'”
• Proverbs 26:25-26 – “When they speak graciously, believe them not, for there are seven abominations in their heart; though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed in the assembly.”
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 – “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'”
• 2 Samuel 19:26-27 – “He said, ‘My lord the king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame.'”

Political Betrayal

• 2 Samuel 20:9-10 – “Joab said to Amasa, ‘How are you, my brother?’ Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.”
• 1 Kings 2:22-23 – “King Solomon answered his mother, ‘Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah!'”
• Jeremiah 12:6 – “Your relatives, members of your own family—even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.”
• Jeremiah 38:22 – “All the women left in the king of Judah’s palace will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: ‘They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.'”
• Ezekiel 16:38 – “I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.”
• Mark 3:19 – “And Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
• Acts 23:12-14 – “The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, ‘We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.'”
• Matthew 27:3-4 – “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’ ‘What is that to us?’ they replied. ‘That’s your responsibility.'”
• Luke 22:3-6 – “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.”
• Psalms 94:20-21 – “Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.”

Personal Betrayal

• Proverbs 18:24 – “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
• John 13:21 – “After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.'”
• Matthew 24:10 – “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.”
• Luke 22:22 – “The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”
• Matthew 26:23 – “Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.'”
• Mark 14:44 – “Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.'”
• Psalms 55:23 – “But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.”
• Luke 22:54-55 – “Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.”
• Genesis 27:41 – “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.'”
• Psalms 41:7 – “All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,”

Betrayal Leading to Downfall

• 2 Kings 21:23 – “The officials of Amon conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace.”
• Nehemiah 6:10-13 – “One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, ‘Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.’ But I said, ‘Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!’ I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
• Matthew 26:47-49 – “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.”
• Luke 22:47-48 – “While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'”
• Acts 5:3 – “Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?'”
• 2 Samuel 17:1-2 – “Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Let me choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I will attack him while he is weary and weak. I will strike him with terror, and all the people with him will flee. I will strike down only the king.'”
• Proverbs 29:24 – “Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.”
• Matthew 26:15 – “And said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.”
• Luke 22:31-32 – “‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.'”
• 1 Samuel 18:17 – “Saul said to David, ‘Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.’ For Saul thought, ‘Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.'”

Spiritual Betrayal

• Jeremiah 23:11 – “‘Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness,’ declares the Lord.”
• Ezekiel 34:10 – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.”
• Matthew 7:15 – “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
• Galatians 2:4 – “This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.”
• 2 Peter 2:1-3 – “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”
• 1 Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
• Revelation 13:14 – “Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.”
• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
• Acts 8:23 – “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
• 2 Timothy 3:5 – “Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Betrayal and Its Consequences

• 2 Samuel 3:27 – “When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.”
• Jeremiah 11:19 – “I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, ‘Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.'”
• Psalm 109:2-5 – “For people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.”
• Proverbs 17:13 – “Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.”
• Matthew 26:52 – “Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
• Matthew 27:5 – “So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.”
• Acts 12:2 – “He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.”
• Proverbs 26:27 – “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.”
• Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
• Romans 3:13-14 – “‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.’ ‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’ ‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.'”

Forgiveness After Betrayal

• Luke 23:34 – “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”
• Matthew 18:21-22 – “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
• Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
• Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
• 1 Peter 2:23 – “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
• Luke 17:3-4 – “So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.'”
• 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 – “Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
• Genesis 45:4-5 – “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.'”
• Romans 12:19 – “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
• Acts 7:59-60 – “While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Betrayal by a Nation

• Jeremiah 3:20 – “But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.
• Ezekiel 23:35 – “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
• Hosea 5:7 – “They are unfaithful to the Lord; they give birth to illegitimate children. Now their New Moon festivals will devour them and their fields.”
• Isaiah 1:4 – “Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.”
• Hosea 6:7 – “As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there.”
• Jeremiah 5:11 – “The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.
• Ezekiel 39:23 – “And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.”
• Isaiah 48:8 – “You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth.”
• Jeremiah 12:1 – “You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?”

Unexpected Betrayal

• Judges 16:18 – “When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, ‘Come back once more; he has told me everything.’ So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.”
• 1 Samuel 22:17 – “Then the king ordered the guards at his side: ‘Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.’ But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.”
• 2 Samuel 4:11 – “How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!”
• Luke 22:23 – “They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.”
• Matthew 26:21 – “And while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.'”
• Acts 16:37 – “But Paul said to the officers: ‘They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.'”
• Mark 14:18 – “While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.'”

Betrayal and Repentance

• Luke 15:18-19 – “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.'”
• 2 Samuel 12:13 – “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.'”
• Psalms 51:1-4 – “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.”
• Acts 3:19 – “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Conclusion

Reflecting on these 120 Bible verses about betrayal, we find solace and wisdom in God’s Word. They remind us that even in our deepest pain, God’s faithfulness remains. Let these verses guide us toward healing and understanding, and may we always remember that God’s love and support are ever-present.