Complaining

Complaining, called murmuring in the King James Version, is the expression of discontent or grievance. Israel murmured in the wilderness, and believers are told to do all things without murmurings.

Without murmurings

• Philippians 2:14-15
  ¹⁴Do all things without murmurings and disputings:Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
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• 1 Peter 4:9
  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
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• James 5:9
  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
  Show context · Read James 5 →

Murmuring in the wilderness

• Exodus 16:2-8
  ²And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ³And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” ⁴Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. ⁵And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” ⁶And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we that you should grumble against us?” ⁸And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”
  Show context · Read Exodus 16 →
• Numbers 11:1
  And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
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• Numbers 14:26-29
  ²⁶And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ²⁷How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.“How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me. ²⁸Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. ²⁹Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.
  Show context · Read Numbers 14 →
• Exodus 15:23-24
  ²³And 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.And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.) ²⁴And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
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A warning to the church

• 1 Corinthians 10:10-11
  ¹⁰Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
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• Jude 1:16
  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.
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Pouring out a complaint to God

• Psalm 142:1-2
  ¹I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy. ²I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.
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• Psalm 77:1-3
  ¹I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me. ²In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted. ³I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah
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• Job 7:11
  Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
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Contentment and thanks

• Philippians 4:11-12
  ¹¹Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. ¹²I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.
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• 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
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• Hebrews 13:5
  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
  Show context · Read Hebrews 13 →

See also

• Contentment
• Thankfulness
• Speech
• Patience
• Joy

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.