Excuses

Excuses are reasons offered for not obeying or for shifting blame, and all people are without excuse before God. This page lists verses on being without excuse, blaming others, excuses for not answering God's call, excuses in the teaching of Jesus, the sluggard's excuses, and excuses that do not stand before God.

Without excuse

• Romans 1:20
  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
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• Romans 2:1
  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
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• John 15:22
  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
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• Romans 3:19
  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
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Blaming others

• Genesis 3:12-13
  ¹²And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”
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• Exodus 32:22-24
  ²²And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. ²³For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’ ²⁴And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”
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• 1 Samuel 13:11-12
  ¹¹And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹²Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
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• 1 Samuel 15:20-21
  ²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction. ²¹But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
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• 1 Samuel 15:24
  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
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Excuses for not answering God's call

• Exodus 3:11
  And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
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• Exodus 4:1
  And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
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• Exodus 4:10-13
  ¹⁰And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.” ¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? ¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.” ¹³And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”
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• Jeremiah 1:6-7
  ⁶Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!” ⁷But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
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• Judges 6:15-16
  ¹⁵And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” ¹⁶And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.“Surely I will be with you,” the LORD replied, “and you will strike down all the Midianites as one man.”
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Excuses in the teaching of Jesus

• Luke 14:18-20
  ¹⁸And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ ¹⁹And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’ ²⁰And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
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• Luke 9:59-62
  ⁵⁹And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.” ⁶²And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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• Matthew 25:24-26
  ²⁴Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’ ²⁶His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.
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The sluggard's excuses

• Proverbs 22:13
  The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”
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• Proverbs 20:4
  The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
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• Ecclesiastes 11:4
  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.
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Excuses that do not stand

• Proverbs 24:11-12
  ¹¹If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. ¹²If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
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• James 1:13-14
  ¹³Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. ¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
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• Proverbs 28:13
  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
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See also

• Accountability
• Obedience
• Laziness
• Confession
• Calling
• Self-deception

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.