100 Bible Verses about Hypocrisy

1 John 4:20 ESV / 1,068 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Matthew 7:5 ESV / 1,024 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Matthew 6:1 ESV / 1,000 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

James 1:26 ESV / 971 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Matthew 7:1-5 ESV / 774 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Matthew 15:7-9 ESV / 681 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Romans 2:3 ESV / 565 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

1 John 2:9 ESV / 545 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Luke 12:2 ESV / 530 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Titus 1:16 ESV / 466 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

2 Timothy 3:5 ESV / 463 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Matthew 6:5 ESV / 440 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

1 John 2:4 ESV / 424 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

Matthew 7:15 ESV / 424 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

James 2:14-26 ESV / 419 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ...

Matthew 6:2 ESV / 384 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV / 372 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 23:23 ESV / 335 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Romans 2:1-5 ESV / 314 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

Matthew 6:16 ESV / 286 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 23:27 ESV / 283 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.

Romans 2:1 ESV / 279 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

1 Peter 2:1 ESV / 275 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

Mark 7:6 ESV / 272 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

1 Peter 2:16 ESV / 263 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Matthew 23:13 ESV / 254 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

Matthew 23:15 ESV / 243 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Psalm 55:21 ESV / 240 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

Isaiah 29:13 ESV / 236 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Matthew 23:5 ESV / 230 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

Galatians 6:3 ESV / 229 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Luke 12:1 ESV / 227 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:27-28 ESV / 220 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Luke 6:46 ESV / 218 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

Proverbs 11:9 ESV / 216 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

Psalm 101:7 ESV / 212 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.

Matthew 22:18 ESV / 209 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?

Matthew 24:51 ESV / 207 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 16:15 ESV / 198 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Luke 20:46-47 ESV / 187 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Matthew 23:25 ESV / 181 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV / 170 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

James 3:17 ESV / 166 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Matthew 23:1-39 ESV / 161 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ...

Luke 18:11 ESV / 158 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

James 1:22 ESV / 154 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Matthew 6:24 ESV / 154 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 23:28 ESV / 149 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Proverbs 26:23-26 ESV / 146 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Romans 10:3 ESV / 145 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

1 John 1:6 ESV / 144 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Matthew 15:7 ESV / 144 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

Matthew 23:14 ESV / 143 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 23:29 ESV / 141 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

Romans 3:23 ESV / 138 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Isaiah 65:5 ESV / 138 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

Matthew 7:3-5 ESV / 137 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Job 15:34 ESV / 135 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery.

Isaiah 32:6 ESV / 132 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

Psalm 50:16 ESV / 131 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?

Job 36:13 ESV / 130 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them.

Job 8:13 ESV / 130 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish.

Jeremiah 9:4 ESV / 123 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.

Matthew 15:8 ESV / 122 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

Romans 16:18 ESV / 121 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Matthew 16:3 ESV / 119 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Isaiah 33:14 ESV / 117 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”

Matthew 7:1-29 ESV / 115 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. ...

Mark 7:6-8 ESV / 109 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Matthew 23:23-24 ESV / 109 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Luke 16:13 ESV / 107 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Matthew 23:17 ESV / 105 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Jude 1:16 ESV / 104 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

1 Timothy 4:2 ESV / 104 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

Micah 3:11 ESV / 100 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.”

Job 27:8-10 ESV / 99 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life? Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?

2 Peter 2:3 ESV / 98 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Psalm 5:9 ESV / 98 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.

Matthew 23:3 ESV / 97 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

James 1:22-23 ESV / 96 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

Luke 11:39 ESV / 95 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

Isaiah 29:15 ESV / 94 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

Psalm 52:4 ESV / 91 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.

Amos 5:21-27 ESV / 89 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ...

Matthew 23:6-7 ESV / 88 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

Jeremiah 42:20 ESV / 87 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

That you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us and we will do it.’

Psalm 50:17 ESV / 85 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.

Proverbs 25:19 ESV / 84 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

James 1:22-25 ESV / 78 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Luke 12:54-56 ESV / 73 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Jeremiah 7:4 ESV / 73 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

2 Timothy 3:13 ESV / 71 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

James 4:8 ESV / 70 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

John 8:4-9 ESV / 69 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ...

Matthew 21:28-32 ESV / 69 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Isaiah 1:11-15 ESV / 69 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Jeremiah 7:8-10 ESV / 68 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?

Ezekiel 33:31 ESV / 65 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

1 John 1:10 ESV / 63 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Ezekiel 33:31-32 ESV / 62 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.