Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Self Examination?

28 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Self Examination in the Bible

Discover 12 powerful Bible verses about self examination. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential government & society topic.

28
Total Verses
13
Old Testament
15
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Self Examination

  1. 1
    Job 13:23
    How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
    KJV
  2. 2
    Psalms 4:4
    Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
    KJV
  3. 3
    Psalms 19:12
    Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Psalms 26:2
    Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
    KJV
  5. 5
    Psalms 51:1
    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
    KJV
  6. 6
    Psalms 77:6
    I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
    KJV
  7. 7
    Psalms 119:59
    I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
    KJV
  8. 8
    Psalms 139:1
    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
    KJV
  9. 9
    Psalms 139:23
    Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
    KJV
  10. 10
    Psalms 139:24
    And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. wicked: Heb. way of pain, or, grief
    KJV

Subtopics of Self Examination

General scriptures concerning
Advantages of
Cause of difficulty in
Enjoined
General references
Necessary before the communion
With diligent search
With holy awe
With prayer for divine searching
With purpose of amendment

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Self Examination? (13 Verses)

How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. wicked: Heb. way of pain, or, grief
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Consider: Heb. Set your heart on your ways

New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Self Examination? (15 Verses)

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly , according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. soberly: Gr. to sobriety
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For every man shall bear his own burden.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

How to Study What the Bible Says About Self Examination

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about self examination. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about self examination and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about self examination is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on self examination needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about self examination with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about self examination, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Self Examination?

You have studied 28 verses about self examination. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about self examination?
Discover 12 powerful Bible verses about self examination. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential government & society topic. The Bible contains 28 key verses about self examination spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about self examination are there?
There are 28 key Bible verses about self examination compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about self examination?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about self examination is Job 13:23 — "How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin."
Where in the Bible does it talk about self examination?
Self Examination is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 28 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

Continue Studying Self Examination

Topics Included

This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics:

self examination