bible verses about solitude

Bible Verses About Solitude: 12

Bible verses about solitude: 12 Scriptures on badad, eremos, and withdrawing to God.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 20264 min readMark 1:35 (NIV)

A person rests under a tree with sandals set aside while a companion keeps watch and sheep graze beyond.

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

— Mark 1:35 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about solitude want Scripture on withdrawing to be alone with God — not only the broader loneliness list or the rest list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about loneliness, Bible verses about rest, Bible verses about prayer, Bible verses about peace, Bible verses about meditation, and Bible verse of the day. Solitude here means badad / erēmos — a chosen solitary place with God — distinct from unwanted loneliness or from Sabbath rest alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Hebrew, "alone / solitary" can use בָּדָד badad (Strong's H910; Bible Hub H910) — isolation, alone, solitary. In Greek, "solitary / desert / lonely place" is often ἔρημος erēmos (Strong's G2048; Bible Hub G2048) — solitary, desolate, wilderness. Mark 1:35 shows Jesus seeking a solitary place to pray. Solitude in Scripture is often chosen nearness to God — not abandonment.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 1 marks Jesus rising early and withdrawing to a solitary place for prayer as the pattern of communion before public work (Bible Hub MHC Mark 1; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Mark 1). On Psalm 46 he presses stillness before God — "Be still, and know that I am God" — as quiet trust, not frantic noise (Bible Hub MHC Psalms 46; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Psalm 46). (Loneliness and rest lists live on those pages; this list centers withdrawing to God.)

12 Bible verses about solitude

  1. Mark 1:35. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Solitary place — prayer. See Bible verses about prayer.

  2. Luke 5:16. "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Often withdrew — lonely places. See Bible verses about prayer.

  3. Matthew 14:23. "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone," Alone on the mountainside to pray. See Bible verses about peace.

  4. Luke 6:12. "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." Night alone with God. See Bible verses about prayer.

  5. Mark 6:46. "After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." Left them — went up to pray. See Bible verses about rest.

  6. Hosea 2:14. "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her." Wilderness — tender speech. See Bible verses about God's love.

  7. Genesis 32:24. "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak." Left alone — then encounter. See Bible verses about faith.

  8. Exodus 24:12. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.'" Come up — stay here with God. See Bible verses about scripture.

  9. 1 Kings 19:11-12. "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' … And after the fire came a gentle whisper." Alone before the gentle whisper. See Bible verses about peace.

  10. Isaiah 30:15. "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…'" Quietness and trust. See Bible verses about rest.

  11. Lamentations 3:28. "Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him." Sit alone in silence. See Bible verses about meditation.

  12. Habakkuk 2:20. "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." Silent before him. See Bible verses about peace.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need solitude — not twelve as a grind. If you need Jesus' early solitary place, start with Mark 1:35. If you need the habit of withdrawing, open Luke 5:16. If you need quietness and trust, open Isaiah 30:15. For loneliness (unwanted isolation), open Bible verses about loneliness. For rest, open Bible verses about rest. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about solitude?

Mark 1:35 (solitary place to pray), Luke 5:16 (often withdrew), and Matthew 14:23 (alone on the mountainside) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about solitude differ from loneliness?

The live loneliness page can cover unwanted isolation and God's nearness. A solitude page centers badad / erēmos as withdrawing to be with God — then cross-links loneliness, rest, and prayer. See Bible verses about loneliness.

What do badad and erēmos mean?

Hebrew badad (H910) means alone or solitary. Greek erēmos (G2048) means solitary, desolate, or a lonely/desert place. In the Gospels it often names where Jesus withdrew to pray.

Did Jesus practice solitude?

Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, and Luke 6:12 show Jesus seeking solitary places and time alone with the Father. See Bible verses about prayer.

Where can I read more about loneliness, rest, and prayer?

Start with Bible verses about loneliness, then Bible verses about rest, Bible verses about prayer, and Bible verses about peace.

Sources

A man rests under a tree while a woman keeps watch nearby.

Keep reading