Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  5000 Humanity  »  5760 Human attitudes and behaviour  »  5815 confusion

A state of perplexity, bewilderment or disorder. Confusion may be brought about by God to cause the schemes of the wicked to fail and opposition to his people to prove ineffective. Confusion over spiritual truth is the natural state of humanity; believers, too, may be perplexed by God's purposes or thrown into confusion by false teaching.

Examples of people in confusion

2 Samuel 18:29; Esther 3:15; Luke 21:25-26; Acts 17:8; Acts 19:32

God sends confusion as judgment

The righteous ask God to confuse their enemies

Psalm 35:26 See also Psalm 40:14; Psalm 55:9; Psalm 70:2

God sends confusion on Israel's enemies

Exodus 23:27 See also Deuteronomy 7:23; Psalm 71:24

Israel, too, may experience confusion

Deuteronomy 28:20 See also Deuteronomy 28:28; 2 Chronicles 15:5-6; Jeremiah 51:34

Examples of God sending confusion

Genesis 11:7-9 at the tower of Babel; Joshua 10:10 on the Amorites; 1 Samuel 14:20 on the Philistines; 2 Chronicles 20:22-23 on Jehoshaphat's enemies

Spiritual confusion is humanity's natural state

Isaiah 57:20-21 See also Isaiah 41:29; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Confusion relating to Jesus Christ

Confusion among the Jews

John 6:52; Acts 2:6-7 See also Matthew 12:23-24 pp Mark 3:22 pp Luke 11:15; Luke 9:7-9 pp Matthew 14:1-2 pp Mark 6:14-16; John 3:4; Acts 2:12; 2 Corinthians 3:14

Confusion among Jesus Christ's disciples

Matthew 8:27 pp Mark 4:41 pp Luke 8:25 See also Mark 9:5-6 pp Matthew 17:4 pp Luke 9:33-34; Mark 16:8; Luke 24:22-25; John 6:60; John 16:17-19

Further examples of believers in confusion

Confusion over God's purposes

2 Corinthians 4:8 See also Psalm 73:12-14; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Isaiah 21:3-4; Daniel 4:19; Habakkuk 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 7:5; Galatians 4:19-20

Confusion over doctrine

Galatians 1:6-7 See also Galatians 4:9,17; Galatians 5:10

Remedies for confusion

Confusion dispelled by asking God for understanding

Jeremiah 33:3 See also James 1:5

Confusion dispelled by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit

John 14:26 See also John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10,13

Confusion combated by the teaching of wise leaders

Acts 20:28-30; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; Timothy 4:2-3; Hebrews 13:17

Confusion dispelled by the instruction of Scripture

Psalm 119:103-105; 2 Timothy 3:16

Confusion goes as believers grow to spiritual maturity

Ephesians 4:13-14 See also Philippians 1:9-10; Hebrews 5:14

See also

1310  God as judge
4045  chaos
4065  orderliness
5135  blindness, spiritual
5585  towers
6020  sin
8314  orthodoxy
8355  understanding
8361  wisdom
8615  prayer, doubts
8722  doubt
8726  doubters