What Should I Do When I Don’t Understand a Bible Passage?

Published September 2, 2026

If you are asking, “What should I do when I don’t understand a Bible passage?” do not panic, force an answer, or abandon the Bible. Pray for wisdom, read the surrounding context, identify what is clear, consider the type of writing and historical setting, compare related Scriptures, and consult trustworthy help. If certainty still does not come, hold the question humbly while continuing to study what God has made plain.

Some biblical truths are simple enough for a child to receive, while other passages require sustained attention. Peter acknowledged that Paul’s letters contained “some things hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:16). Difficulty does not prove error, and it does not excuse careless interpretation.

Begin with humility

God’s understanding is infinite, while ours is limited. The proper response to difficulty is teachability rather than frustration or pride. Pray, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes” (Psalm 119:33).

Humility also means admitting, “I do not know yet.” A patient unanswered question is safer than a confident false teaching. You do not dishonor Scripture by acknowledging that your present understanding is incomplete.

Read more than the difficult verse

Read the paragraph, chapter, and sometimes the entire biblical book. Identify the subject, speaker, audience, problem, and flow of thought. Look for definitions, explanations, contrasts, and conclusions the author supplies.

Many apparent difficulties disappear when a sentence is restored to its context. A verse quoted as a promise may be a warning; a statement treated as God’s approval may be the words of a mistaken human speaker whom the narrative later corrects.

Write down what is clear

Do not allow one uncertain detail to hide everything understandable in the passage. Record the people, actions, commands, reasons, results, and repeated ideas you can identify with confidence.

Separate direct observations from possible interpretations. This prevents uncertainty about one phrase from making you feel that the entire passage is unknowable.

Recognize the kind of writing

Ask whether you are reading history, law, wisdom, poetry, prophecy, a parable, a Gospel, or a letter. Poetry may use vivid figures; apocalyptic prophecy may use symbols; proverbs generally describe wise patterns rather than unconditional promises.

A literal approach seeks the author’s intended meaning, including his intended figures of speech. Read Should Christians Interpret the Bible Literally? for a fuller explanation.

Consider historical and covenant context

Some commands were given to Israel under the law of Moses, some to particular individuals, and others to the church. Every passage is profitable, but application depends upon understanding its setting and relationship to Christ’s fulfillment.

Ask what circumstances the first readers faced and what information they shared with the writer. A good Bible dictionary, map, or introduction can provide helpful background, but background claims must not override what the text actually says.

Compare Scripture with Scripture

Search for other passages addressing the same subject. Give greater weight to clear, direct teaching than to an uncertain inference from a difficult verse. Because Scripture comes from God, sound interpretations will fit the Bible’s teaching as a whole.

Do not merely collect verses containing the same English word. Examine whether the word is used in the same way and whether the passages truly address the same question.

Check another faithful translation carefully

Comparing translations can reveal where grammar or wording is difficult. Because this ministry quotes the King James Version, the KJV remains the displayed text, but checking how faithful translations render a sentence can help identify the interpretive question.

A translation comparison does not settle every issue. Differences may reflect manuscripts, grammar, or interpretation. Use the principles discussed in Which Bible Translation Should I Use? and Why Do Some Bible Translations Omit Certain Verses?.

Use language tools cautiously

Concordances and Hebrew or Greek reference tools can help readers trace words, but knowing a list of possible dictionary meanings does not make someone an expert. Context determines which meaning fits a particular sentence.

A common error is choosing the definition that best supports a preferred belief. Consult reliable grammatical help and compare multiple responsible sources rather than making doctrine from a word-study shortcut.

Ask mature believers and sound teachers

God has given teachers to the church, and believers need one another. Ask a pastor or mature Christian who respects biblical authority and is willing to explain reasoning from the text.

Do not accept an interpretation merely because a confident speaker, popular video, or study note states it. The Bereans examined apostolic preaching by the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Human help is valuable but remains accountable to God’s Word.

Consult commentaries after doing your own observation

Trusted commentaries can explain historical setting, grammar, and major interpretations. First study the passage yourself so that you can evaluate the explanation rather than simply borrowing it.

Compare more than one responsible source on disputed passages. Notice which interpretation best explains the actual words, immediate context, author’s purpose, and the rest of Scripture.

Do not build major doctrine on one obscure passage

Central doctrines such as the deity of Christ, His bodily resurrection, salvation by grace, judgment, and holy living are taught across Scripture. A belief that depends upon a novel meaning of one difficult verse should be treated with caution.

False teachers often use obscurity to claim special knowledge. God’s people should reject interpretations that contradict plain biblical truth, excuse sin, diminish Christ, or make the teacher’s private revelation the final authority.

Allow for legitimate limits and disagreements

Some questions can be answered with certainty; others permit a range of responsible interpretation. Distinguish what Scripture explicitly states from what is inferred. Do not speak with greater certainty than the evidence allows.

Believers should contend for essential truth while showing patience over secondary matters that faithful Christians understand differently. Humility does not mean truth is unknowable; it means our claims should match the strength of the biblical evidence.

Keep obeying what you already understand

Do not let one difficult passage distract you from clear commands to repent, believe, forgive, speak truth, pursue holiness, love others, pray, serve, and resist sin. Understanding grows within a life that continues receiving the whole Word of God.

Return to the passage later. Further reading, teaching, maturity, or a related text may supply what you lacked. Many questions that seem overwhelming at first become manageable as knowledge of the Bible grows.

A practical checklist

  1. Pray for wisdom and humility.
  2. Read the surrounding paragraph, chapter, and book.
  3. Write down direct observations and the exact question.
  4. Identify the literary form and historical setting.
  5. Compare clear passages on the same subject.
  6. Check trustworthy study resources.
  7. Ask a sound teacher and examine the explanation.
  8. Hold unresolved details without inventing certainty.
  9. Obey the truth that is already clear.

Conclusion

What should I do when I don’t understand a Bible passage? Slow down, pray, study its context, compare Scripture with Scripture, and receive responsible help. Refuse both careless guesses and hopeless surrender.

God gave Scripture to make His people wise, mature, and equipped for good works. Difficult passages invite deeper study, while the Bible’s central saving message remains clear. If you have not trusted Jesus Christ, read How to Be Saved.

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