# What does the Bible say about depression? > What the Bible says about depression and a downcast soul — verses on God’s nearness, honest lament, and hope that is not a slogan, plus one next step. Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/depression By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · August 26, 2026 · Updated October 2, 2026 Verses are chosen for the question being asked. Scripture on this site is quoted from the Lumin Translation, the same text as the public reader and the iPhone Bible tab: Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Glosses in answers are original summaries, not a second Bible. Open the named passage; AI is not the interpreter. [How we cite Scripture](https://www.lumin.faith/about#how-we-cite) The Bible does not use the modern clinical word depression, but it is not silent about a crushed spirit, a downcast soul, and days when even prayer feels heavy. Scripture gives language for lament without treating sorrow as a lack of faith, and it never tells a suffering person to cheer up on command. - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Can AI replace a pastor?](https://www.lumin.faith/can-ai-replace-a-pastor.md) - [Is it a sin to use ChatGPT as a therapist?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-a-sin-to-use-chatgpt-as-a-therapist.md) ## Bible verses about depression - **[Psalm 42:11](https://www.lumin.faith/read/psalm/42#11)** — The psalmist asks why his soul is downcast, then tells himself to hope in God — not in a mood he can manufacture. - **[Psalm 34:18](https://www.lumin.faith/read/psalm/34#18)** — The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit. - **[1 Kings 19:4-8](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-kings/19#4)** — Elijah, exhausted and despairing, is met with sleep, food, and God’s presence rather than a lecture. - **[2 Corinthians 1:8-10](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-corinthians/1#8)** — Paul names a season so heavy he despaired of life, then points to the God who raises the dead. - **[Psalm 13:1-2](https://www.lumin.faith/read/psalm/13#1)** — David asks how long God will hide his face and how long he must carry sorrow in his heart. - **[Psalm 88:1-3](https://www.lumin.faith/read/psalm/88#1)** — A psalm that prays from deep darkness without a resolution: honest despair still belongs in prayer. - **[Matthew 11:28-30](https://www.lumin.faith/read/matthew/11#28)** — Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. - **[Isaiah 42:3](https://www.lumin.faith/read/isaiah/42#3)** — God’s servant will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. ## Highlighted verse > Why are you bowed down, my soul, and why do you groan within me? Wait in hope for God, for I will praise him again, the one who saves me, my God. > > — Psalm 42:11 (Lumin Translation) ## Reflection Biblical hope does not skip the valley. It sits there with a God who is near to the broken-hearted and who sometimes begins the mercy with rest and bread, as he did for Elijah. Depression that needs medical care is not unbelief; it is a human wound that can be brought to God and to wise help at the same time. ## One next step If you are in the dark, read Psalm 42:11 aloud as a prayer, then tell one trusted person what the week actually feels like — and seek skilled human help if the heaviness is persistent or unsafe. ## FAQ ### What is a key Bible verse about depression? Psalm 42:11 speaks to a downcast soul and tells it to hope in God — not in a mood you can manufacture. Psalm 34:18 says God is near to the broken-hearted. 1 Kings 19 shows Elijah met with sleep and food, not a lecture. ### How should Christians respond to depression? Tell the truth to God and to one trusted person. Accept rest, bread, prayer, and skilled human help as compatible. Persistent or unsafe heaviness is a wound, not proof of unbelief. ### Does the Bible mention depression by name? Not with the modern clinical word. It is not silent about a crushed spirit, a downcast soul, and days when even prayer feels heavy. Those pages are for this ache. ## Related questions - [What does the Bible say about anxiety?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/anxiety.md) - [What does the Bible say about grief and mourning?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/grief.md) - [What does the Bible say about hope?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md) ## Related guides - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Can AI replace a pastor?](https://www.lumin.faith/can-ai-replace-a-pastor.md) - [Is it a sin to use ChatGPT as a therapist?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-a-sin-to-use-chatgpt-as-a-therapist.md) --- Ask, Bible Coach, Pray, and Sermon Week are the four jobs in Lumin. The app is for iPhone and iPad. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412 Ask on the web: https://www.lumin.faith/app Browse answers: https://www.lumin.faith/answers.md