100+ Bible Verses About Dealing with Sibling Rivalry in Adults

Adult sibling rivalry doesn’t end with childhood. Many grown siblings still struggle with jealousy, comparison, and old family wounds. Family gatherings can feel tense and competitive instead of joyful. 

The Bible offers real wisdom for these complicated relationships. Scripture shows us how to love difficult family members and find peace. God’s word can help you break free from toxic patterns and build healthier connections with your brothers and sisters.

100 Bible Verses About Dealing with Sibling Rivalry in Adults

• Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (NIV)
• 1 John 4:20 – “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (NIV)
• John 13:34-35 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)
• 1 Peter 1:22 – “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (NIV)
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9 – “Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” (NIV)
• Hebrews 13:1 – “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.” (NIV)
• 1 John 3:14 – “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (NIV)
• Romans 13:8 – “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (NIV)
• 1 Peter 3:8 – “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (NIV)
• 1 John 4:7 – “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)
• Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (NIV)
• Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NIV)
• Luke 17:3-4 – “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (NIV)
• Matthew 18:21-22 – “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'” (NIV)
• Mark 11:25 – “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (NIV)
• Matthew 5:23-24 – “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (NIV)
• 2 Corinthians 2:7 – “Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” (NIV)
• Luke 6:37 – “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)
• James 3:16 – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (NIV)
• Galatians 5:26 – “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 14:30 – “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” (NIV)
• 1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (NIV)
• Romans 13:13 – “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 27:4 – “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” (NIV)
• 1 Peter 2:1 – “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” (NIV)
• Galatians 5:19-21 – “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 23:17 – “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.” (NIV)
• James 3:14 – “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.” (NIV)
• Psalm 133:1 – “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (NIV)
• Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:3 – “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (NIV)
• Romans 14:19 – “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (NIV)
• Hebrews 12:14 – “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (NIV)
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (NIV)
• Philippians 2:2 – “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (NIV)
• 2 Corinthians 13:11 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (NIV)
• Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (NIV)
• Romans 15:5-6 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV)
• Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (NIV)
• Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (NIV)
• James 4:6 – “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'” (NIV)
• 1 Peter 5:5 – “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'” (NIV)
• Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:2 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (NIV)
• Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (NIV)
• Matthew 23:12 – “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (NIV)
• Galatians 6:3 – “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” (NIV)
• Matthew 7:1-2 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)
• Romans 14:10 – “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” (NIV)
• Romans 14:13 – “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” (NIV)
• James 4:11-12 – “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” (NIV)
• Luke 6:41-42 – “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (NIV)
• Romans 2:1 – “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” (NIV)
• John 8:7 – “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'” (NIV)
• 1 Corinthians 4:5 – “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (NIV)
• Galatians 6:4 – “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” (NIV)
• James 2:13 – “Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:26-27 – “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (NIV)
• James 1:19-20 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 29:11 – “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” (NIV)
• Ecclesiastes 7:9 – “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” (NIV)
• Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 14:29 – “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 19:11 – “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 16:32 – “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” (NIV)
• Matthew 5:22 – “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 16:24 – “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (NIV)
• Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 12:18 – “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (NIV)
• James 3:5 – “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 10:19 – “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” (NIV)
• 1 Peter 3:10 – “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.'” (NIV)
• Proverbs 21:23 – “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (NIV)
• Genesis 4:8-9 – “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?'” (NIV)
• Genesis 37:4 – “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (NIV)
• Genesis 37:28 – “So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” (NIV)
• Genesis 45:4-5 – “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.'” (NIV)
• Genesis 50:19-21 – “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (NIV)
• Genesis 27:41 – “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.'” (NIV)
• Genesis 33:4 – “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.” (NIV)
• Luke 15:28-30 – “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'” (NIV)
• 2 Samuel 13:22 – “Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (NIV)
• Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV)
• Romans 15:1 – “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” (NIV)
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14 – “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (NIV)
• Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (NIV)
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” (NIV)
• Hebrews 12:15 – “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (NIV)
• Ephesians 4:31 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (NIV)
• Acts 8:23 – “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (NIV)
• Romans 3:14 – “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” (NIV)
• Job 21:25 – “Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good.” (NIV)
• 1 John 3:18 – “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” (NIV)
• 1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Do everything in love.” (NIV)
• Proverbs 18:19 – “A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.” (NIV)
• Malachi 2:10 – “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?” (NIV

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about dealing with difficult siblings? 

The Bible calls us to love, forgive, and pursue peace with our siblings while setting healthy boundaries when necessary.

How can I stop comparing myself to my siblings? 

Focus on God’s unique plan for your life and remember your worth comes from being His child, not from achievements.

Is it okay to distance myself from toxic siblings? 

Yes, the Bible supports healthy boundaries while still maintaining love and forgiveness in your heart.

How do I forgive a sibling who hurt me deeply? 

Forgiveness is a choice to release resentment, not a feeling, and it frees you even if reconciliation isn’t possible.

What if my sibling refuses to reconcile? 

You can’t control their response, but you can control your own actions by choosing peace, prayer, and forgiveness.

Conclusion

Adult sibling rivalry doesn’t have to define your family story forever. The Bible offers real hope for healing even the most broken relationships. God understands family dysfunction deeply and provides grace for the messiest situations. 

These 105+ verses give you practical wisdom for navigating jealousy, competition, old wounds, and ongoing conflicts. Whether your sibling relationships need complete restoration or just better boundaries, Scripture shows the way forward.