Home / Topics / Bible Verses for Workplace Bullying
Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers, sold as a slave, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, and imprisoned. At every stage, the person above him used power to harm him. Yet Genesis 39:21 records a phrase that appears twice in that chapter: "the LORD was with Joseph." The same God who did not prevent the injustice was present inside it. Joseph's eventual vindication was not incidental — it was the second movement of a story whose first movement was unjust suffering. Neither the suffering nor the vindication can be read without the other.
Get These Verses Daily — Free“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Joseph was in prison on a false charge, placed there by a woman who abused her social power. The LORD was with him in the unjust circumstance — not preventing it, but present inside it. Divine presence does not require just circumstances. It accompanies the unjustly treated.
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.”
The Hebrew charah — 'fret' — means to burn with consuming anger. The Psalm addresses someone watching injustice closely enough to be inflamed by it. The instruction is not to suppress the anger but to not let it become the thing that burns you up. Trust is the alternative — active, not passive.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Removing the obligation to personally balance the scales does not mean accepting injustice — it means transferring the final account to God who sees everything. The person who has been bullied is not required to carry the weight of ensuring the bully faces consequences. God is the judge.
“If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.”
The Preacher names a chain of accountability ascending to God: above every abuser is a higher authority. No workplace abuse is invisible to the one who is higher than all earthly hierarchies. The injustice is seen.
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”
The Hebrew misgab — 'refuge' — means a high place, an elevated stronghold. God is a place to go to that is higher than the source of the threat. For those who are being oppressed in their workplace, the category is specific: God is a refuge for the oppressed.
Psalm 37:1–2 opens with a specific instruction for those watching unjust people prosper: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers." The Hebrew charah — "fret" — means to burn, to be inflamed with anger that consumes. The Psalm does not say the anger is wrong. It says the inflamed, consuming variety destroys the person it lives in. The instruction that follows is to "trust in the LORD" — batach, the Hebrew word for leaning your full weight on something. The alternative to consuming anger over workplace injustice is not passive acceptance but the active transfer of weight onto God as the ultimate judge.
Romans 12:19 removes the obligation to take personal revenge: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." This is not an instruction to be passive in the face of injustice — Paul also wrote that the governing authorities are God's servants for the punishment of wrongdoers (Romans 13:4). But the personal consumption of rage and the need to personally balance the scales is taken off the victim's shoulders. God is the judge. He sees. He repays.
Commentary is from a charismatic Protestant perspective, drawing on KJV text and public-domain sources including Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, and Matthew Henry.
Ecclesiastes 5:8 gives a word that is blunt and specific: "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they." The chain of accountability goes up: above every abuser is a higher authority, and above every earthly authority is God who regards it all. No workplace abuse is invisible in the economy of divine oversight.
One verse per day. Free for 2 months. No spam — just Scripture in your inbox before the day begins.
Subscribe Free →No credit card · Unsubscribe any time
If these verses helped you, your story could encourage someone else going through the same thing.
Not sure this is the right topic for you?
Answer 2 questions and we'll find the verse that meets you where you are.
Take the Topic Finder Quiz →Healing & Restoration
Scripture for those waiting on physical, emotional, or spiritual healing.
🔥Suffering & Endurance
For those walking through pain, loss, or prolonged hardship — without easy answers.
🌾God's Provision & Finances
Scripture for when money is tight, needs are real, and trust is being tested.