Everyday life
Letters in the Bible
38 passages of the Berean Standard Bible, line by line, from Nave’s Topical Bible.
Kings and officials
- David sends Uriah carrying a letter that orders his death2 Sam 11:14–15
The verses
2 Sam 11:14–15The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
- Jezebel writes letters in Ahab’s name, sealed with his seal1 Kgs 21:8–11
The verses
1 Kgs 21:8–11Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
- The king of Aram sends Naaman with a letter2 Kgs 5:5–7
The verses
2 Kgs 5:5–7“Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing. And the letter that he took to the king of Israel stated: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
- Jehu writes to the guardians of Ahab’s seventy sons2 Kgs 10:1–7
The verses
2 Kgs 10:1–7Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying: “When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry, select the best and most worthy son of your master, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?” So the palace administrator, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: “We are your servants, and we will do whatever you say. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever is good in your sight.” Then Jehu wrote them a second letter and said: “If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, then bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the sons of the king, seventy in all, were being brought up by the leading men of the city. And when the letter arrived, they took the sons of the king and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
- Hezekiah spreads the Assyrian king’s letter before the LORD2 Kgs 19:14, Isa 37:14
The verses
2 Kgs 19:14So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
Isa 37:14So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
- The king of Babylon sends letters and a gift to Hezekiah2 Kgs 20:12, Isa 39:1
The verses
2 Kgs 20:12At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness.
Isa 39:1At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery.
- A letter from Elijah reaches King Jehoram2 Chr 21:12
The verses
2 Chr 21:12Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah,
- Couriers carry Hezekiah’s Passover invitation through Israel2 Chr 30:1, 2 Chr 30:6
The verses
2 Chr 30:1Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel.
2 Chr 30:6So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.
- A letter against Jerusalem, written in Aramaic, to ArtaxerxesEzra 4:7–8, Ezra 4:11
The verses
Ezra 4:7–8And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
Ezra 4:11(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
- Governor Tattenai’s report to King DariusEzra 5:6–7
The verses
Ezra 5:6–7This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.
- Nehemiah asks for letters of safe passage and for timberNeh 2:7–9
The verses
Neh 2:7–9I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
- Sanballat sends Nehemiah an unsealed letterNeh 6:5–7
The verses
Neh 6:5–7The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.”
- Haman’s letters go by couriers to every provinceEsth 3:13
The verses
Esth 3:13And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
- Mordecai seals letters with the king’s ring; couriers ride swift horsesEsth 8:10
The verses
Esth 8:10Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
- Mordecai’s letters about Purim to Jews near and farEsth 9:20
The verses
Esth 9:20Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far,
- Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in BabylonJer 29:1
The verses
Jer 29:1This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
- Commander Claudius Lysias writes to Governor FelixActs 23:25–30
The verses
Acts 23:25–30And he wrote the following letter: Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen, and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
In the early church
- Luke writes an orderly account for TheophilusLuke 1:3, Acts 1:1
- Saul asks for letters to the synagogues of DamascusActs 9:2
The verses
Acts 9:2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
- The Jerusalem council’s letter is read at AntiochActs 15:23, Acts 15:30
The verses
Acts 15:23and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
Acts 15:30So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
- The brothers write to welcome Apollos in AchaiaActs 18:27
The verses
Acts 18:27When Apollos resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
- Rome’s Jewish leaders: “We have not received any letters about you”Acts 28:21
The verses
Acts 28:21The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.
- Tertius wrote down the letter to the RomansRom 16:22
The verses
Rom 16:22I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
- Paul mentions an earlier letter to Corinth1 Cor 5:9
The verses
1 Cor 5:9I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
- Letters of recommendation2 Cor 3:1
The verses
2 Cor 3:1Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?
- “See what large letters I am using … with my own hand!”Gal 6:11
The verses
Gal 6:11See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!
- A greeting in Paul’s own hand marks every letter2 Thess 3:17
The verses
2 Thess 3:17This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write.
- Beware a letter only “seeming to be from us”2 Thess 2:2
The verses
2 Thess 2:2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.
- Colossae and Laodicea are to swap lettersCol 4:16
The verses
Col 4:16After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
- Paul writes to Philemon about OnesimusPhlm 1:1, Phlm 1:10
- Peter: some parts of Paul’s letters are hard to understand2 Pet 3:16
The verses
2 Pet 3:16He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Sources
From Nave’s Topical Bible (Orville J. Nave, 1896; public domain): subjects chosen, lines shortened and put into modern words, lines of interpretation left out; each verse checked.
Berean Standard Bible · Public domain