Is Patience Really a Virtue according to the Bible?

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Updated May 10, 2023

We’ve all heard the phrase “patience is a virtue.” Most often someone told us this in a passive-aggressive sort of tone when we exercised, moments before, impatience. Christians and non-Christians alike say this phrase, probably with equal fervor. So where did this phrase originally come from? Does the Bible also say that patience is a virtue, or did we adopt this phrase into our vernacular later on?

In this article, we’ll explore the definition of patience, what the Bible has to say about it, and whether it falls under the category of a virtue. Let’s dive in.

What Is Patience?

First, we have to establish a definition for patience that we can operate properly from.

According to Bible Study Tools, “Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove. The word "patience" does not occur in the Old Testament, but we have "patiently" in Psalms 40:1 as the translation of qawah, "to wait," "to expect," which word frequently expresses the idea, especially that of waiting on God”

In other words, the biblical definition of patience probably looks a little different than the one we operate based on today. Today, patience tends to mean delayed gratification. If we wait long enough, something good will come along, in essence.

The Bible, on the other hand, uses patience more as something known as longsuffering. Yes, like the secular definition, it requires waiting … but with one catch. It requires us to wait upon the Lord.

The secular version of patience hopes upon nothing, hoping that somehow the “universe” or “fate” will turn around their situations. Christians, on the other hand, wait on the Lord. We know that God sets everything right at the end, so we exercise endurance in the meantime.

Now that we’ve established the definition of patience, let’s dive into what the Bible has to say about it.

What Does the Bible Say about Patience Is a Virtue?

1 Corinthians 13:4: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

In order to love, in the same way God loves, we must exercise a patient love. A love that goes beyond our human capacity. We patiently love others because God patiently loved us.

Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

The Bible often describes the Christian walk as a race. We need patience, endurance, to fulfill our journey. We do so by continually planting ourselves in the Word of God (Matthew 13), with the regular fellowship of believers, and in prayer. Think of patience like a race of endurance, a marathon.

Romans 8:24-25: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Patience and hope often go hand in hand. We hope because we have seen God come through for us in the past. We have witnessed him fulfilling his promises. Therefore, we exercise patience. Our hope spurs on our endurance.

Hebrews 11:13-14: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.”

Patience also means accepting that we may not always see the promises of God fulfilled in our lifetime. However, because he has given us the gift of eternal life, we shall see them come to pass—just in another location. The Hebrews 11 passage discusses many heroes of the faith who never got to see Jesus walk upon this earth. Nevertheless, they exercised resilient patience. They waited upon the Lord, because the Lord had always come through for them in the past, and he would not fail them yet.

Where Did the Phrase ‘Patience Is a Virtue’ Originate?

So obviously, the Bible has established that patience is a good thing. Patience, linked with hope, can help us to endure the most arduous of trials. So where did the phrase “patience is a virtue” originate?

The phrase “patience is a virtue” did not occur any time during the Old or New Testament. In fact, our first record of this phrase comes from the 1300s from William Langland in his poem Piers Plowman.

We can trace a Latin version of this phrase back to the 4^th Century AD in a work called Dicta Catonis, a Latin moral poem. But the phrase does not appear to have a biblical origin.

Does this exclude patience from the category of virtue? First, we have to establish the definition of a virtue.

Is Patience a Virtue?

Depending on how you define virtue will answer the above question. We have both secular and biblical definitions, much like we do for patience.

The Secular Definition of a Virtue

It really depends on which philosopher you ask because every single one appears to disagree with one another on this. But we can create an overarching definition that virtue is, according to the Oxford Dictionary “behavior showing high moral standards.” Unfortunately, without God, we can’t have objective morality. You may ask, “What are these moral standards since everyone seems to have different definitions of these?” By the secular definition of virtue, the biblical patience doesn’t hold up. Why? Because the secular definition of virtue has no solid basis (due to its lack of ability to define objective morality). The biblical definition of patience does.

The Biblical Definition of a Virtue

According to Bible Study Tools, “in these passages it stands for arete, the usual classical term for "moral excellence" (originally "fitness" of any sort), used in Septuagint to translate words meaning "glory," "praiseworthiness," as in Habakkuk 3:3; Isaiah 42:12; 63:7 (of God); Zechariah 6:13 (of the Messiah). The Septuagint sense may color the meaning of the word as applied to God in 2 Peter 1:3 the Revised Version (British and American); as also in its plural use (of God) in 1 Peter 2:9 (the King James Version "praises," the Revised Version (British and American) "excellencies").

In other words, virtue is something that is praiseworthy. We could put the fruit of the Spirit in this category. And in the biblical definition, any moral excellence comes from God. Therefore, patience could be a virtue in this sense, because it is a moral excellence that can only come from the Lord.

Is patience a virtue? It depends on your definition. We should make ourselves aware that this phrase does not come from a biblical origin. Nevertheless, it does not negate the fact that patience is a very good thing and all good gifts come from the Father of Lights (James 1:17).

Further Reading

What Does it Mean Patience Is a Virtue?

Patience is a Virtue: 6 Ways to Grow in this Fruit of the Spirit

Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.