Is sloth, one of the seven deadly sins, mentioned in the Bible?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Acedia (often historically anglicized as accidie, from the Greek ἀκηδία, meaning "lack of care," "apathy," or "spiritual negligence") was later categorized in the West under the deadly sin of sloth.

The concept of acedia has its deepest roots directly in the Egyptian desert with the early Desert Fathers, long before the medieval Western Church formulated the "Seven Deadly Sins."

1. What Is Acedia?

In the teachings of the Desert Fathers—most notably articulated by Evagrius Ponticus in the 4th century while living in the monastic settlements of Nitria and Kellia in Egypt—there were eight evil thoughts (logismoi) that assault the soul, rather than the later Western list of seven. One of the most dangerous among them was acedia.

Acedia is not merely physical laziness or sleeping too much; it is spiritual torpor, apathy, and weariness of the soul. Evagrius called it the "noonday demon", referencing Psalm 90:6 (LXX; Psalm 91:6):

• It attacks the Christian when the day feels longest and heaviest.
• It makes prayer, fasting, and spiritual disciplines feel intolerable, pointless, or exhausting.
• It instills a deep restlessness: the monk or believer suddenly desires to leave their cell, browse aimlessly, seek vain conversation, or abandon their spiritual rule under the guise of finding something "more useful" elsewhere.
• It breeds disgust with one's current state of life and a longing to be somewhere else.

When the Church in the West (beginning with Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century) condensed the eight thoughts into the "Seven Capital Sins," acedia was merged with grief/sorrow and translated primarily as sloth (pigritia). In doing so, modern society often reduced it to simple physical laziness, but the Orthodox understanding remains that it is primarily a grave spiritual paralysis.

2. Is Sloth/Acedia in the Bible?

While the exact phrase "Seven Deadly Sins" does not appear as a formal list in Scripture, the reality of spiritual negligence, sloth, and lukewarmness is condemned throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

In the Old Testament

Scripture repeatedly warns against physical and spiritual sloth:

• Proverbs 21:25: "The desires of the slothful kill him, for his hands choose not to do anything."
• Proverbs 24:30–32: King Solomon observes the field of the lazy man: "It was all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down." This is an image of the soul neglected through acedia.
• Proverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise."
• Ecclesiastes 10:18: "Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks."

In the New Testament

Christ and the Apostles command steadfast vigilance against spiritual apathy:

• Romans 12:11: St. Paul commands: "...not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."
• Matthew 25:26–30: In the Parable of the Talents, the master condemns the servant who hid his talent not for active malice, but for sloth and negligence: "You wicked and lazy servant... cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness."
• Revelation 3:15–16: The Lord condemns the church of Laodicea for spiritual apathy: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Lukewarmness is the exact manifestation of acedia.
• Hebrews 6:11–12: "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

3. The Orthodox Remedy for Acedia

The Desert Fathers taught that acedia is one of the most difficult battles because it attempts to convince the soul to abandon the struggle altogether. The remedies handed down in the Church are:

1. Perseverance and Remaining in One's Rule: The Fathers famously taught: "Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything." When spiritual weariness strikes, one must not abandon the Agpeya, daily prayer rule, or fasting, even if done without emotional feeling.
2. Short, Continuous Prayer: When the mind is too scattered or sluggish for long contemplation, repeating the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner") or Kyrie eleison keeps the heart anchored.
3. Manual Labor and Structured Time: Monks wove baskets and rope to keep idleness away, as idleness is the workshop of the devil. A structured schedule of work, prayer, and rest leaves no room for the listlessness of acedia.
4. Remembrance of Death and Judgment: Meditating on the brevity of this earthly life and the reality of eternity awakens the soul from the spiritual sleep of sloth.