Christian Pure

15 Bible Verses About Suicide

Christian Pure Team

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Summary

  • Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) and Judas (Matthew 27:5) took their own lives; the charges 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 lists against Saul are acts of his reign, such as consulting a medium.
  • Elijah, Job and Jonah each asked God to let them die, and each lived on; an angel touched Elijah twice and told him to eat.
  • Genesis 9:5 says God will demand an accounting for human life, and Rashi reads “your lifeblood” as including a person who sheds his own blood.
  • Paul stopped the Philippian jailer by shouting, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (Acts 16:28).
  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church says grave psychological disturbances, anguish or grave fear can diminish responsibility, and that “we should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives.”

The Bible records several people who took their own lives and several who asked God to let them die. Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) and Judas (Matthew 27:5) died by their own hand. Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), Job (Job 6:8-9) and Jonah (Jonah 4:3) prayed to die, and each lived on. Genesis 9:5 says God will demand an accounting for human life, and Psalm 139:13-16 says he formed each person before birth. The Catechism of the Catholic…

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Bibliography (Click to show)

Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2260 and 2280-2283, on the fifth commandment and suicide. vatican.va

Rashi on Genesis 9:5: “your blood I will surely require from him amongst you who sheds his own blood (see Bava Kamma 91b).” sefaria.org

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: “The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365.” 988lifeline.org

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