What Does the Bible Say about Suicide?

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately. Your Lord loves you with an everlasting love, and there is hope. 

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 

The topic of suicide is perhaps one of the most difficult and painful discussions in the faith. It is confusing, and it is divisive. Suicide is the act of an individual ending his or her life. Many look to the Bible for answers, whether to alleviate their depression, or to find answers about what happened to a loved one who may have taken their own life. The Bible may seem silent, and there are church traditions on suicide which can confuse the issue. Understanding what the Bible actually says about suicide can provide comfort for those who are struggling, and for those who need answers.

Is Suicide Mentioned in the Bible?

In the Bible, there are several prominent individuals who took their own life. Some consider the last act of Samson in Judges 16:26-31, where he pushed the pillars on top of the Philistines and himself to be a suicidal act. However, the argument can be made that He accepted his death as a consequence of obeying the Lord to destroy the Philistines, and not a suicide. There are six individuals who chose to end their own lives:

Abimalech was a king of Schechem who took power by murdering those who could challenge him. He took over the town of Thebez, but the citizens resisted. When he was struck on the head by a woman with a stone, he asked his armor-bearer to kill him with a sword so people could not say a woman killed him. Judges 9 has the whole account. 

King Saul, first King of Israel, threw himself on his sword, and his armor bearer followed him in death, after his sons died and he lost a battle against the Philistines. After being wounded by an arrow, Saul asked his armor-bearer to kill him so the enemy could not capture him. His armor-bearer then fell on his sword as well. This account is in 1 Samuel 31.

King David had an advisor named Ahithophel. During the rebellion of Absalom, David’s eldest son, Ahithophel left David’s court to support Absalom. David sent a loyal friend to try and counter the wise counsel of Ahithophel. After Absalom rejected Ahithophel’s advice, he chose to commit suicide. His story is in 2 Samuel 16 and 17.

The last suicide in the Old Testament was that of Zimri, a King of Israel. He murdered the previous king, and only reigned one week before a military coup. Zimri set himself and his palace ablaze, “because of his sins that he committed, doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and for his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin” (1 Kings 16:19).

The only suicide in the New Testament is the death of Judas. He committed suicide after betraying Jesus, overcome with guilt; “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders” (Matthew 27:3). Barnabas replaced Judas as one of the twelve apostles after Christ’s ascension. 

The Bible also has accounts of individuals who contemplated taking their own lives, but ultimately chose life.

Moses cried out to God because of the complaints of the Israelites in the wilderness: “...I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.  If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness” (Numbers 11:14-15). God responded with mercy, taking some of the burden off Moses by having him appoint elders.

Job was tested severely after God allowed Satan to take his wealth and family from him. He exclaimed, “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?” (Job 3:11). God rebuked Job for his self-loathing, and Job learned to rest in God’s compassion and promises, and God restored wealth and family to Job.

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet for a reason; he was rejected by the people he tried to turn to God, and exclaimed in frustration, “Cursed be the day on which I was born” (Jeremiah 20:14a). God strengthened Jeremiah though, and the prophet continued to the end of his days, prophesying and calling for repentance, though no one ever listened.

The prison guard who supervised the prison in which Paul and Silas were held wanted to kill himself when he thought all the prisoners escaped out of a sense of Roman duty. Paul stopped him, and brought him to faith in Christ as recounted in Acts 16:16-40.

Other Biblical figures who expressed a desire to die prematurely include Rebekkah because of the hatred between her twin sons, David despairing that he would always be on the run, and Jonah who was angry at God for sparing the Ninevites. Even Elijah, who never died, wanted to end his life out of sheer exhaustion.

Is Suicide a Sin?

To parse out if suicide is a sin, and if it is, can the sinner have a hope for eternal salvation, one must first understand what sin is: an act that offends the holy and sinless God. It can be an act of evil against another person or against God. These can be an unacted upon desire to do evil against another, or which violates the command to love and obey God. If a thought, feeling, or action violates the following basic principle from the Gospel in Mark 12:29-31, it is sin: “Jesus answered, ‘The most important [law] is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” 

Nowhere in the Bible is suicide explicitly outlined as a sin, as opposed to adultery, theft, and idolatry. It does- however - fall into some categories of sinful behavior.

In the Ten Commandments, God commands in Exodus 20:17 that no one has a right to take another man’s life. There are many who argue this includes the murdering of the self. One of the early thinkers of the church, Augustine of Hippo wrote, “... for he who kills himself kills nothing less than man.” (Augustine of Hippo 31-21). Ending one’s existence is ending a human existence, and therefore a sin. The Bible also shows that everything belongs to God, because He created all things. That includes the human soul, as stated in the first part of Ezekial 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine.” If all souls belong to God, then it is not the right of the individual to end his own life, because that life belongs to His Creator.

When looking at the motivations of the characters in the Bible who either committed suicide or were suicidal, their reasons are also sinful. Whether it be fear, pride, anger, or simply refusing to hope God will make the future better than the present, the reasons for suicide are based on feelings, rather than God’s promises, even though, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Believing the lies of the heart rather than God’s truth does turn some toward suicide.

One of the most controversial elements of Christianity’s perspectives on suicide is whether or not a professing Christian can go to heaven if they take their own lives. 

The Bible does not say that someone who commits suicide cannot go to heaven. From a Biblical standpoint, there is only one “unpardonable” sin: “‘Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’—for they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit’” (Mark 3:28-30). In context, Jesus makes this statement after the scribes accuse him of being able to exorcise demons because they thought He was demon-possessed. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is denying the testimony of the Holy Spirit about who Jesus is by attributing God’s work to the devil. 

As for all other sin, the Bible says, “...And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). Therefore, upon acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior, and repenting of sins, all sins are forgiven, including those committed after salvation. This would include suicide.

Standing in contrast to the Protestant teaching, in the Catholic church, sins must be absolved by a priest, and most Catholics receive Last Rites to receive absolution before they die, so they can go to heaven. Under these conditions, suicide would prevent an individual from confession, repentance, and absolution, and would preclude the individual from going to heaven. 

Biblical Encouragement for Those Struggling with Suicide and Depression

The Word of God has promises of hope and healing for those who are struggling with suicidal tendencies. It reminds us of the source of the things which are creating depression within us, which is evil. The believer can read daily reminders of God’s call to strive in faith, and hope in Him. 

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

This verse reminds the believer that depression, despair, and self-loathing is as much of a consequence of sin entering the world as any other evil. When it begins to take over the heart, it is important to remember that is the result of living in a fallen world. The thief - the devil - seeks to steal joy, kill hope, and destroy the believer. In Christ, we have the hope of a better future, that He will care for the faithful in this life, and eternal joy forever in Heaven.

1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

There is a fight in everyone’s life, including against feelings of sorrow and helplessness. In this verse, Paul encourages his friend Timothy to keep pressing for a better life, and for God’s glory. It is easy to enter into despair. Trials surround us, and some people even have physical issues that can lead to depression. God will fight for those who love Him. Life is full of battles that humans in their frailty cannot win on their own, but with God’s strength, the fight can be won.

Psalm 34:17-18 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

No matter how dark the situation, no matter how hurt the heart, the Lord is always nearby to support, uplift, and love that believer! Call out to the Lord, and ask for Him to draw closer. God wants to redeem His people for a glorious eternity with Him, and that begins by redeeming the worst moments of someone’s life for good. Lean on the Lord, and He will redeem.

What Can Christians Do to Help?

For those struggling with suicidal thoughts, there is hope and help. Christians can help by listening and supporting someone who opens up about depression and thoughts of self-harm. Pray with them, and then continue to pray for them. Help them seek out solutions, and let God use you to be a blessing. If the source of someone’s troubles are financial, find ways to assist. Perhaps there are marital problems leading to suicidal thoughts. Help the couple find a good marriage counselor, or a trusted minister who can guide them through the difficulties of a contentious divorce. 

Something important to keep in mind is that depression and thoughts of suicide can be the by-product of a physical issue. For example, women struggling with postpartum depression often are physically not making serotonin, and are - to put it in simplistic terms - chemically unable to feel a certain amount of energy and happiness. Others living with clinical depression may also have suicidal thoughts or feelings. 

Encourage someone who expresses suicidal tendencies to go to a doctor; there are medical treatments that have helped people get back to a place where they can begin to put their lives in order again. The medicine can be a tool in a more complete plan towards healing. Spiritual support, good doctors, and professional counselling are all available to the individual struggling with suicidal thoughts, no matter the source of those thoughts.

If you are struggling with suicide, go to God, and tell someone you trust. There is hope for you and help available.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 

Sources

Augstine of Hippo. City of God. trans. By John Healey. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1903.

Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960.

Catechism of the Catholic Church  Revised in Accordance with the Latin Text Promulgated by Pope John Paul II. Second Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1997.

Eerdman’s Commentary on the Bible. Edited by James D.G. Gunn and John W. Rogerson. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Walvoord, John. F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. USA: SP Publications, Inc., 1985. 

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Katarzyna Bialasi 

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.