- Abimelech (Judges 9:54) – was mortally wounded and he asked his armor-bearer to kill him to avoid disgrace.
- Samson (Judges 16:29–30) – pulled down the Philistine temple, killing himself and his enemies. His act is sometimes seen as sacrificial rather than purely suicidal.
- King Saul (1 Samuel 31:4–5) – fell on his sword after the Israelite army was defeated and he was mortally wounded; his servant also killed himself.
- Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) – hanged himself after his counsel was rejected by Absalom.
- Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:5) – hanged himself after betraying Jesus and seeing that Jesus was condemned by the Jewish council and handed to the Romans for execution.
These examples show that suicide was known in biblical times, but none are portrayed positively. Since the Bible does not specifically state anything for or against suicide, we must consider whether suicide is contrary to biblical principles or commands.
God is the giver of life and therefore life belongs to Him. God creates and knows each life intimately. Psalms 139:13-16 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.” In the beginning God gave life to man. Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Paul told the Athenians in Act 17:24-25 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” Since God is the giver of life, He would thus have the right to take life. To take your own life would then be acting contrary to God and would assume the role of God.
If killing another person is murder, then killing yourself would be murder of yourself. The sixth of the Ten Commandments addresses murder. Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.” Murder disregards the sanctity and value of life; suicide does the same.
A person that commits suicide is typically depressed and feels that the pain of living cannot be tolerated any longer; he takes his life to end the emotional or physical pain he experiences. But God offers hope. The Israelites were likely greatly depressed that they had been conquered by Babylon and taken away from their homeland. They were now prisoners of Babylon. But God wanted to give them hope. God spoke to the people through the prophet in Jerimiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” From this we can learn that even when things look the darkest, God has a plan for us to give us a future and a hope. Everyone at one time or other has great emotional pain for what is happening in life. Paul wrote in Romans 8:23-25 “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” To commit suicide is to ignore the hope that God offers, to give up, and to not persevere.
One who is suicidal needs to remember that God still loves him. Paul stated in Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing that happens in life can separate you from the love of God. Even when things look really bad, God still loves you. Peter reminds you to humble yourself before God. 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Suicide ignores the fact that God loves and cares for you. Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
The Bible does not give a single direct command about suicide, but it consistently affirms that life is a sacred gift from God and calls believers to trust Him even in despair. The Bible does not condone suicide. Scripture emphasizes that God’s love is stronger than despair, and His forgiveness is available to all who humbly call on Him.
I encourage anyone who is suicidal to seek good counsel. Find someone who is willing to listen and give sound advice. Find a mature Christian who demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit in their life. That fruit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Such a mature Christian would be willing to listen, give sound advice, and offer fervent prayer to God for His assistance.