Generally, suicide is viewed in scripture as a serious sin because it involves taking a life that belongs to God, not to us. This is a heavy question, and if you’re asking it for yourself right now rather than out of curiosity, please read the box below first.
If you are thinking about suicide or self-harm, please reach out right now. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and confidential, available 24/7. You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org. You are not alone, and help is available.
Is Suicide a Sin in the Bible?
Scripture doesn’t address suicide as directly or as often as many other topics, but the weight it places on the value of human life speaks to it clearly. God’s law includes the command “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), and scripture consistently teaches that every life belongs to God and carries His image (Genesis 1:27). Taking a life, including one’s own, has traditionally been understood by most Christian traditions as a grave violation of that command.
The Bible includes a few sorrowful examples of people taking their own lives, most notably King Saul in 1 Samuel 31 after his defeat in battle, and Judas Iscariot in Matthew 27:5 after betraying Jesus. Scripture records these events plainly, as part of the tragedy surrounding each man’s story, not as something held up for approval or imitation.
How Different Christian Traditions Understand It
Christians across traditions agree that suicide is a serious matter, but they differ somewhat in how they talk about a person’s culpability and God’s response. Catholic teaching has historically called suicide a grave sin, while also recognizing that factors like severe mental illness, extreme fear, or intense psychological distress can lessen a person’s responsibility for the act, and that God’s mercy remains available. Protestant traditions generally treat it as a serious moral wrong as well, while placing strong emphasis on God’s grace and compassion, and on salvation resting in faith in Christ rather than in any single act, good or bad, that a believer does or doesn’t do.
Across these traditions, one thing holds constant: God’s character as described throughout scripture is compassionate, patient, and near to those who are suffering, not eager to condemn someone in their darkest moment.
God’s Nearness to the Hurting
If you’re struggling with thoughts like this, scripture doesn’t ask you to hide that pain. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Nothing you’re feeling right now, no matter how dark, can separate you from God’s love: “neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Please reach out to someone you trust today, whether that’s a pastor, a counselor, a doctor, or a crisis line like 988. Asking for help is not a failure of faith, it’s wisdom.
Key Bible Verses
Exodus 20:13
“You shall not murder.”
Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is someone who dies by suicide condemned by God?
Christian traditions differ on how to discuss this, and it isn’t something scripture answers with a single, simple verse. What scripture is clear about is God’s mercy, compassion, and nearness to the suffering. If you’re asking this question about a loved one you’ve lost, please know that grief and these questions are heavy to carry, and talking with a pastor or counselor can help.
What should I do if I’m having thoughts of suicide?
Please reach out right away. Call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or chat at 988lifeline.org, available 24/7, free and confidential. Also reach out to someone you trust, a pastor, a doctor, or a counselor. You don’t have to carry this alone.
Related Bible Topics
Depression | Anxiety | Fear
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