7 People Who Committed Suicide in the Bible

7 People Who Committed Suicide in the Bible

1)    Abimelech (Judges 9:54)

After having his skull crushed under a millstone that was dropped by a woman from the Tower of Shechem, Abimelech called for his armor-bearer to kill him with a sword. He did not want it to be said that a woman had killed him.

⁵⁴He quickly called to the officer who carried his armor and said, “Take out your sword and kill me. I don’t want people to say, ‘A woman killed Abimelech.’” So the officer stabbed Abimelech, and he died.

2)    Samson (Judges 16:29-31)

By collapsing a building, Samson sacrificed his own life, but in the process destroyed thousands of enemy Philistines. And while his life was not a model of moral lifestyles, Samson was honored among the faithful heroes of Hebrews 11. Whatever the case, Samson was not condemned by God to hell for his actions.

²⁹ Then Samson turned to the two center pillars that supported the whole temple. He braced himself between the two pillars, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. ³⁰ Samson said, “Let me die with these Philistines!” Then he pushed as hard as he could, causing the temple to fall on the rulers and all the people in it. So Samson killed more of the Philistines when he died than when he was alive.

³¹ Samson’s brothers and his whole family went down to get his body. They brought him back and buried him in the tomb of Manoah, his father, between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson was a judge for the people of Israel for twenty years.

       3, 4) Saul and His Armor Bearer (1 Samuel 31:3-6)

After losing his sons and all of his troops in battle, and his sanity long before, King Saul assisted by his armor-bearer, ended his life. Then Saul's servant killed himself. 

³ The fighting was heavy around Saul. The archers shot him, and he was badly wounded. ⁴ He said to the officer who carried his armor, “Pull out your sword and kill me. Then those uncircumcised men won’t make fun of me and kill me.” But Saul’s officer refused, because he was afraid. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. ⁵ When the officer saw that Saul was dead, he threw himself on his own sword, and he died with Saul. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, and the officer who carried his armor died together that day.

       5) Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) 

Disgraced and rejected by Absolom, Ahithophel went home, put his affairs in order, and then hung himself. 

²³ When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not accept his advice, he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He left orders for his family and property, and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

      6) Zimri (1 Kings 16:18)

 Rather than being taken prisoner, Zimri set the king's palace on fire and died in the flames. 

¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the palace and set it on fire, burning the palace and himself with it.

      7) Judas (Matthew 27:5) 

After he betrayed Jesus, Judas Iscariot was overcome with remorse and hung himself. 

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the Temple. Then he went off and hanged himself.