Suicide — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

The act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. Though the word “suicide” does not appear in most Bible translations (see, however, Jn 8:22, NLT), the OT records suicides by Saul and his armor bearer (1 Sm 31:3-6), Ahitophel (2 Sm 17:23), and Zimri (1 Kgs 16:15-19). Judas Iscariot is the only suicide victim mentioned in the NT (Mt 27:3-5).

Show passage in OET: JHN 8:22

OET-RV JHN 8:22

22 This puzzled the Jewish teachers, “Surely he’s not going to commit suicide! What else could he mean about ‘you can’t go where I’m going to be going’?”

OET-LV JHN 8:22

22 Therefore were _saying the Youdaiōns:
Surely _not he _will _be _killing _off himself, that he _is _saying:
Where I am _going you _all, not are _being _able to _come?

Show passage in OET: SA1 31:3–6

OET-RV SA1 31:3

3 Then the battle was fierce around Sha’ul, then the Pelishti archers sighted him and he writhed in terrible pain from the arrows.

OET-RV SA1 31:4

4 He said to the man carrying his equipment, “Draw out your sword and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised Pelishtim come and pierce me through then torture me as I’m dying.” But the man who carried his equipment was very scared and wouldn’t do it, so Sha’ul took his sword and fell on it.

OET-RV SA1 31:5

5 When the man carrying his equipment saw that the king was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

OET-RV SA1 31:6

6 So Sha’ul, three of his sons, and the man carrying his equipment all died on that same day, along with all his warriors.

OET-LV SA1 31:3

3 And_ the_battle _it _was _heavy against Shāʼūl and_they_found _him the_archers men with_bow and_he _was _in _severe _pain exceedingly from_the_archers.

OET-LV SA1 31:4

4 And_ Shāʼūl _he/it _said to_the _bearer _of his _armour(s)_of_his draw sword _of_your and_pierce_me _through with_it lest the _uncircumcised_men the_these they _should _come and_they_will _pierce _me _through and_they _will _deal _wantonly with_me and_not the _bearer _of his _armour(s)_of_his he _was _willing if/because he _was _afraid exceedingly and_ Shāʼūl _he/it _took DOM the_drought//sword/knife and_he _fell on_it.

OET-LV SA1 31:5

5 And_ the _bearer _of his _armour(s)_of_his _he/it _saw if/because _that Shāʼūl he _had _died and_ also he _he _fell on sword _of_his and_he/it _died with_him/it.

OET-LV SA1 31:6

6 And_ Shāʼūl and_three _of his _sons _of_his and_the _bearer _of his _armour(s)_of_his also all _of men _of_his _he/it _died in _the_day (the)_that together.

Show passage in OET: SA2 17:23

OET-RV SA2 17:23

23 When Ahitofel saw that his advice hadn’t been taken, he saddled his donkey and rode to his city. He gave instructions to his household, then he hanged himself. His body was buried in his father’s tomb.

OET-LV SA2 17:23

23 And_ʼAḩītofel he _saw if/because _that not counsel _of_his it _was _done and_he _saddled DOM the_donkey and_he/it _rose _up and_he/it _went to house _of_his to city _of_his and_he/it _commanded concerning household _of_his and_he _hanged _himself and_he/it _died and_he _was _buried in_the _tomb _of his/its_father.

Show passage in OET: KI1 16:15–19

OET-RV KI1 16:15

15 Zimri reigned from Tirtsah for seven days in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign over Yehudah (Judah). At the time, the Israeli army were besieging the Pelishti city of Gibton,

OET-RV KI1 16:16

16 and when the army camped around the city heard that Zimri had rebelled and assassinated the king, that day all the people in the camp installed the army commander Omri as king to reign over Yisrael (Israel).

OET-RV KI1 16:17

17 So Omri took all his warriors from Gibton and besieged Tirtsah.

OET-RV KI1 16:18

18 As soon as Zimri realised that the city was surrounded, he went into the saferoom in the palace and set fire to the building and died in the flames

OET-RV KI1 16:19

19 because he’d done what Yahweh had said was evil—following Yarov’am’s (Jeroboam’s) behaviour including causing Yisrael to sin.

OET-LV KI1 16:15

15 In_year twenty and_seven year of_ʼĀşāʼ the _king _of Yəhūdāh/(Judah) Zimrī he _became _king seven _of days in_Tirʦāh and_the_people were_encamping on Gibtōn which belonged_to_Pəlishtiy.

OET-LV KI1 16:16

16 And_ the_people who_were_encamping _he/it _listened to_say Zimrī he _has _conspired and_also he _has _struck _down DOM the_king and_ all _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) _they _made _king DOM ˊOmrī the_commander _of the_army over Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) in _the_day (the)_that in_camp.

OET-LV KI1 16:17

17 And_ ˊOmrī and_all Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) with_him/it _he _went _up from_Gibtōn and_they _laid _siege on Tirʦāh.

OET-LV KI1 16:18

18 And_he/it _was just_ Zimrī _as _saw if/because _that the_city it _was _captured and_he _went into the _fortress _of the _house _of the_king and_he _burnt on/upon/above_him/it DOM the_house _of the_king with_fire and_he/it _died.

OET-LV KI1 16:19

19 On his which he _sinned for_doing the_evil in/on_both _eyes _of YHWH to_go in_the _way _of Yāroⱱˊām/(Jeroboam) and_in_sin _of_his which he _did to_cause _to _sin DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

Show passage in OET: MAT 27:3–5

OET-RV MAT 27:3

3 When Yehudah (Judas; Grk. Yudas), (the one who had turned him in) saw that he was being sentenced to death, he regretted his actions and returned the payment to the chief priests and elders

OET-RV MAT 27:4

4 saying, “I’ve sinned and turned in an innocent man.”
¶ “What’s that got to do with us?” they asked. “You sort out your own problems.”

OET-RV MAT 27:5

5 Then Yehudah threw the money down on the temple floor and went off and hanged himself.

OET-LV MAT 27:3

3 Then Youdas/(Yəhūdāh) the one giving_ him _over, having _seen that he _was _condemned, having _been _regretful, he _returned the thirty silver _coins to _the chief _priests and elders

OET-LV MAT 27:4

4 saying:
I _sinned having _given _over innocent blood.
But they said:
What is _it to us?
You will _be _seeing to _it.

OET-LV MAT 27:5

5 And having _thrown _down the silver _coins into the temple, he _withdrew and having _gone _away hanged himself.

Jump to OET JHN 8:22 section.

Jump to OET SA1 31:3–6 section.

Jump to OET SA2 17:23 section.

Jump to OET KI1 16:15–19 section.

Jump to OET MAT 27:3–5 section.

The Bible does not directly condemn suicide but rather treats it as an indication of moral failure, often intensified by guilt or great personal loss. Saul had lost his sanity, his stability, and then his three sons on the battlefield. So he ended his life. Ahitophel, once a trusted counselor, was ruined by his ambition. When his plot against David was refused by Absalom, he felt disgraced. So he went home, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. Judas Iscariot also hung himself, but his suicide was far more tragic. He, one of the twelve disciples, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Then he deeply regretted what he had done, and brought back the money to the Jewish leaders, saying “I have sinned in that I betrayed an innocent man” (Mt 27:3-4). As an expression of desperate remorse, Judas hanged himself.