The teachings of the Bible emphasize love, compassion, and forgiveness; nonetheless, the Bible also contains chapters that address challenging and uncomfortable themes.
One such theme is the murder of innocent people, which the Bible condemns in many ways.
This post will examine various Bible scriptures concerning killing the innocent and evaluate their context, meaning, and significance. We’ll examine how these verses have been understood throughout history and still influence religious and ethical disputes today.
Bible Verses About Murdering The Innocent
1. Exodus 20:13
“You shall not murder.”
2. Genesis 9:6
“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.”
3. Proverbs 3:31
“Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.”
4. Psalm 11:5
“The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”
5. Proverbs 24:11
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.”
6. John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
7. Romans 12:17
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
8. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
9. Psalm 139:13
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
10. 1 John 4:20
“Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
Bible Verses About Murdering The Innocent KJV
11. Exodus 23:7
“Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.”
12. Proverbs 6:16-17
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.”
13. Deuteronomy 27:25
“Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.”
14. Psalm 94:21
“They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.”
15. Proverbs 17:15
“He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.”
16. Isaiah 59:7
“Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.”
17. Jeremiah 7:6
“If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:”
18. Matthew 23:35
“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.”
19. Acts 7:52
“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:”
20. Revelation 21:8
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Understanding the Biblical View on Murdering the Innocent
21. Genesis 9:6
“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.”
22. Proverbs 6:16-17
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.”
23. Exodus 23:7
“Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.”
24. Deuteronomy 19:10
“Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.”
25. Romans 12:19
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
26. Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”
Scriptures That Condemn the Killing of Innocent Lives
27. Proverbs 17:15
“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the Lord detests them both.”
28. Psalm 94:21
“They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.”
29. Isaiah 59:7
“Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.”
30. Ezekiel 18:32
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
31. Luke 23:41
“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
32. Acts 3:14-15
“You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”
Examples of Murdering the Innocent in the Bible
33. Genesis 4:8
“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”
34. 2 Kings 21:16
“Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
35. Matthew 2:16
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
36. Exodus 1:16-17
“When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”
37. 2 Chronicles 24:22
“King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, ‘May the Lord see this and call you to account.'”
38. Judges 11:30-40
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: ‘If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.’ Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands…When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels!…After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.”
The Consequences of Murdering the Innocent According to the Bible
39. Psalm 10:14
“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
40. Ezekiel 7:23
“Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.”
41. Matthew 18:6
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
42. Exodus 21:12
“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.”
43. Revelation 21:8
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
44. Numbers 35:31
“Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.”
What Does The Bible Say About Killing The Innocent
45.1 John 3:15
“Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
46. James 1:27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
47. Psalm 139:13-14
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
48. Proverbs 24:11-12
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?”
49. Romans 13:9
“The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
What Does The Bible Say About Murdering The Innocent
The Bible is a holy book that guides and teaches people of faith. One of the key teachings in the Bible is the value of human life and the importance of treating others with respect and compassion.
Murdering the innocent is a grave sin, according to the Bible, a topic discussed throughout the Old and New Testaments.
In the Old Testament, the sixth commandment God gave Moses states, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). This commandment is understood to apply to all forms of killing, including taking the life of an innocent person.
In addition, the book of Proverbs warns against shedding innocent blood: “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” (Proverbs 24:12).
In the New Testament, Jesus emphasizes treating others with love and respect. In the Sermon on the Mount, he states, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
But I say to you that everyone angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be exposed to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22). This passage teaches that not only is murder a sin but also anger and disrespect towards others can lead to sin.
Furthermore, in the New Testament, the book of James teaches that faith without action is dead: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).
This means that as people of faith, we must actively work to protect the innocent and prevent harm from coming to them. This can be done through advocating for justice, standing up against oppression, and actively working toward peace.
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that murdering the innocent is a grave sin, a topic discussed throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
As people of faith, we must actively work to protect the innocent and prevent harm from coming to them.
This moral obligation reflects our love for God and our commitment to his teachings.
