The Bible strongly condemns the act of murdering the innocent, emphasising the sanctity of life. God, in His justice and righteousness, warns against shedding innocent blood, making it clear that every human life is precious. Taking an innocent life is a grave sin that goes against His divine law.
From the Old Testament laws to the teachings of Jesus Christ, Scripture consistently upholds the principle that life is a sacred gift from God. God’s commandments instruct His people to protect life and seek justice. Those who commit murder will face divine judgment for their actions.
These scriptures highlight God’s stance on this serious sin and serve as a solemn reminder of His justice. These verses also provide guidance for those who seek to walk in His ways, urging humanity to honour life as a sacred trust from God.
Preachers Quotes
“God never condones the shedding of innocent blood. Every life matters to Him.” – Billy Graham
“To take the life of the innocent is to reject the God who gives life.” – Charles Spurgeon
“Life is sacred because it is given by a holy God. No one has the right to take what God has given.” – John MacArthur
“If we do not protect the innocent, we stand guilty before God.” – A.W. Tozer
“True love for God means defending the weak and standing against the murder of the innocent.” – R.C. Sproul
“Every human life is created in the image of God, and to harm the innocent is to sin against the Creator.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“A nation that sheds innocent blood will reap the judgment of God.” – Leonard Ravenhill
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Bible Verses About Murdering the Innocent
Exodus 20:13 – God’s Commandment Against Murder
“You shall not murder.” – Exodus 20:13
Deuteronomy 5:17 – The Law Repeats God’s Command
“You shall not murder.” – Deuteronomy 5:17
Proverbs 6:16-17 – God Hates the Shedding of Innocent Blood
“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,” – Proverbs 6:16-17
Genesis 4:10 – The Cry of Innocent Blood
“And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.’” – Genesis 4:10
Psalm 106:38 – The Sin of Shedding Innocent Blood
“And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.” – Psalm 106:38
Jeremiah 22:3 – Do No Violence to the Innocent
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.’” – Jeremiah 22:3
Matthew 5:21 – Jesus Reinforces the Commandment
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’” – Matthew 5:21
Isaiah 1:15 – God Will Not Hear Those Who Shed Innocent Blood
“When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.” – Isaiah 1:15
Exodus 23:7 – Do Not Kill the Innocent and Righteous
“Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.” – Exodus 23:7
Proverbs 1:11 – The Wicked Lie in Wait to Shed Blood
“If they say, ‘Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;’” – Proverbs 1:11
Psalm 94:21 – The Wicked Condemn the Innocent
“They gather together against the life of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood.” – Psalm 94:21
Romans 13:9 – Love Your Neighbor, Do Not Murder
“For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Romans 13:9
Revelation 21:8 – Murderers Will Face Judgment
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” – Revelation 21:8
Matthew 15:19 – Murder Comes from an Evil Heart
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” – Matthew 15:19
Proverbs 28:17 – A Murderer Will Be Cursed
“A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; Let no one help him.” – Proverbs 28:17
Isaiah 59:7 – The Wicked Rush to Shed Innocent Blood
“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.” – Isaiah 59:7
Deuteronomy 27:25 – A Curse on Those Who Take Bribes to Kill
“‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’” – Deuteronomy 27:25
2 Kings 24:4 – The Lord Will Not Pardon the Shedding of Innocent Blood
“And also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.” – 2 Kings 24:4
Hosea 4:2 – Bloodshed Follows Bloodshed
“By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.” – Hosea 4:2
Isaiah 26:21 – The Lord Will Punish Those Who Shed Blood
“For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.” – Isaiah 26:21
Matthew 23:35 – Jesus Condemns the Shedding of Innocent Blood
“That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” – Matthew 23:35
Joel 3:19 – God’s Judgment on Those Who Shed Innocent Blood
“Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land.” – Joel 3:19
Acts 3:14-15 – The People Killed the Author of Life
“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” – Acts 3:14-15
Romans 1:29 – The Wicked Are Filled with Murder
“Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,” – Romans 1:29
James 5:6 – The Rich Have Condemned and Murdered the Innocent
“You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.” – James 5:6
Mark 7:21-22 – Murder Comes from the Heart
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” – Mark 7:21-22
Luke 11:50-51 – The Blood of the Prophets Will Be Required
“That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” – Luke 11:50-51
Psalm 5:6 – The Lord Abhors the Bloodthirsty
“You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” – Psalm 5:6
Psalm 9:12 – God Will Avenge the Blood of the Innocent
“When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.” – Psalm 9:12
Proverbs 11:19 – The Wicked Pursue Death
“As righteousness leads to life, So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.” – Proverbs 11:19
Jeremiah 19:4 – They Have Filled the Land with Innocent Blood
“Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents.” – Jeremiah 19:4
Luke 18:7 – God Will Avenge His Elect
“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” – Luke 18:7
Revelation 6:10 – The Martyrs Cry Out for Justice
“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” – Revelation 6:10
Deuteronomy 19:10 – Innocent Blood Must Not Be Shed
“Lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus guilt of bloodshed be upon you.” – Deuteronomy 19:10
Genesis 9:6 – Whoever Sheds Blood Will Be Judged
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” – Genesis 9:6
1 John 3:15 – Hatred Is the Root of Murder
“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” – 1 John 3:15
Job 24:14 – The Murderer Kills the Poor and Needy
“The murderer rises with the light; He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he is like a thief.” – Job 24:14
Revelation 22:15 – Murderers Will Not Enter the Kingdom
“But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” – Revelation 22:15
Jeremiah 7:6 – Do Not Shed Innocent Blood
“If you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt,” – Jeremiah 7:6
Numbers 35:33 – Bloodshed Defiles the Land
“So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.” – Numbers 35:33
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What does the Bible say about Murdering The Innocent
The Bible teaches that life is a precious gift from God, and taking the life of an innocent person is a great sin. From the beginning, God made humans in His image, which means every person has value and should be treated with respect. When someone murders an innocent person, they are going against God’s will and His plan for life.
In Exodus 20:13, God gave the commandment, “You shall not murder.” This command is clear and does not allow for the killing of innocent people. Murder is different from killing in war or self-defense. It is the act of taking someone’s life without just cause, often out of anger, hatred, or selfishness.
Throughout the Bible, God speaks against shedding innocent blood. Proverbs 6:16-17 says that God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.” This means that God sees murder as an evil act that brings judgment. In Deuteronomy 27:25, there is a curse on anyone who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person. This shows that God does not ignore the suffering of victims and will hold the guilty accountable.
Innocent blood cries out to God. In Genesis 4:10, after Cain killed his brother Abel, God said, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” This means that God sees every act of murder and will bring justice. Psalm 106:38 warns about people who sacrificed their children and polluted the land with innocent blood. God’s judgment came upon them because of their wickedness.
Jesus also spoke about murder. In Matthew 5:21-22, He reminded people of the commandment not to murder and warned that even anger in the heart can lead to judgment. This means that murder begins with hatred and bitterness inside a person. In Matthew 23:35, Jesus condemned those who killed prophets and righteous people, saying their blood would be avenged.
The Bible teaches that murderers will face God’s punishment. Revelation 21:8 says that murderers will have their place in the lake of fire. This means that those who do not repent and turn to God will be separated from Him forever.
God calls people to love, protect, and care for one another. Instead of shedding innocent blood, He wants people to do justice and show mercy. Micah 6:8 says, “Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Those who follow God must defend the innocent and speak against injustice.