Is God a murderer? Does God’s killing people make Him a murderer??

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Murder is the unjust taking of a human life, usually driven by hatred, malice, or selfishness (Exodus 20:13). God, however, is the Creator and Sustainer of life and has the right to give or take it (Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 1:21). When God puts someone to death, He does so in perfect righteousness and justice—never out of cruelty or sin (Genesis 18:25; Romans 2:5-6).

Scripture gives many examples of God ending lives. Some examples include the flood (Genesis 7:21-23), the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 12:29), and judgment upon Israel’s enemies (1 Samuel 15:3). In each case, He was executing judgment on sin, not committing murder. His actions are measured, holy, and fully informed—not rash or wicked like the acts of men.

God’s judgments should sober us but are not evidence of injustice. In fact, if God did not punish sin, He would be unjust (Romans 3:5-6). What’s astonishing is not that God judges, but that He shows such patience before doing so (2 Peter 3:9). His ultimate act of patience was to judge sin on the cross by killing Christ so that guilty sinners might go free.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God resulted in eventual death (Genesis 3).This means that every death, even when not caused directly by God, is God inflicting His judicial penalty for sin, which is not “murder.”
• During Noah’s day, “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). God responded judicially, by destroying all of humanity except for Noah and his family. Though the men and women would eventually have died for their sins, God executed His justice immediately. As the Creator, He has the right to judge His creation at any time He wants.
• In another example of God’s direct execution of death, Exodus 12:29 says, “it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle” (Exodus 12:29). Pharoah and the Egyptians were sinning by keeping God’s people in slavery. After many warnings, God killed every firstborn in Egypt. Because of Pharaoh's rebellion against the LORD, His judgment was righteous, even if terrifying.
• However, though God justly punished the Egyptians through death, at the same time He mercifully provided a way of escape from that judgement—the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:13). That merciful offer to Israel foreshadowed God’s offer to the world through Jesus (see the New Testament section).
• As the Creator, God has full authority over life and death. He said, “It is I who put to death and give life …. there is no one who can rescue from My hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39).
• God also sometimes executes His justice through others. For example, In 1 Samuel 15, the LORD commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites: “Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3). This judgment came centuries after they had attacked Israel during the Exodus (Exodus 17:8-16). God’s judgment is not impulsive—it is patient, proportional, and rooted in justice.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus, warning His disciples to not fear oppressors, said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). God, as the righteous judge, is the only One who judges rightly, and His judgement is eternal.
• God’s eternal judgement against unbelievers is known as the second death. “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). The “lake of fire” is hell, and the “book of life” lists those who have trusted in Jesus. Those who have not trusted in Him will die eternally.
• God’s method of execution is known as His wrath. Romans 1:18 declares, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.” This wrath is not a loss of control, but a settled, holy opposition to sin. God is not a murderer—He is Judge and Executioner.
• In fact, Paul posed the rhetorical question, “But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? ” (Romans 3:5-6). God must judge, or He would be morally compromised. In other words, if God did not judicially kill unrepentant sinners then He would not be just because unpunished sin would remain.
• A New Testament example of God’s immediate capital judgement was the death of Ananias and Sapphira because they lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). This wasn’t a murder—it was a holy act of judgment on hypocrisy at a critical time in church history.
• The final judgment described in Revelation 19 will not be a bloodthirsty massacre. It will be the rightful, judicial conclusion of a world that rejected its Creator.
• God sent His Son to die to extend eternal life to men and women who otherwise deserve only wrath and eternal death (John 3:16). Jesus did not have to die. However, He willingly died so that God could pour out His judicial wrath on His Son. In other words, God killed His Son. However, it was a just death, not a murder, because He transferred the sin of believers to His Son.
• Though death is our fair wage for our sin (Romans 3:23a), “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 3:23b). Those who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus’ life and death, will be saved from the day of wrath. Speaking to believers, Paul said, “by [Jesus’] blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:9).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The question, “Is God a murderer?,” reveals how deeply human thinking has inverted the moral order. In a culture where autonomy is worshiped, any act of divine judgment feels like tyranny. But Scripture reminds us that we are not the measure of justice—God is.

When God takes life, He does so as the sovereign Creator and Judge. He alone has the wisdom, authority, and holiness to act without fault. His judgments are righteous and timely, not rash or vengeful.

This should humble us. We are not entitled to life. It is a gift—and one we have all abused through sin. The shocking truth is not that God kills, but that He shows such patience before doing so. For centuries, He has withheld final judgment, calling people to repentance.

The ultimate answer to this delayed judgement is found at the cross. There, the Judge became the Substitute. God poured out His wrath, not on the guilty, but on His Son, so that justice and mercy could meet (Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 3:25-26). For those who trust in Christ, the judgment for their sin has already been paid.

To accuse God of murder is to misunderstand both the holiness of God and the horror of sin. But to trust Him as both Judge and Savior is to find life, hope, and peace.

UNDERSTAND

• As the sovereign Creator, God has the right to give and take life.
• God’s judgments are always righteous, so although He may justly kill someone, He is never a “murderer.”
• God sent His Son to die so that all who believe in Him might have eternal life.

REFLECT

• What distinctions do you make between killing and murder?
• How does awareness of your sin and Christ’s sacrifice for it impact your view of justice?
• How does the final judgment in which some will be condemned to eternal damnation impact your current efforts to tell others about Christ?

ENGAGE

• How do you explain to others God’s sovereign authority over life and death?
• What Bible examples do you find most challenging to discuss with those who do not have a clear understanding of who God is?
• In interactions with others about God’s authority over life and death, how can you bring up Christ’s atoning sacrifice?