What does the Bible say about capital punishment?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Genesis 9:6

  Whoever sheds man's blood, by man will his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man.

• Exodus 21:12

  "One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death,

• Leviticus 24:17-22

  [17] "'He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. [18] He who strikes a animal mortally shall make it good, life for life. [19] If anyone injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him: [20] fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. [21] He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. [22] You shall have one kind of law, for the foreigner as well as the native-born: for I am Yahweh your God.'"

• Leviticus 24:17

  "'He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

• Acts 25:11

  For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don't refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

• John 8:3-11

  [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst, [4] they told him, "Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such. What then do you say about her?" [6] They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger. [7] But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her." [8] Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. [9] They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. [10] Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, "Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?" [11] She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more."

• Genesis 9:5-6

  [5] I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man. [6] Whoever sheds man's blood, by man will his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man.

• Romans 13:1-14

  [1] Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. [2] Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, [4] for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn't bear the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. [5] Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. [6] For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually on this very thing. [7] Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor. [8] Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet," and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. [11] Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. [12] The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let's put on the armor of light. [13] Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

• Exodus 20:13

  "You shall not murder.

• Numbers 35:30-31

  [30] Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. [31] Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.

Related topics

• punishment for stealing
• corporal punishment
• punishment for murder
• punishment for adultery
• punishment of sin
• capital gains tax