There is an abundance of Bible verses about death. Knowing God’s unadulterated view of life, suffering and death, we can better sort out any questions we have about tough issues like pain, suffering and death. Likewise, knowing God’s view on responding to these issues can help us better serve and encourage others.
General Bible Verses About Death
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a: “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die…”
- All of life has a beginning and end. We can rest in the fact that God has created both.
Psalm 116:15: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
- The Lord cares about His people. Each life is precious and valuable to Him.
Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
- There are a number of days for each of us. The Bible calls us wise if we recognize we can not add days to our lives but live intentionally with what we have.
Job 1:20-21: “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'”
- The phrase, “You can’t take it with you.” reflects this verse. Our soul is eternal, but possessions are not.
Philippians 3:10: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”
- Suffering doesn’t sound pleasant. However, Jesus suffered for a reason. When suffering enters our lives, we can use the time to learn and become more like our savior. Sometimes, hard times are the best times for our growth.
2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Verses For When Afraid of Pain and Death
Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Luke 1:38: “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”
2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
- The great thing about not being God is we don’t have to do everything. We can rest in our humanness and inability to handle everything. It is ok to be weak and turn things over to God. He can handle it all.
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
- We like to think of this as a power verse. Yet, the power is sometimes seen in our brokenness. We cry, grieve, lament and even get angry, and in the midst of the raw emotions, God still can get us through.
More Bible Verses About Life Issues:
Bible Verses About Assisted Death (Suicide)
There is an account of reported voluntary euthanasia (in which one person asks another to kill them, ostensibly in order to alleviate the first person’s suffering) involving King Saul and an Amalekite (2 Samuel 1:1-16). In summary, the unnamed Amalekite tells King David that he killed Saul at Saul’s request. Additionally, he did so after Saul had already been wounded in battle. In response, David kills the Amalekite for touching God’s anointed. If euthanasia were a beneficial practice, David would have rewarded the Amalekite, not sentenced him to death.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
"We are more than conquerors..."
Romans 8:32-37: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerers through him who loved us.”
Death can be scary. Yet remember, this world is temporary. We have hope in Jesus that our souls will find their resting place in Him when our time on earth is done.
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
If you don’t know Jesus and His saving power, please read more: How to Become a Christian: Understand God’s Love and What It Means to Follow Jesus Christ
