“And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” - Job 1:7
Answer: GOD
I counted the number of people that were killed by God in the Bible. I came up with 2,038,344. Now, of course that greatly underestimates God’s total kill score. I only included those killings for which specific numbers are given. There are many events in the Bible where no number of fatalities are given. Noah’s flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the many plagues, famines, etc all are unknown variables, likely to push this number well over 30 million (see below).
Satan on the other is documented as killing only 10 people in the written text of the Bible. Even those 10 are suspect, as God basically allows Satan to do the killings as part of a “bet” (Job’s family). Don’t believe me? Here’s the scripture:
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job … And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD … put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house…And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. – Job 1:1-19
So there you have it. Confused? So am I.
Now to take this one step further, let’s put some real world numbers to the rest of God’s killings.
| SAB, Brick Testament | Proof | Number Killed | Cummulative Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| God drowns everyone on earth (except Noah and his family) | Genesis 7:23 | 30,000,000 | 30,000,000 |
| God rains fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, killing everyone. | Gen.19:24 | 1000 | 30,001,000 |
| Lot’s wife for looking back | Gen.19:26 | 1 | 30,001,001 |
| Er who was “wicked in the sight of the Lord” | Gen.38:7, 1 Chr.2:3 | 1 | 30,001,002 |
| Onan for spilling his seed | Gen.38:10 | 1 | 30,001,003 |
| 7th Egyptian Plague: Hail | Exodus 9:25 | 30,000 | 30,031,003 |
| God kills every Egyptian firstborn child. | Ex.12:29-30 | 500,000 | 30,531,003 |
| God drowns Egyptian army | Ex.14:28 | 1000 | 30,532,003 |
| God and Moses help Joshua kill the Amalekites | Ex.17:13 | 1000 | 30,533,003 |
| For dancing naked around Aaron’s golden calf | Ex.32:27-28, 35 | 3000 | 30,536,003 |
| Aaron’s sons for offering strange fire before the Lord | Lev.10:1-3, Num.3:4, 26:61 | 2 | 30,536,005 |
| A blasphemer | Lev.24:10-23 | 1 | 30,536,006 |
| God burned to death an unknown number for complaining | Numbers 11:1 | 100 | 30,536,106 |
| God sent “a very great plague” for complaining about the food. | Num.11:33 | 10,000 | 30,546,106 |
| God killed those who murmured with a plague. | Num.14:35-36 | 100 | 30,546,206 |
| A man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath | Num.15:32-36 | 1 | 30,546,207 |
| Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (and their families) | Num.16:27 | 12+ | 30,546,219 |
| Burned to death for offering incense | Num.16:35, 26:10 | 250 | 30,546,469 |
| For complaining | Num.16:49 | 14,700 | 30,561,169 |
| Massacre of the Aradites | Num.21:1-3 | 3000 | 30,564,169 |
| For complaining about the lack of food and water, God sent fiery serpents to bite the people, and many of them died. | Num.21:6 | 100 | 30,564,269 |
| God delivers the Bashanites into Moses’ hands and Moses kills everyone “until there was none left alive.” | Num.21:34-35 | 1000 | 30,565,269 |
| For “committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab” | Num.25:9 | 24,000 | 30,589,269 |
| Midianite massacre (32,000 virgins were kept alive) | Num.31:1-35 | 90,000+ | 30,679,269 |
| The slaughter of the Anakim, the childen of Esau, and the Horim | Deuteronomy 2:21-22 | 5000 | 30,684,269 |
| God hardened the king of Heshbon’s heart so that the Israelites could massacre his people. (included several cities) | Dt.2:33-34 | 3000 | 30,687,269 |
| God delievered the king of Bashan so that the Israelites could massacre his people. | Dt.3:3-6 | 60,000 | 30,747,269 |
| Massacre of Jericho | Joshua 6:21 | 1000 | 30,748,269 |
| God tells Joshua to stone to death Achan (and his family) for taking the accursed thing. | Joshua 7:10-12, 24-26 | 5+ | 30,748,274 |
| God tells Joshua to attack Ai and do what he did to Jericho (kill everyone). | Joshua 8:1-25 | 12,000 | 30,760,274 |
| God slaughters the Amorites and even chases them “along the way” as they try to escape. | Joshua 10:10-11 | 1000 | 30,761,274 |
| Joshua kills 5 kings and hangs their dead bodies on trees | Joshua 10:24-26 | 5 | 30,761,279 |
| Massacre of 7 cities | Joshua 10:28-42 | 7000 | 30,768,279 |
| God delivers the Hazorites. | Joshua 11:8-12 | 1000 | 30,769,279 |
| Massacre of the Anakim | Joshua 11:20-21 | 1000 | 30,770,279 |
| God delivered Canaanites and Perizzites | Judges 1:4 | 10,000 | 30,780,279 |
| Ehud delivers a message from God: a knife into the king’s belly | Jg.3:15-22 | 1 | 30,780,280 |
| God delivered Moabites | Jg.3:28-29 | 10,000 | 30,790,280 |
| Massacre of the Canaanites | Jg.4:15 | 1000 | 30,791,280 |
| God forces Midianite soldiers to kill each other. | Jg.7:2-22, 8:10 | 120,000 | 30,911,280 |
| God delivered the Ammonites to Jephthah to slaughter. | Jg.11:32-33 | 1000 | 30,912,280 |
| The Spirit of the Lord comes on Samson | Jg.14:19 | 30 | 30,912,310 |
| The Spirit of the Lord comes mightily on Samson | Jg.15:14-15 | 1000 | 30,913,310 |
| Samson’s God-assisted act of terrorism | Jg.16:27-30 | 3000 | 30,916,310 |
| “The Lord smote Benjamin” | Jg.20:35-37 | 25,100 | 30,941,410 |
| More Benjamites | Jg.20:44-46 | 25,000 | 30,966,410 |
| For looking into the ark of the Lord | 1 Sam.6:19 | 50,070 | 31,016,480 |
| God delivered Philistines | 1 Sam.14:12 | 20 | 31,016,500 |
| God forces the Philistine soldiers to kill each other. | 1 Sam.14:20 | 1000 | 31,017,500 |
| God orders Saul to kill every Amalekite man, women, and child. | 1 Sam.15:2-3 | 1000 | 31,018,500 |
| Samuel (at God’s command) hacks Agag to death | 1 Sam.15:32-33 | 1 | 31,018,501 |
| God delivers the Philistines. | 1 Sam.23:2-5 | 1000 | 31,019,501 |
| “The Lord smote Nabal.” | 1 Sam.25:38 | 1 | 31,019,502 |
| God delivers the Philistines to David (again). | 2 Sam.5:19, 25 | 1000 | 31,020,502 |
| Uzzah for trying to keep the ark from falling | 2 Sam.6:6-7, 1 Chr.13:9-10 | 1 | 31,020,503 |
| David and Bathsheba’s baby boy | 2 Samuel 12:14-18 | 1 | 31,020,504 |
| God sent a three-year famine because of something Saul did. | 2 Sam.21:1 | 5000 | 31,025,504 |
| Seven sons of Saul hung up before the Lord | 2 Sam.21:6-9 | 7 | 31,025,511 |
| From plague as punishment for David’s census (men only; probably 200,000 if including women and children) | 2 Sam.24:13, 1 Chr.21:7 | 70,000+ | 31,095,511 |
| A prophet for believing another prophet’s lie | 1 Kg.13:1-24 | 1 | 31,095,512 |
| Baasha killed everyone in the house of Jeroboam “according to the saying of the Lord.” | 1 Kings 15:29 | 1000 | 31,096,512 |
| Zimri killed everyone in the house of Baasha “according to the word of the Lord.” | 1 Kg.16:11-12 | 1000 | 31,097,512 |
| Religious leaders killed in a prayer contest | 1 Kg.18:22-40 | 450 | 31,097,962 |
| God delivers the Syrians into the Israelites’ hands | 1 Kg.20:28-29 | 100,000 | 31,197,962 |
| God makes a wall fall on Syrian soldiers | 1 Kg.20:30 | 27,000 | 31,224,962 |
| God sent a lion to eat a man for not killing a prophet | 1 Kg.20:35-36 | 1 | 31,224,963 |
| Ahaziah is killed for talking to the wrong god. | 2 Kings 1:2-4, 17, 2 Chr.22:7-9 | 1 | 31,224,964 |
| Burned to death by God | 2 Kg.1:9-12 | 102 | 31,225,066 |
| God sends two bears to kill children for making fun of Elisha’s bald head | 2 Kg.2:23-24 | 42 | 31,225,108 |
| Trampled to death for disbelieving Elijah | 2 Kg.7:17-20 | 1 | 31,225,109 |
| God calls for a seven year famine. | 2 Kg.8:1 | 10,000 | 31,235,109 |
| Jezebel | 2 Kg.9:33-37 | 1 | 31,235,110 |
| Jehu killed “all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria … according to the saying of the Lord” | 2 Kg.10:16-17 | 100 | 31,235,210 |
| God sent lions to kill “some” foreigners | 2 Kg.17:25-26 | 3+ | 31,235,213 |
| Sleeping Assyrian soldiers | 2 Kg.19:35, 2 Chr.32:21, Is.37:36 | 185,000 | 31,420,213 |
| Saul | 1 Chronicles 10:14 | 1 | 31,420,214 |
| God delivers Israel into the hands of Judah | 2 Chronicles 13:15-17 | 500,000 | 31,920,214 |
| Jeroboam | 2 Chr.13:20 | 1 | 31,920,215 |
| “The Lord smote the Ethiopians.” | 2 Chr.14:9-14 | 1,000,000 | 32,920,215 |
| God kills Jehoram by making his bowels fall out | 2 Chr.21:14-19 | 1 | 32,920,216 |
| Judean soldiers because they had forsaken the Lord | 2 Chr.28:6 | 120,000 | 33,040,216 |
| God delivered the Israelites into the hand of the Chaldeans. | 2 Chr.36:16-17 | 1000 | 33,041,216 |
| Ezekiel’s wife | Ezekiel 24:15-18 | 1 | 33,041,217 |
| Ananias and Sapphira | Acts 5:1-10 | 2 | 33,041,219 |
| Herod | Acts 12:23 | 1 | 33,041,220 |
Sure makes you question that “All Loving God” stuff huh?
Well, it definitely raises an eyebrow, it’s hard to argue with the facts. But I’m not 100% sure the bible ever mentions that Satan’s goal is to kill people.
David Murray(Quote)
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Uhm. You need to read your Bible more.
John 10:10 says Satan’s only purpose is to “Steal, KILL, and Destroy.”
Mike(Quote)
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By the way…you forgot to put Jesus on there under God’s list…
He sent his only son to die for us. Tell me that’s not love.
Johnson(Quote)
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Johnson,
Don’t end the discussion. Feel free to debate!
You’re right that its not just the sheer numbers but the reason for people dying. I can totally see how deaths might be justified in some cases for the good of the people, for example in a war to defend ones nation or an intruder invading your home.
However, if you look at the reasons for Jehova killing people that Mike mentions, such as Lot’s wife, the first born of the egyptians or the famine for something Saul did, these don’t seem very good reasons IMHO. Jehova seems to be a very jealous, angry and unforgiving god. Many times, jehova punishes the innocent right along with the guilty.
I won’t comment in detail on jesus, but simply say that things change in the new testament quite a bit.
Craig(Quote)
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You mean to say that after Jesus the millions lost to every “holy war” (Hindu vs Christians vs Muslims vs Palestinian, etc.) were not killed by God, but because of His Son? Nice change, we must be greateful!
Elena Saver(Quote)
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Ok, I see your point on the holy war bit, but who said God or Jesus are backing any of the religions? Its only the people who say that they are killing in the name of God. In this instance, I think God has decided to let the people fighting the “holy war” receive their untimely end and help save the innocent and people who want to keep peace.
Jamie(Quote)
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I thought God was all about love and forgiveness. Why should he be allowed to kill? He breaks his own commandments by doing so, so shouldn’t be setting the example? God gave man free will, that means they are on their own and he shouldn’t punish for creating humans the way HE WANTED TO.
Mr Mr(Quote)
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It would be interesting to dig a bit more these figures. How about spreading the events along a timeline? classifying them by motive? and placing them geographically?
ben(Quote)
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Lets say, I have 8 children. They are good kids… but one of them, Mike, has been hanging out with a kid from school(Mark). I have told Mike that Mark is a bad influence. Mike just keeps disobeying me so I kill him along with Mary, because she was in his room at the time I went to kill Mike. Who’s to blame for? Mark for being a bad influence, or Me, his father that gave him life and took it away. The police? They can’t do anything to me… can they? I killed Mike for his own good and I gave him life in the first place… Mary, she was nice, but too close to the rotten apple.
Dario(Quote)
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You were right the first time, guy: God is a monster.
I was told by my pastor to get to know the character of God, and I did. Suffice to say my Christianity didn’t keep in the face of the Biblical God’s boundless hate.
The good news is that we soon will no longer need to be concerned with the aftetlife since medical technology is reaching toward bodily immortality. The ultimate fruit of the Tree of Knowledge is the fruit of the Tree of Life.
On that note, God punishes intelligence and rewards ignorance under the guise of innocence. God also created the Devil and punishes him for doing exactly what he was designed to do. Don’t give me that “free will” yarn, either. Free will obviously means nothing to God since he doesn’t mind hardening Pharaoh’s heart in order to continue torturing the Egyptians…
People need to stop treating that vulgar tome like a license agreement and actually read the thing.
Mr.Hales(Quote)
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Yeah… and who created “Satin”? It’s spelled Satan by the way… and the answer would be God.
Mike(Quote)
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I didn’t see the 70,000 men killed by the plague God sent as punishment for David doing a census in 1 Chronicles chapter 20. That’s one of my favorites since God makes David choose from three punishments (famine, lose a war, or the plague). Sort of like making a kid go out and cut the switch with which you’re going to whip him.
Steve(Quote)
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Yep, not confining Satan to hell for causing a rebellion in heaven and leading a band of rebel angels against God is a good thing. But me burning in hell for eternity for eating meat on friday during lent and not repenting about it, well that makes perfect sense. Especially considering fish is no longer the food of the poor in this day and age, and not anyone can just go out and fish without a license anymore.
Holy diver(Quote)
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Here’s another fun fact. There is nothing in the bible that states that Satan is condemned to hell.
Holy diver(Quote)
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Also…you have to keep in mind. In the book of Job, God returns all of Job’s friends and family that was killed off as a reward for his commitment to God. So in some cases Satan was just an attempted murder.
Holy diver(Quote)
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How did you come up with those statistics? I don’t recall many exact numbers
being used in the Bible.
Rob(Quote)
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Donald (Disciple of Satan)(Quote)
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actually in the book of revalations it says he will be cast into the lake of fire. But for the most part you are right. but he does rule the kingdom of hell though.
Donald (Disciple of Satan)(Quote)
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The reason why we know of that vile person is because you christians raped and forced your shit upon others. I consider my self evil and of Satan but I nor Satan are anything like your god.
Donald (Disciple of Satan)(Quote)
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so then why are you still a christian if you still are that is?
Donald (Disciple of Satan)(Quote)
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You should stop looking for culprits and start looking at the God described in the Bible.
He created humanity and gave them free will… and then he blamed them because they did not behave the way he wanted humanity to behave. He created a wide range of angels, but then when one of them thought differently, he banished him to hell. Well, if you didn’t want them to behave in other ways than you wanted them to, you shouldn’t have given them that choice.
You don’t tell your kid “do whatever you want” and then blame him if he does something you don’t like.
Kreft(Quote)
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Dear Mortals,
I hope you shall comprehend this.
The logic behind all of this is truly simple, God = CREATOR, being so we are not dealing with something that can be limited to the rules He created. The giver of life is the ONLY one with authority to take it away, for He owns all things. Satan is a rebelious creature that wishes to be God, yet the created cannot surpass its creator… That being said God can kill or end the life of whoever He wishes whenever He intends to do so.
Now what is worst? Think for only 1 minute that maybe there is a God creator of all things, and that the big guy did give us one book to read and comprehend Him. For us to spend eternity with the creator all we have to do is follow what he designed us to do. Now there is this guy called Lucifer, he thinks he´s better than the creator. The problem is he has convinced most people of the same, causing them to ignore, despise and hate their own CREATOR, giver of life.
Think about it as a sustainable world, if we destroy nature… we are busted. If we abandone the Creator… Boom-yeah! The one reponsible for the Billions of people who stand up against God is… let me guess… o yeah! Satan. No he ain´t guilty of anything, he must be a nice fellow. I think the wisest thing to do is deny the CREATOR of all things and run after what we want… I mean we aren´t gonna die very soon, there still must be some time… whats eternity compared to the next few “fun” years I´m gonna truly “enojy” my life…
Sad but true…
MONK(Quote)
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I’m sorry but this is downright asinine. An omnipotent God would be responsible for all deaths on earth not just those mentioned in stories. If you have a quarrel with good vs evil welcome to the conversation. There is nothing new or original about questioning the “goodness” of God. Maybe your question shouldn’t be the role of God but rather the role of Satan in the Bible. Furthermore, everyone trying to disprove another person’s religion anywhere needn’t bother. You come off more foolish than the religious nuts. It takes faith to believe anything so for you to try and logically debate a person’s belief is like running on a treadmill… You may feel like you’ve achieved something but really you have just been running in place. The atheists and the Catholics, the Mormons and the Muslims all need faith in what they believe to keep doing so. I think we need more people in this world who subscribe to the belief of “I don’t know”… Then we may start moving forward again.
Eric F.(Quote)
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