Overview
The Bible addresses regicide across 33 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in 2 Kings, Judges and 1 Kings. Closely related themes include Dagger, Murder, Kings and Houses. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Ehud, David, Ishbosheth and Ahijah.
Key Bible verses about regicide
Old Testament
Judges
But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. quarries: or, graven images
And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. a summer: Heb. a parlour of cooling
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. the dirt: or, it came out at the buttocks
Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
2 Samuel
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
1 Kings
And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. steward: Heb. which was over
And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. neither: or, both his kinsmen and his friends
2 Kings
And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot. drew: Heb. filled his hand with a bow sunk: Heb. bowed
But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.
And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla. the house: or, Bethmillo
For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. Armenia: Heb. Ararat
Isaiah
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. Armenia: Heb. Ararat
People in the Bible and regicide
Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.
In the Bible dictionary
Studying regicide for yourself
- Begin with Judges 3:16, then read the passages below in canonical order.
- Compare how 2 Kings, Judges and 1 Kings each treat the theme.
- Consider the lives of Ehud, David and Ishbosheth and how their stories intersect with it.
- Widen the study to related themes: Dagger, Murder, Kings and Houses.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about regicide?
The Bible addresses regicide across 33 verses, drawn from the Old Testament. These passages cluster most in 2 Kings, Judges and 1 Kings. Closely related themes include Dagger, Murder, Kings and Houses. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Ehud, David, Ishbosheth and Ahijah.
How many Bible verses are about regicide?
The Bible references regicide in 33 verses (King James Version).
Where does the Bible first mention regicide?
In canonical order, the first of these passages is Judges 3:16: “But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.”
Which people in the Bible are associated with regicide?
Ehud, David, Ishbosheth, Ahijah and Asa.
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