Self-Injury and the Bible

The Christian parts of my site are still very much under construction. I am gathering here all the verses and Bible passages I have found that seem to be related to self-injury. Some day there will be a bit more discussion on what I think they mean and why, but for now, let's just let God's Word speak for itself.

These are quoted from the New International Version. A very useful resource is the Bible Gateway which allows you to look at a large number of different translations and also to do keyword searches etc.

Jesus heals a man who self-injures

As far as I know, the only instance in the Bible of self-injury in the sense discussed on this site is the following passage from Mark's gospel:

Mark 5:1-20: The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no-one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No-one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion", he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Other related Bible verses

The following are various verses which may or may not be relevant. Since they are isolated verses, some of them chosen merely because they contain a word such as "wound", they may not be saying what it appears at first. I encourage anyone to look at these verses in context, although I also believe that, on occasion, God can speak to someone through a verse in a different interpretation from what the original writer intended—there are many Old Testament verses which are quoted in the New Testament in this manner. So, read prayerfully, and if something puzzles you, look at the rest of the passage. (I'll get round to putting some comments of my own eventually.)

Leviticus 19:28

'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

Zechariah 13:6

If someone asks him, 'What are these wounds on your body?' he will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.'

Proverbs 20:30

Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.

Psalm 38:4-5

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.

Job 5:18

For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.

Job 9:17

He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.

Hosea 6:1

Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.

Jeremiah 10:19

Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, This is my sickness, and I must endure it.

Jeremiah 15:18

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?

Proverbs 8:36

But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.

Psalm 69:26

For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

Psalm 42:11

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

Romans 6:13

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Ezekiel 15:5

If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

1 Corinthians 3:15

If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Kings 18: 27-29

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. Shout louder! he said. Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or travelling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened. So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no-one answered, no-one paid attention.