Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Cruelty?
23 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Cruelty in the Bible
Discover 16 powerful Bible verses about cruelty. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential miscellaneous topic.
Top 10 Verses About Cruelty
- 1Genesis 16:6
“But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee . And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. as: Heb. that which is good in thine eyes dealt: Heb. afflicted her”
KJV - 2Genesis 21:9
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.”
KJV - 3Exodus 5:6
“And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,”
KJV - 4Psalms 11:5
“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
KJV - 5Psalms 22:1
“To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Aijeleth: or, the hind of the morning helping: Heb. my salvation”
KJV - 6
- 7Proverbs 11:17
“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.”
KJV - 8Proverbs 11:29
“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.”
KJV - 9Proverbs 12:10
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. tender: or, bowels”
KJV - 10Proverbs 21:13
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”
KJV
Subtopics of Cruelty
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Cruelty? (14 Verses)
“But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee . And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. as: Heb. that which is good in thine eyes dealt: Heb. afflicted her”
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.”
“And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,”
“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
“To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Aijeleth: or, the hind of the morning helping: Heb. my salvation”
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.”
“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.”
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. tender: or, bowels”
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”
“He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; dissembleth: or, is known”
“Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished .”
“Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.”
“They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Cruelty? (9 Verses)
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
“Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, the palms: or, rods”
“And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.”
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,”
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.”
“And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?”
“And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? fightings: or, brawlings lusts: or, pleasures”
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Cruelty
- 1
Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.
- 2
Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about cruelty. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.
- 3
Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.
- 4
Memorise at least one key verse about cruelty and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.
Practical Application
Studying what the Bible says about cruelty is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:
Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on cruelty needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about cruelty with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.
Pray through the key verses about cruelty, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.
How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Cruelty?
You have studied 23 verses about cruelty. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.