BIBLE QUESTION
What aspects does the commandment 'You shall not murder' cover?
The commandment forbids unjust killing of a human being and, by extension, attitudes such as anger and contempt that destroy a person's God-given dignity.
Answer
The sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13 says simply, 'Thou shalt not kill.' The Hebrew verb ratsach covers the unlawful, intentional taking of a human life. It does not forbid every form of taking life: the covenant community permitted capital punishment, just warfare, and self-defense. What it forbids is murder—the unjust shedding of innocent blood.
Beyond the physical act, Scripture widens this command to the heart. Jesus, quoting this commandment, added, 'But I say unto you, that every one that is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment' (Matthew 5:21-22). Hatred, contempt, verbal abuse, and unresolved anger become a form of murder because they treat a person made in God's image as worthless. The commandment therefore covers words, attitudes, and social actions that devalue human life.
Positively, the command guards human life because every human being bears the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Caring for the poor, the stranger, and the unborn, refraining from revenge, and pursuing peace are all part of keeping this commandment. Loving one's neighbor is the flip side of not killing.
Context
The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 are the core of God's covenant with Israel, spoken directly to the people at Mount Sinai. The surrounding verses (Exodus 20:18-21) describe the people standing at a distance in awe of the thunder, lightning, and the smoking mountain. They asked Moses to speak to them because they feared that hearing God's voice directly would mean death. Moses assured them that God's presence was meant to test them and to keep them from sin.
Within this covenant setting, 'Thou shalt not kill' (Exodus 20:13) sits between the command to honor parents (v. 12) and the command against adultery (v. 14). It forms the second of the six commands that regulate human relationships, showing that respecting the lives of others is foundational to a just community. The life protected is not only the Israelite's but ultimately every human being made in God's image.
Related scriptures
- Exodus 20:13 The wording is concise: 'Thou shalt not kill.' The brevity invites the wider application that Jesus and the rest of Scripture draw out, extending the command to the heart and to the protection of life.
Common questions
Does 'You shall not kill' forbid all taking of life?
No. The Hebrew word focuses on unlawful, intentional killing of a human being. Capital punishment, just warfare, and self-defense are not what this commandment condemns.
Does this commandment apply to anger and words?
Yes. Jesus taught that unjust anger and contemptuous speech are violations of the spirit of this commandment because they treat another person as worthless.
Why is killing wrong?
Because human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6), taking innocent life is an attack on that image and on the giver of life.