“You Shall Not Kill” vs. “You Shall Not Murder”
- Jon Clash
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Why the Sixth Commandment Isn’t What Many Think
Few verses in the Bible are quoted as often—or misunderstood as deeply—as the sixth commandment. For centuries, many English readers have encountered it as:
“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13, KJV)
At face value, that sounds like a total prohibition against taking human life in any circumstance. But that understanding creates immediate tension with the rest of Scripture. The same Bible that says “you shall not kill” also describes God establishing civil law, commanding Israel in war, and affirming the authority of governments to punish evildoers.
So which is it? Does the Bible contradict itself—or has the commandment been misunderstood?
The answer lies in the original language, the biblical context, and the moral framework of Scripture as a whole.
1. The Hebrew Word Behind the Commandment
The key word in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 is the Hebrew verb רָצַח (ratzach).
This word does not mean “to kill” in a general sense. Biblical Hebrew uses several different words for taking life:
harag – to kill (general, broad term)
nakah – to strike, sometimes fatally
mut – to cause death
ratzach – to murder, to unlawfully kill
When God gave the Ten Commandments, He did not choose the general word for killing. He chose ratzach, a word used throughout the Old Testament to describe criminal, unjustified homicide.
That is why nearly every modern translation now renders the command as:
“You shall not murder.” (ESV, NIV, CSB, NASB)
The older English word kill in the KJV reflected a broader usage at the time, but in modern English it creates a meaning the Hebrew text never intended.
2. Why This Cannot Mean “All Killing Is Sin”
If “You shall not kill” were an absolute prohibition, Scripture would immediately contradict itself.
Capital Punishment
In the very next chapters of Exodus, God prescribes the death penalty for certain crimes (Exodus 21). The same God who spoke the sixth commandment also said:
“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed,for God made humans in his image.” (Genesis 9:6)
That is not murder—it is justice.
Warfare
God commanded Israel to fight in certain historical contexts. These were not acts of personal violence or vengeance, but acts of national judgment and defense. Again, the word ratzach is never used for soldiers killing in war.
Self-Defense
The Mosaic Law recognizes situations where a person may kill unintentionally or in self-defense without being guilty of murder (Exodus 22:2–3; Numbers 35). If all killing were morally equal, these distinctions would make no sense.
The Bible consistently treats murder and justified killing as morally different categories.
3. What the Commandment Actually Forbids
The sixth commandment targets the heart of violent injustice:
Premeditated violence
Malice toward another
Unlawful taking of innocent life
Bloodshed motivated by hatred, greed, or revenge
This is why later Scripture expands the commandment beyond the physical act.
Jesus says: “Everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:22)
John writes: “Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” (1 John 3:15)
Murder begins in the heart, not the hand.
4. The Sanctity of Life Is the Foundation
The sixth commandment is not merely a legal rule—it is a theological statement.
Human life is sacred because humans are image-bearers of God (Genesis 1:27). Murder is not just a crime against a person; it is an attack on the God whose image that person reflects.
This is why Scripture treats murder as one of the most serious moral evils. It is the unjust destruction of something God Himself has declared sacred.
5. Why This Matters Today
This distinction shapes how Christians think about:
Law enforcement
Military service
Self-defense
Abortion
Violence and vengeance
The value of human life
If “do not murder” is misunderstood as “do not kill under any circumstances,” then biblical ethics collapse into contradiction. But when we read the command as God intended, we see something far richer:
God is not condemning justice.God is condemning unjust violence.
The commandment does not trivialize life—it elevates it.
Final Reflection
The sixth commandment is not a simplistic rule against all killing. It is a divine boundary against the deliberate, unjust destruction of human life.
“You shall not murder” is not a loophole.It is a declaration of the worth of every human being.
In a world that constantly cheapens life, God’s law still stands as a reminder:
Human life is not disposable.It is sacred.
Comments