Exodus 20:13-14
“You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Exodus 20:13-14
“You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This commandment, though simple, forbids not only the act of taking a life but also the inner disposition of malice and hatred that leads to it. Jesus himself expands this by showing that even anger towards a brother is a violation of this principle, highlighting God's concern for our deepest attitudes, not just our outward actions.
This commandment follows the instructions regarding honoring parents and precedes the prohibition against adultery, all within the foundational "Ten Commandments" given to Israel at Mount Sinai. It directly addresses the sanctity of human life, building on the earlier Genesis account where God established that taking a human life incurs a severe penalty because humans are made in God's image. While the text here is concise, it sets a broad principle that later biblical law would detail with specific exceptions for lawful warfare, self-defense, and capital punishment, while Jesus would later expand its meaning to include anger and hatred.
Why does the Bible even bother telling us not to murder? It seems so obvious! But God connects our lives to His own.
This commandment, "You shall not murder," isn't just a rule to keep order. It's rooted in the profound truth that every human life bears the stamp of God's image. When we violate another person's life, we're not just harming them; we're desecrating something sacred that belongs to God.
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Jesus took this commandment and turned it upside down, or rather, right-side up! It's not just about what we do, but what's going on inside.
While the commandment strictly forbids the act of murder, Jesus expanded its meaning to include the inner disposition. It's not enough to refrain from physically harming someone; God looks at the heart.
The Bible seems to say "don't kill" and then... talk about killing? How do we reconcile this?
The commandment "You shall not murder" lays down a powerful, overarching principle: the sanctity of human life. However, the Mosaic Law, and later interpretations, acknowledge that there are specific contexts where taking a life is permitted or even mandated.
Understand the original words
ratsach · Hebrew Verb
The unlawful, intentional taking of human life. Since humanity is created in the image of God, this act is a violation of the sanctity of life.
na'aph · Hebrew Verb
Sexual relations between a married person and someone other than their spouse; it is a violation of the covenant of marriage established by God.
This passage lays the foundation for the sanctity of human life, stating that whoever sheds the blood of man will have their own blood shed, because humans are made in God's image, directly connecting to the prohibition against murder.
Matthew 5:21-22Jesus expands on the commandment, showing that it's not just about the physical act of murder but also the anger and contempt in the heart, revealing a deeper spiritual dimension to the command.
Romans 13:8-10Paul explains that love for one another fulfills the law, and specifically, not murdering is a core aspect of this love, showing how this commandment fits into the broader picture of Christian ethics.
1 John 3:15This verse equates hating a brother with being a murderer, echoing Jesus' teaching and emphasizing that internal disposition, not just outward action, is crucial to understanding God's command about life.
calvinExodus 20:13: "Thou shalt not kill."
- Non occides. THE REPETITION OF THE SAME COMMANDMENT. Deuteronomy 5
Deuteronomy 5:17
Thou shalt not kill.
Non occides.
The sum of this Commandment is, that we should not unjustly do violence to any one. In order, however, that God may the better restrain us from all injury of others, He propounds one particular form of it, from which men's natural sense is abhorrent; for we all detest murder, so as to recoil from those whose hands are polluted…
clarkeExodus 20:13: "Thou shalt not kill."
Thou shalt not kill - This commandment, which is general, prohibits murder of every kind. 1. All actions by which the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged. 2. All wars for extending empire, commerce, etc. 3. All sanguinary laws, by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offenses of comparatively trifling demerit. 4. All bad dispositions which lead men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief against, one another; for, says the Sc…
This commandment, though simple, forbids not only the act of taking a life but also the inner disposition of malice and hatred that leads to it. Jesus himself expands this by showing that even anger towards a brother is a violation of this principle, highlighting God's concern for our deepest attitudes, not just our outward actions.
This commandment follows the instructions regarding honoring parents and precedes the prohibition against adultery, all within the foundational "Ten Commandments" given to Israel at Mount Sinai. It directly addresses the sanctity of human life, building on the earlier Genesis account where God established that taking a human life incurs a severe penalty because humans are made in God's image. While the text here is concise, it sets a broad principle that later biblical law would detail with specific exceptions for lawful warfare, self-defense, and capital punishment, while Jesus would later expand its meaning to include anger and hatred.
This commandment follows the instructions regarding honoring parents and precedes the prohibition against adultery, all within the foundational "Ten Commandments" given to Israel at Mount Sinai. It directly addresses the sanctity of human life, building on the earlier Genesis account where God established that taking a human life incurs a severe penalty because humans are made in God's image. While the text here is concise, it sets a broad principle that later biblical law would detail with specific exceptions for lawful warfare, self-defense, and capital punishment, while Jesus would later expand its meaning to include anger and hatred.
"“You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery." — This commandment, though simple, forbids not only the act of taking a life but also the inner disposition of malice and hatred that leads to it. Jesus himself expands this by showing that even anger…
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