Exodus 20:13 Meaning: You Shall Not Murder, What It Means
“You shall not murder.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill.
`Thou dost not murder.
Thou shalt not kill.
Meaning in one sentence
The Hebrew word ‘ratsach’ in ‘You shall not murder’ means unlawful killing, not all forms of taking life. Understand the command's true scope and heart.
Context
This verse comes from the Ten Commandments, given at Mount Sinai after God freed Israel from Egypt. The commandments form the core of God's covenant with His people, showing them how to live in right relationship with Him and with each other. This sixth command appears in the second table, the part that deals with our duties to our neighbours. It stands between the commands to honour parents and to avoid adultery, theft, false witness and coveting. The verse protects human life because every person bears God's image, a truth established earlier in Genesis. The command is stated in the fewest possible words, leaving no room to miss its weight.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words carry the whole command. The first is lo, a strong, absolute “not.” It leaves no middle ground: this is not a suggestion but a boundary God draws around life itself.
The second is ratsach, the verb for “murder.” This is not the ordinary word for killing in battle (harag) or for executing a criminal (mut). Ratsach appears in passages about premeditated murder (Exodus 21:14), accidental manslaughter (Numbers 35:11), and blood vengeance (Numbers 35:27). It always means taking a human life in a way that is unlawful or outside the community's authorised judgment. By choosing this word, God condemns murder, the unjust, deliberate destruction of a person made in His likeness, while leaving room for the kinds of killing that uphold justice or preserve life in specific circumstances.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions agree that this command forbids murder, but they have understood its boundaries differently. Some, especially in the Anabaptist and peace-church traditions, read it as a broad prohibition that rules out all killing, including war, capital punishment, and private self-defence. Others, following the Hebrew word ratsach and passages like Genesis 9:6, hold that the command condemns only unlawful killing, and that God authorises governing authorities to use the sword (Romans 13:4). Within these differences, all believers share the conviction that human life is sacred, because every person bears the image of God.
A common misunderstanding
Many people think this commandment forbids all killing of any kind. In fact, the Hebrew word ratsach specifically means murder or unlawful killing, not every form of taking a life. The Bible elsewhere prescribes death for murder (Genesis 9:6), allows self-defence (Exodus 22:2), and speaks of war (Deuteronomy 20). The command targets the unjust, violent taking of innocent life, not every situation where life is lost.
Living This Out
How does a command about murder apply to your ordinary week? Most of us will never physically kill anyone. But this command reaches deeper. Jesus taught that anger, contempt and unforgiveness are the seeds of murder (Matthew 5:21-22). You might carry bitterness toward a coworker, gossip that tears someone down, or ignore a neighbour in need. When you withhold help you could give, you diminish a life made in God's image. This week, examine your heart for the smaller ways you dishonour the sacredness of another person. Ask God to replace anger with compassion, neglect with generosity.
Main takeaway: God commands us to honour the sacredness of every human life by refusing to destroy it unjustly and by actively protecting it.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made every person special. This command means we don’t hurt other people. We use our hands to help, not to hit.
For ages 9, 12
This command is about more than not killing someone. Jesus said that even being very angry with someone or calling them names can be like breaking this command in our hearts. God wants us to respect everyone’s life, forgive each other, and be people who make peace, not hurt.
Questions People Ask
Does ‘You shall not murder’ mean all killing is wrong?
No. The Hebrew word ‘ratsach’ refers specifically to unlawful killing, murder. The Bible elsewhere permits capital punishment (Genesis 9:6), self-defence (Exodus 22:2), and war (Deuteronomy 20). Christians disagree on exactly how those apply, but the command itself condemns murder, not all taking of life.
What does the Hebrew word ‘ratsach’ mean?
‘Ratsach’ means to murder or slay, a violent, unlawful taking of human life. It is used for premeditated murder, accidental manslaughter, and blood revenge, but never for killing in battle or legally authorised executions. The word choice carefully limits the command.
Does this commandment forbid self-defence or war?
Christian traditions differ. Many see self-defence as permitted (Exodus 22:2), and some see just war as consistent with Scripture. Others embrace pacifism, believing the command and Jesus’ teaching rule out all violence. Both sides take the sanctity of life seriously.
How does Jesus expand this commandment in the New Testament?
In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus teaches that anger, insults, and contempt are also violations of the command against murder. He shows that the root of murder is in the heart. So this command calls us not just to refrain from killing, but to pursue reconciliation and love.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study