Exodus 20:13 · Bible study
Exodus 20:13 Commentary: The Meaning of 'You Shall Not Murder'
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the Hebrew word ratsach, the scope of the sixth commandment, and how it applies to capital punishment, self-defense, and war.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Hebrew verb ratsach prohibits murder, unlawful, violent killing of a human being. It does not forbid all killing; just war, self-defense, and capital punishment are addressed elsewhere in Scripture.
- Key words: ratsach (H7523), to murder, slay, kill (with a specific range including premeditated, accidental, and avenger). The negation lo (H3808) indicates an absolute prohibition.
- Main debate: Whether the command allows exceptions (capital punishment, self-defense, war) or is an absolute prohibition of all killing. Most commentators see exceptions grounded in other biblical passages.
- Theological theme: The sanctity of human life based on the image of God (Genesis 9:6). The command is not only about actions but about the heart attitudes that devalue life (Matthew 5:21, 22).
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on the foundational value of human life, expanding from the letter of the law to the spirit, both protecting life and examining our inner dispositions.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You shall not murder.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall not murder.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt not kill.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt not kill.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Thou dost not murder.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt not kill.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not kill.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No matarás.
Não cometerás homicídio.
Tu ne tueras point.
Du sollst nicht töten.
Gij zult niet doodslaan.
Non uccidere.
Nie będziesz zabijał.
Не убивай.
「不可 殺人。
Do not put anyone to death without cause.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 20:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the sixth commandment prohibits the unlawful taking of human life, murder, not all killing. The Hebrew verb ratsach (רָצַח) is specific: it denotes violent, unauthorized killing, as seen in the law codes of Numbers 35 and passages like Hosea 4:2. Calvin notes that the command condemns any unjust violence, using the horror of murder to restrain us from all harm. Matthew Henry and Wesley extend the prohibition to hatred, anger, and neglect that abridge life. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that life is placed first because it is the basis of human existence and the bearer of God's image (Genesis 9:6). The omission of an object in the Hebrew, they argue, even includes suicide. All agree that the command upholds the sanctity of human life, but they also recognize that not every taking of life is murder, self-defense, just war, and judicial executions are treated elsewhere in Scripture as distinct categories.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Absolute prohibition of all killing: KJV wording ‘kill’, combined with Jesus’ teaching on nonviolence (Matthew 5:39) and early Christian pacifism, leads some to see no exceptions.
- Murder-specific prohibition with biblical exceptions: The Hebrew word ratsach and the surrounding legal texts (Exodus 21:12–14, Numbers 35) show that the Bible distinguishes murder from other killings, allowing capital punishment, war, and self-defense.
- Inward and social extension: Matthew 5:21–22 and 1 John 3:15 extend the command to anger and hatred, and commentaries like Clarke include neglect and reckless endangerment as violations.
What is clear: The command forbids the intentional, unlawful taking of human life (murder), and the protection of life is grounded in the image of God (Genesis 9:6).
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the verb ‘ratsach’ | The Hebrew word refers to murder or unlawful killing, not to all forms of killing (e.g., animals, just war, capital punishment). | Some traditions, following the KJV ‘kill’, interpret it as a broader prohibition, while others insist on the narrower meaning of murder based on lexical evidence. |
| Application to capital punishment | The Bible mandates death for murder (Genesis 9:6, Leviticus 24:21). | Christians disagree whether the state retains this authority today. Some argue that the command and New Testament ethics prohibit state execution, while others see it as a divinely ordained role of government (Romans 13). |
| Self-defense and just war | Exodus 22:2 and other passages allow lethal force in defending one’s home. Just war theory has deep roots in Christian tradition. | Pacifist Christians, pointing to Jesus’ teaching on nonviolence (Matthew 5:39), argue that the sixth commandment prohibits any killing, including in war or self-defense. Others see a distinction between individual and state responsibilities. |
| Accidental killing (manslaughter) | The law distinguishes murder from accidental killing; the latter is not punishable by death (Exodus 21:13, Numbers 35). | Some ask whether the command condemns negligence that leads to death (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:8). The principle of protecting life extends to carelessness, but the degree of culpability is debated. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Exodus 20:13 stands within the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai. The Ten Commandments form the moral spine of that covenant, regulating first the relationship with God, then with neighbor. This verse heads the second table (duties to others), underscoring that life is the most basic human gift and must be protected.
In the ancient Near East, life was cheap in many cultures, blood feuds and indiscriminate killing were common. Israel’s law stood out by placing human life under God’s direct protection. The surrounding chapters (Exodus 21, 23) provide case laws that distinguish murder from manslaughter, accidental death, and justifiable homicide. For example, Exodus 21:12, 14 prescribes death for premeditated murder but grants asylum for unintentional killing. Numbers 35 later establishes cities of refuge for the manslayer.
Genesis 9:5, 6 grounds this command in creation theology: God made humanity in His image, so shedding human blood is a direct assault on God’s likeness. The command was not only a legal statute but a theological declaration that every person bears God’s image and therefore possesses inviolable dignity. This context explains why the command is so broad yet precise, it forbids the inward attitudes (hatred, envy) that lead to violence, as Jesus later taught (Matthew 5:21, 26).
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note a minor variation in the order of the commandments in the Septuagint and Mark 10:19, where “do not steal” precedes “do not commit adultery” and “do not murder” appears in a different position. This does not affect the meaning of the command itself. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and no significant variant exists for the wording of Exodus 20:13.
Reception History
Jewish tradition consistently interprets this command as prohibiting murder, with the Mishnah and Talmud specifying the legal requirements for conviction and the role of the blood avenger. Early Christian writers like Augustine and Chrysostom emphasized the spiritual depth of the command, seeing anger and hatred as forms of murder. The medieval church built detailed moral theology around it, distinguishing degrees of culpability. The Reformers, especially Calvin and Luther, underscored the positive duty to protect and preserve life. In modern times, the command has been central to debates on capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia, and just war, each tradition applying the core principle of life’s sanctity to new ethical questions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Command, The Hebrew verb ratsach means murder: premeditated, violent, unauthorized killing. It does not forbid all killing (self-defense, war, capital punishment are addressed elsewhere) but condemns the intentional destruction of human life.
- The Heart, Jesus and the apostles expand the command to include anger, hatred, and contempt (Matthew 5:21, 22; 1 John 3:15). The command is not only about the act but about the disposition that devalues life.
- The Image, Human life is sacred because we are made in God’s image (Genesis 9:6). This command protects the image-bearer at every stage, from womb to tomb.
Five-point outline
- What the command forbids: murder in all its forms.
- What it permits: distinctions between murder, manslaughter, and other takings of life.
- What it requires: active preservation and protection of life (neglect is also prohibited).
- What it exposes: the sinful heart that harbors anger and malice.
- What it points to: Christ, who died to restore life and calls us to be peacemakers.
Illustration hooks
- A driver who ignores a red light in a school zone, the command against murder extends to reckless endangerment of life.
- Workplace gossip that destroys a reputation or pushes someone toward despair, words can kill the spirit.
- Ignoring the hungry or homeless when you have resources, the command includes failing to sustain life when you can.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does the Bible allow the death penalty for murder?
- Is killing in war a violation of this command?
- What about self-defense, if someone breaks into my home, can I use lethal force?
Leading a Discussion
This command sits at the heart of how we value human life. Before you discuss, read Exodus 20:13 aloud and then turn to Genesis 9:5, 6 and Matthew 5:21, 22. The Hebrew word ratsach is narrower than our English word “kill.” It points to murder, intentional, unlawful killing. But both Old and New Testaments widen the scope to cover the heart attitudes that lead to violence.
Discussion questions
- What is the difference between “You shall not murder” and “You shall not kill”? Why does the Hebrew word matter?
- Read Exodus 21:12, 14. How does this case law clarify the sixth commandment? What does it say about accidental killing?
- Jesus says that anger is a form of murder (Matthew 5:21, 22). How does that challenge your understanding of the command?
- What are some modern ways we “murder” people without physically killing them? Consider neglect, slander, or indifference.
- How does the creation account in Genesis 1:26, 27 and the command in Genesis 9:5, 6 ground the sanctity of life? Why does it matter that we are made in God’s image?
- Christians disagree about capital punishment, war, and self-defense. How can we hold these discussions graciously while still honoring the command?
- What is one practical way this week you can protect or honor the life of someone in your community?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 4:8 | Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. |
| Genesis 4:23 | Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me. |
| Genesis 9:5 | I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. |
| Genesis 9:6 | Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. |
| Exodus 21:14 | If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. |
| Exodus 21:20 | “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished. |
| Exodus 21:29 | But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and this has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death. |
| Leviticus 24:21 | He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke expands the commandment far beyond literal murder, covering every action or neglect that shortens life. He includes unjust wars, harsh laws, hatred, failing to help the needy, and even excesses like drunkenness or self-destructive asceticism as violations of this law.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that God chose murder, a crime everyone naturally detests, to make clear that all unjust violence is forbidden. The commandment uses the extreme case to teach that any injury to another is an offense against God. Negatively abstaining from harm is not enough; the commandment also requires actively preserving life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the original Hebrew word behind the commandment means violent, unauthorized killing, not just any taking of life. The older translation "shalt not kill" was too broad; the command specifically forbids murder, leaving lawful penalties to be prescribed elsewhere in Scripture.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill carefully distinguishes what the commandment does and does not forbid. It prohibits all intentional killing of humans, including suicide and murder, but allows lawful war, self-defense, and capital punishment. The command also reaches inward attitudes like sinful anger, malice, and anything that threatens another's life.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch show the commandments progress from outward acts to words to inner desire, proving the law requires heart sanctification, not just external compliance. They note the repeated prohibition of coveting does not create two commands but stresses that desire is the root of all sin against a neighbor.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange's distinctive reading of the first commandment is that the Hebrew phrase rendered "before me" means "over against" or "confronting." Other gods are not merely additional deities but rivals set up in opposition to Jehovah, making the command a prohibition of any competing loyalty.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry breaks down the commandment to honour parents into three specific duties: inward esteem and outward respect, cheerful obedience to their lawful commands, and submission to their rebukes and correction. He treats these duties as an essential part of true religion, insisting that godliness and honesty must always go together.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley expands the command far beyond literal murder. It forbids anything harmful to the health or life of one's own body or another's, though it permits self-defense and lawful punishment by authorities. At its core, it prohibits all malice, hatred, revenge, and angry words or deeds, as Christ explains in the Sermon on the Mount.