Leviticus 24:17 · Bible study
Leviticus 24:17 Commentary: Murder and the Image of God
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This verse commands death for murder, rooted in human life made in God's image.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Anyone who intentionally kills another person must be executed, because human life bears God’s image.
- Key words: nephesh (soul/life), mot yumat (shall surely be put to death, emphatic Hebrew construction).
- Main debate: Whether this law is binding for modern societies or limited to the theocratic nation of Israel.
- Theological theme: Sanctity of life rooted in the image of God, and the impartiality of divine justice.
- Best use: A foundation for teaching on justice, human dignity, and the equal value of all people before God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And when a man smiteth any soul of man, he is certainly put to death.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And if any one smiteth any man mortally, he shall certainly be put to death.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He that striketh and killeth a man: dying let him die.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Asimismo el hombre que hiere de muerte á cualquiera persona, que sufra la muerte.
Também o homem que fere de morte a qualquer pessoa, que sofra a morte.
Celui qui frappera un homme mortellement sera puni de mort.
Wer irgend einen Menschen erschlägt, der soll des Todes sterben.
En als iemand enige ziel des mensen zal verslagen hebben, hij zal zekerlijk gedood worden.
Chi percuote mortalmente un uomo qualsivoglia, dovrà esser messo a morte.
Także jeźliby kto zabił jakiegokolwiek człowieka, śmiercią umrze.
Кто убьет какого-либо человека, тот предан будет смерти.
打死 人的，必 被治死；
And anyone who takes another's life is certainly to be put to death.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 24:17
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 this verse gives the judicial penalty for intentional homicide. Calvin calls it a confirmation of the Sixth Commandment. Gill and Clarke note the emphatic Hebrew construction mot yumat, “shall surely be put to death”, an infinitive absolute paired with an imperfect, leaving no doubt about the required penalty. The offence is described as striking the nephesh (soul, life) of a person, which Keil and Delitzsch explain means to strike fatally. The law is not limited to Israelites; verse 22 explicitly extends it to the foreigner, making it a universal standard for the covenant community. This underscores that the value of human life does not depend on nationality or heritage, but on the fact that every person bears God’s image (Genesis 9:6).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God commands the death penalty for intentional homicide because human life is created in his image and is therefore inviolable.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'strikes mortally' | The Hebrew phrase implies a fatal blow; commentators agree it refers to intentional killing (Exodus 21:12, 14 distinguishes accidental from premeditated). | Some traditions apply the verse only to murder, while others argue it could include any killing of a human being, leaving room for the biblical distinction between manslaughter and murder. |
| Application to the foreigner | Leviticus 24:22 plainly extends the law to the stranger. All traditions hold that the law applied to non-Israelites living in Israel. | Some emphasise that this inclusion shows the universal value of human life; others focus on the fact that the foreigner was still under Israelite jurisdiction and not necessarily that this law applies to all nations directly. |
| Relevance for Christians today | The verse affirms the sanctity of human life and sets a standard of justice. All Christians can learn from it as part of Scripture. | Roman Catholic and many Protestant traditions see the death penalty as legitimate in principle but rarely needed today, while some evangelical and Reformed traditions hold that the state retains the authority to execute murderers. Orthodox Christians generally allow for it but stress repentance. Quakers and Mennonites believe the New Testament supersedes this commandment with nonviolence. |
| Relationship to the lex talionis (eye for eye) | The principle of proportionate justice is clearly stated in verses 19, 20 and is connected to verse 17. | Some interpreters see this as a literal command to be enforced, while others (notably Jesus in Matthew 5:38, 42) teach that it was a limit on vengeance, not a command for individuals to seek retaliation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 24:17 comes within a passage that grew out of a specific incident. A man with an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father blasphemed the name of the Lord (vv. 10, 11). The people did not know how to judge him, so Moses inquired of God. God’s reply includes laws about blasphemy and then, beginning with verse 17, a series of rules about murder, injury, and restitution. The Cambridge Bible notes that this section closely resembles Numbers 15:32, 36, which deals with the Sabbath-breaker. Both cases involve a person who is only partly Israelite, prompting God to clarify that the law binds everyone living in Israel, whether native-born or foreign.
The legal principle here, life for life, was common in the ancient Near East. But Israel’s version is distinctive because it rests on the theological claim that humans are made in God’s image (Genesis 9:6). A murderer does not merely take a life; he attacks the image of God. The penalty of death is therefore not revenge but a judicial act that upholds the Creator’s honour and protects the community. Jameson-Fausset-Brown stress that the execution was to be carried out by the judges after a proper trial, not by private vengeance. Numbers 35:30 later requires the testimony of witnesses before a death sentence can be given.
The placement of these laws in Leviticus matters. They come near the end of the book, after the holiness code, showing that justice and holiness are inseparable. A community that worships a holy God must also practice righteous judgment, and that judgment includes protecting the weak and punishing the violent. The mention of the foreigner (v. 22) is especially striking. In a culture that often distinguished between insider and outsider, God insists on a single standard. The life of an Egyptian-descended person is as valuable as the life of a full Israelite. This points forward to the New Testament vision of a people where there is no longer Greek or Jew.
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants are noted for Leviticus 24:17 in the supplied sources. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. A few manuscripts omit the word nephesh (soul) before “beast” in verses 18 and 21, but the reading for verse 17 is consistent. The LXX renders the phrase as “whoever strikes a man and he dies, let him be put to death,” maintaining the same meaning.
Reception History
This verse has been read throughout church history as a clear expression of God’s justice. Early church fathers such as Augustine used it to argue that the state has the authority to execute murderers, while also teaching that Christians should not seek personal revenge. Thomas Aquinas cited it in his discussion of just punishment. During the Reformation, Calvin and the Geneva Bible stressed the civil use of the law: the magistrate is God’s servant to punish evildoers. In modern times, the verse is often referenced in debates over capital punishment, with Christians on both sides appealing to the principle of the sanctity of life. The equal application to foreigners (v. 22) has been used to advocate for impartial justice across ethnic lines.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The seriousness of human life. The command to put a murderer to death is rooted in the conviction that human beings are not disposable. They carry the image of God, and to destroy one is to assault the Creator himself. This truth forms the basis for all biblical ethics of life.
- The equality of God’s justice. Verse 22 makes clear that the same law applies to native-born and foreigner. No one stands above the law, and no one is excluded from its protection. God’s justice is impartial, and the community must reflect that impartiality in its courts.
- The hope of a better judge. The Old Testament law gives the principle, but it does not promise to execute it perfectly. Human judges can make mistakes, and even when they do not, capital punishment ends a life that could have been redeemed. The New Testament points to Christ, who took the penalty for all sin and offers mercy even to murderers (Acts 13:38, 39). The law shows the standard; the gospel shows the way to meet it.
Five-point outline
- Context: The incident of the blasphemer (vv. 10, 23) shows that God’s law covers every person, including those of mixed heritage.
- Command: Striking a man mortally requires the death penalty (v. 17).
- Principle: Human life is sacred because it is made in God’s image (cf. Genesis 9:6).
- Scope: The law applies to both Israelite and foreigner alike (vv. 22, 23).
- Challenge: How does this law prepare us for the gracious justice of God in Christ?
Illustration hooks
- A courtroom where the judge declares a sentence. The weight of the verdict reflects the weight of the crime. In an age that often minimises the value of life, this verse forces us to ask what a life is worth.
- A community that overlooks the safety of outsiders. An employer who pays a migrant worker less, a neighbour who ignores a foreign family, this verse challenges such partiality by insisting on one law for all.
- The image on a coin. Caesar’s image meant the coin belonged to him. God’s image means every person belongs to him. Striking that image is not just a crime against a person but against the one whose image that person bears.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse still apply today, or was it only for ancient Israel?
- If God values life so highly, why does he command the death of the murderer?
- How does this command relate to Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness and non-retaliation?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a passage that begins with a crime, blasphemy, and expands to cover other offences, including murder. As you read Leviticus 24:17, 22, notice the connection between the holiness of God’s name and the sanctity of human life. The same God who demands reverence for his own name also demands respect for the lives of every person, even strangers. Use these questions to explore what this law reveals about God’s character and how it points to the teaching of Jesus.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “strikes any man mortally” mean? Does it cover only intentional murder, or also accidental killing? (Compare Exodus 21:12, 14.)
- Why do you think God gave this command in response to the incident of the blasphemer? How does the context shape its meaning?
- Verse 22 says there should be one law for the native and the foreigner. Why is this significant in a book like Leviticus, which often distinguishes Israel from the nations?
- In what ways does the death penalty for murder reflect the belief that humans are made in God’s image? (See Genesis 9:6.)
- This law seems severe. How does it help us understand the seriousness of sin and the value God places on human life?
- Does this Old Testament command conflict with Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek and love your enemies? How might a Christian reconcile the two?
- How can we apply the principle of one law for all, equal justice regardless of background, in our own communities today?
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 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 21:12 | “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death, |
| 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. |
| Numbers 35:30 | “‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies. |
| Numbers 35:31 | “‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death. |
| Deuteronomy 19:11 | But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities; |
| Deuteronomy 19:12 | then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke links blasphemy and murder as equally capital offenses because both are curses on society. He stresses that God absolutely requires life for life when someone deliberately takes another's life, leaving no room for substitute punishment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the judicial law’s death penalty for murderers affirms the principle behind the Sixth Commandment, even though God did not enforce these laws with absolute perfection in practice. The law directly mirrors the commandment, showing God’s clear approval of its moral standard.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the blasphemer was only half Israelite, a detail that links this incident to later Jewish concerns about foreign influence. After the Return, alliances with Egyptians and other nations were banned because mixed marriages were seen as a threat to the Jewish faith.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note points out the straightforward principle of divine justice: whoever takes a human life must forfeit his own. It presents this as an unqualified command, not a suggestion or a matter for judicial discretion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill rejects the Targum of Jonathan's attempt to restrict the death penalty to Israelites only. He insists the original law applies to any person who commits murder, regardless of nationality, as established in the Genesis mandate.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that these verses restate earlier laws about societal offenses, but with a key procedural detail: the penalties described are to be carried out by appointed judges, not by individuals taking matters into their own hands.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the case of the blasphemer, who was half-Egyptian, prompted God to extend the laws against murder and injury, previously given only for Israelites, to foreigners as well. The related commands about killing livestock, only implied in earlier Exodus laws, are now stated explicitly and applied to non-Israelites.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that blasphemy against "the Name" — the revealed name of Jehovah — strikes at the very foundation of Israel's consecration. He sees the Egyptian's case as a fearful example showing that such an offense threatens the whole covenant community and demands a solemn, unified response from all, including the stranger living among them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that this single act of blasphemy became the occasion for God to establish a clear, written law on the matter. What began as a man's wicked outburst led to a broader statute protecting God's name and ensuring equal justice for both native-born and foreigner.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the law against killing is repeated here to curb the harmful results of human quarrels. He points out that just as the present conflict led to blasphemy, unchecked strife can escalate into murder.