Verses¶
Section 1: Core Commandment Text¶
Exodus 20:13¶
Thou shalt not kill.
Deuteronomy 5:17¶
Thou shalt not kill.
Section 2: Pre-Sinai Foundation (Genesis)¶
Genesis 4:1-15 (Cain and Abel — First Murder)¶
4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Note: Cain "slew" (H2026, harag) Abel — not ratsach (H7523). Anger (v.5) led to murder (v.8). Blood cries from the ground (v.10). God held Cain accountable even before the Decalogue.
Genesis 4:23-24 (Lamech's Boast)¶
4:23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
Genesis 9:1-7 (Post-Flood Universal Law)¶
9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth... 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 9:5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. 9:7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
Note: The image-of-God (tselem elohim) basis for the prohibition — pre-Sinai, universal (all humanity through Noah), with blood-for-blood penalty.
Genesis 49:5-7 (Simeon and Levi Cursed for Violence)¶
49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Section 3: Mosaic Legislation — Intentional Murder¶
Exodus 21:12-14¶
21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. 21:13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. 21:14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
Exodus 21:28-32 (Negligent Ox Owner)¶
21:28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 21:29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. 21:30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him. 21:31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. 21:32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Leviticus 24:17¶
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
Deuteronomy 17:6¶
At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:1-13 (Premeditated Murder and Cities of Refuge)¶
19:2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land... 19:3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land...into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. 19:4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; 19:5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 19:6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. 19:10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land...and so blood be upon thee. 19:11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 19:12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 19:13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
Deuteronomy 21:1-9 (Unsolved Murder — Communal Guilt)¶
21:1 If one be found slain in the land...lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: 21:2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: 21:7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 21:8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 21:9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 22:8 (Safety Railing — Negligent Homicide Prevention)¶
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.
Deuteronomy 22:26¶
But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
Deuteronomy 27:24-25 (Curses)¶
27:24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen. 27:25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Section 4: Numbers 35 — Cities of Refuge (Full Chapter)¶
Numbers 35:6 (Six Cities of Refuge)¶
And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
Numbers 35:11-15 (Unintentional Killing — ratsach for accidental)¶
35:11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 35:12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. 35:13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. 35:14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. 35:15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
Numbers 35:16-21 (Intentional Murder — ratsach for deliberate)¶
35:16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 35:17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 35:18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 35:19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 35:21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
Numbers 35:22-28 (Unintentional — ratsach for accidental)¶
35:22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 35:23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 35:24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 35:25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 35:27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 35:28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
Numbers 35:29-34 (Summary Principles)¶
35:29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 35:30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 35:31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. 35:32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 35:33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 35:34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 4:41-43 (Moses Sets Apart Three Cities)¶
4:41 Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising; 4:42 That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: 4:43 Namely, Bezer in the wilderness...Ramoth in Gilead...Golan in Bashan.
Joshua 20:1-9 (Cities of Refuge Implementation)¶
20:1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, 20:2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: 20:3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 20:4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 20:5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. 20:6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. 20:7-8 [List of six cities: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, Golan] 20:9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
Section 5: Prophetic/Wisdom Expansion (OT)¶
Psalm 5:6¶
Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psalm 9:12¶
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Psalm 51:14 (David's Repentance — Bloodguiltiness)¶
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
Context (Psalm 51:1-17): David's repentance psalm after the murder of Uriah. Key elements: acknowledgment of sin against God (v.4), plea for cleansing (v.7), desire for a clean heart (v.10), bloodguiltiness (v.14), broken spirit as the true sacrifice (v.17).
Psalm 94:5-7¶
94:5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage. 94:6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. 94:7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Proverbs 1:11-16¶
1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Proverbs 6:16-17¶
6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 28:17¶
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
Isaiah 1:21¶
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Isaiah 26:21¶
For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 59:3,7¶
59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
Jeremiah 2:34¶
Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
Jeremiah 7:9-10¶
7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 7:10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Ezekiel 22:9¶
In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
Ezekiel 35:5-6¶
35:5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword... 35:6 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.
Hosea 4:1-3¶
4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 4:3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish...
Habakkuk 2:10,12¶
2:10 Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. 2:12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
Section 6: Jesus's Teaching (NT)¶
Matthew 5:20-26 (First Antithesis — Murder Deepened)¶
5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 5:26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Matthew 15:18-19 (From the Heart Proceed Murders)¶
15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 19:17-19 (Rich Young Ruler)¶
19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mark 7:20-23 (Parallel to Matthew 15)¶
7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Mark 10:19¶
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke 18:20¶
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
John 8:44 (The Devil — Murderer from the Beginning)¶
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Section 7: Apostolic Teaching (NT)¶
Romans 1:29¶
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Romans 13:8-10 (Decalogue Love-Summary)¶
13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Galatians 5:19-21¶
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 1:8-9¶
1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
James 2:10-12 (Law's Unity)¶
2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
James 4:1-2¶
4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
James 5:6¶
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
1 Peter 4:15¶
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
1 John 3:10-16 (Hatred as Murder)¶
3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 4:20¶
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Revelation 9:21¶
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 21:7-8 (Murderers — Second Death)¶
21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 22:14-15 (Without Are Murderers)¶
22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.