You Shall Not Murder

Christians and Jews alike are becoming more intimately aware of the increasing violence in the world around us, our sense of security for ourselves and our loved ones is becoming more compromised each day. Christians are called upon to turn the other cheek, this is an admonition from the Lord for us to endure insults by others rather than becoming angry and striking back in kind. We are enjoined to show the peace and forbearance that the Lord has instilled in us through Jesus Christ as a testimony to those who choose to assail us with insults and vile behavior. However neither Christians or Jews are ever expected to lie down and cower under violent physical abuse and attacks on their lives, or stand by and watch helplessly while someone else is being murdered. The only exception to that would be those whom God has called and given the strength to endure persecution and death for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Although most unbelievers don't read the bible, they are quick to point out that Christians are expected to turn the other cheek rather than respond to their insults in kind. They will insist that God is somehow conflicted by His command to not kill, and they use their limited knowledge of scripture as a bludgeon to attempt to create guilt feelings. 

God allowed for the killing of tens of thousands by Joshua and the Hebrews as they traveled to the Promised Land and later by King David as he protected Israel from the Philistines. The scriptures tell us that God loved David, because David had a shepherd's heart from the time he was a young boy protecting his father's flock from predators. These great men of the bible are examples of how God expects the head of one's household to protect and care for his family, his church or synagogue, his friends and even his neighbors in times of trouble. 

The original Hebrew text of Exodus 20:13 reads as simply as it does in English bibles with striking brevity, however it is not written you shall not kill, which is an intellectually lazy translation, it is written “You shall not murder.” Of the three Hebrew words used in Holy Scripture to describe the loss of life, the one in Exodus 20:13 "lo tirtsah" is used rarely and is much more specific when it is used in reference to “murder.” Murder is not merely the taking of someone’s life but the taking of someone’s life unjustly as in the pre-meditated malevolent murder of Able by his brother Cain. Clearly not all killing is forbidden. There are cases such as self-defense, defense of family and others, a just war and capital punishment, when taking a life is not just permitted but is required.

This is a tough subject and I am writing this to dispel any fears one might have in living up to the responsibility for the safety of those that God has entrusted to your care because we are entering into a time of great trouble. Always keep foremost in mind that there is a vast difference between having to kill to ensure one's safety and that of others, and outright murder, which is a pre-meditated malevolent act and is forbidden by God. May the Lord bless and keep you in the days ahead!

You Shall Not Kill?

Of all of the ten commandments that God gave to Moses on the mountain the sixth commandment was changed from the original Hebrew text “You shall not murder” to you shall not kill in the KJV. The Jewish sages note that the word “ratsakh” applies only to illegal killing, premeditated murder or manslaughter referencing back to Cain’s murder of Able and is never used in the administration of justice or for killing in war. Hence the KJV translation as “thou shalt not kill” is too broad and incorrectly translated from the original Hebrew. Pacifists love to cite the King James version because it gives them comfort in not feeling obligated to defend themselves, their country or others in time of need. The New King James Version has rightly changed it back to the original intent translating it properly as “You shall not murder!”

Once beyond the desert on the far side of the Jordan River Joshua was leading the Hebrew Nation, they commenced slaughtering all of the nations that inhabited the land there. 

(Joshua 10: 40)  “So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.” 

If we were to read the sixth commandment in the context of the King James Version “Thou shall not kill” we would immediately assume that God has a double standard concerning the taking of another person’s life however that is not the case as God is not the author of confusion. 

Another well known example of justifiable killing occurred during the reign of King Saul. The Israelites were engaged in a war with the Philistines on whose side was a fearsome giant warrior named Goliath who was the champion of the Philistines and who taunted Saul and his army for many days. David a young shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse came forth and was so incensed by the rantings of Goliath that he took up the giant’s challenge.

(1 Samuel 17: 48 - 54) “When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; there was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Sha-ara′im as far as Gath and Ekron. And the Israelites came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.”

(David went on to kill tens of thousands of the enemies of Israel with God’s approval and became king of Israel enjoying a long reign.)

The reason for citing these two of the many biblical references to justifiable killings is to dispel the notion that many have concerning the true meaning of the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder” as opposed to the King James version of “you shall not kill,” as there is a world of difference in the meaning between the two statements. The following is an extreme example of misguided interpretation of the commandment: If some miscreant suddenly broke into a man’s house, slit the throats of his children then raped and murdered the man’s wife before his eyes and the homeowner refused to take action citing the perverse notion that he was constrained by scripture from killing the miscreant he would then become morally and spiritually culpable for abdicating his obligation as head of his household to protect his family.