What Is The 6th Commandment?

What is the 6^th Commandment?  Is it okay to kill sometimes? Is killing the same thing as murder?

The 6^th Commandment

Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”

Most people misquote this as you shall not kill but it doesn’t say you shall not kill but you shall not murder. Is there a difference?  Yes, in World War Two, many of the Nazi’s had to be killed because they were murdering millions of innocent victims and trying to exterminate the Jews in what was one of the world’s worst cases of an attempted genocide.  Surely, killing those who were killing (technically murdering) the Jews, Gypsies, those who had mental illness and physical defects was wrong and they had to be stopped so the Allied Forces invaded Europe and killed many of the Nazi’s in order to stop this insanity.  Killing these enemies of mankind was not murder…they were killing those who were doing the murdering so clearly killing and murdering (in cold blood) is not the same thing.

Someone who has mugged and robbed and then shot and killed someone for their money is not just a killer but they are a murderer.  Every day it seems that police have to shoot to kill to protect themselves or the public but it’s not murder…it’s killing to prevent further murder of innocent victims.  So again, murdering and killing is not the same thing at all.  God forbids murder but there are times when killing someone is allowed and even in our own society this is allowed and in other nations too so that the innocent might be protected.  It is killing with the intent to save lives or killing to prevent additional murders to occur. The conclusion is that murder is not the same thing as killing although someone who is killed can be murdered but not everyone killed is murdered.

The Hebrew Word for “Murder”

The Hebrew word for murder is not kill nor is it even close to kill…it is “ratsach” and this Hebrew word literally means “to murder” and a secondary meaning is “premeditated” so the sentence should be “You shall not commit premeditated murder.”  It means to do so with foresight or forethought and to do so intentionally.  The law sometimes calls this voluntary manslaughter.  It is done with intentionality, purpose, and in a premeditated way.  It’s not accidental at all.  Accidentally killing someone is called “involuntary manslaughter” but can still be a very serious crime because of negligence or in the case of drunk driving even voluntary in some cases.

Is Hate Equal to Murder?

Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 that “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” so Jesus sees the intent of the heart as equal to the action itself because premeditating on someone like lusting leads to adultery, even if it’s in the mind because it may well lead to the physical act of adultery.  That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  If we look closer at the original Greek texts we must read theses verses like this; “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother [some manuscripts say “without cause”] will be liable to judgment; whoever insults [says “Raca” which is a term of abuse] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Just getting angry at someone and wishing them harm is basically what God considers murder them in their heart because they are innocent or at least not worthy of premediated murder, even if it’s only in their thoughts that they wish this.  Believe me, in many cases, those who hate someone wished that they could kill them if they could get away with it.

As a Man Thinks

Proverbs 23:7 essentially says “As a man thinks, he is” so I could say we are not what we think we are…what we think, we are!  In other words, what we think about or think of others, that is who we are and the heart of mankind is deceitfully wicked, full of evil intents.  Jeremiah 17:9 puts it this way: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Jesus put it even stronger in Mark 7:21-22 “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.”  Paul adds that “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom 1:21).  Solomon bluntly writes “This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead” (Eccl 9:3).

God’s Heart Surgery for Man

Every man is at best bent toward sin and sin begins in the heart when “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). James is speaking about eternal death and not just a physical death.  Clearly, we need a new heart but how then can a wicked heart be turned into a heart devoted to God?  It must begin with a desire to repent (turn away and forsake their sins) and then put their trust in Christ to save them.  A repentant person sees their sin as an offense toward a Holy and Just God and that they need a new heart.  God inspires Ezekiel to write “And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.  And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezk 11:18-20) and again God says through Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezk 36:26-27) so it takes the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit actually, to change the human heart’s bent toward evil to one that has a desire to obey God.  It is not a work done by man but by God Himself.  It is the gift of God that saves us (Eph 2:8-9).

Conclusion

If you are not saved, and no one can see God without being born again (John 3:5), we must repent (Acts 2:38) and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15) for there is no other way to be saved (Acts 4L12; 16:30-31), therefore I urge you to repent and trust in Christ and you will be saved and be spared eternal damnation at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rev 20:12-15).

Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon