Do Not Murder

Do not murder. —Exodus 20:13

Old Testament Foundation of the Prohibition of Murder

1. Human life has value because it is rooted in the image of

.

Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image. —Genesis 9:6

Life’s sanctity derives from the Imago Dei (Gen. 1:26-27).
2. The Sinai Covenant Law

Do not murder. —Exodus 20:13

3. Unlawful vs. Lawful Killing
The word is tirtsach which is defined as

taking of innocent life. This word for “murder” in Hebrew is specific to “putting to death improperly, for selfish reasons rather than with authorization.” This is distinct from judicial execution or warfare (Num 35:31; Gen 9:6).

Christ’s

Reveal Answer

of the Law

You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire. —Matthew 5:21-22

Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him —1 John 3:15

Theological Explanation

3 Principles:
1.

and Universal Moral Knowledge
2. Life as

Reveal Answer

3. Love as

Reveal Answer

of the Law

Application

For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began. —Psalm 139:13-16
In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!” —Luke 2:39-45
When men get in a fight and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born prematurely but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman’s husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment. If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound. —Exodus 21:22-24

Early‑church consensus: destroying the unborn equals murder

Capital punishment was instituted pre‑Law and codified under the Mosaic covenant.

And I will require a penalty for your lifeblood; I will require it from any animal and from any human; if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed for God made humans in his image. —Genesis 9:5-6
Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must be put to death. But if he did not intend any harm, and yet God allowed it to happen, I will appoint a place for you where he may flee. If a person schemes and willfully acts against his neighbor to murder him, you must take him from my altar to be put to death. —Exodus 21:12-14
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death based on the word of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of one witness. You are not to accept a ransom for the life of someone who is guilty of murder; he must be put to death. —Numbers 35:30-31
Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. —Romans 13:1-4

If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed. —Exodus 22:2
Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.… “Lord,” they said, “look, here are two swords.” “That is enough!” he told them.” —Luke 22:36-38

Criteria for self defense:
1.

Threat: Must face unlawful aggression against self or others.
2.

Reveal Answer

: Use no more force than necessary to repel the threat.
3.

Reveal Answer

: Target only the aggressor, sparing innocents.
4.

Reveal Answer

Resort: Retreat or non‑lethal means should be attempted if feasible.
5. Right

Reveal Answer

: Aim to protect life, not to harm or seek vengeance.

Old Testament examples of divinely authorized warfare (e.g. conquest narratives).

Augustine’s criteria:
1. Legitimate

: Only duly constituted public authorities (rulers or governments) may declare and wage war. Private individuals have no right to declare war.
2.

Reveal Answer

Cause: War must confront a real and grave wrong—e.g. defense against aggression or protection of the innocent.
3. Right Intention: The aim must be to secure a just peace and to redress the wrong, not to pursue revenge, conquest, or economic gain.
4. Last Resort: All reasonable peaceful options (diplomacy, sanctions, arbitration) must be exhausted before force is used.
5.

Reveal Answer

of Success: There must be a reasonable chance of achieving the war’s just aims; futile or hopeless wars that only multiply suffering are unjust.
6.

Reveal Answer

: The anticipated good (restoration of justice, protection of innocents) must outweigh the expected harms (death, destruction, displacement).

Conclusion

God’s command to Israel, “do not murder,” still applies to us today. In seeking to uphold this command, we must commit ourselves to a unified principle, be morally consistent, and practically live it out.

Unified Principle: Protecting innocent life honors God’s image in humanity. Every human being has been made in the image of God and thus is worthy of dignity, love, and protection.

Moral Consistency: God’s Word gives us a blanket prohibition on murder. However, there are distinct categories that allow lawful shedding of blood under God’s authorization (judicial, self defense, and wartime).

Practical Charge: We must uphold the sanctity of life and champion life from conception to natural death while recognizing the limited, regulated biblical allowances for capital punishment, self defense, and just war.

The command “Do not murder” establishes the sacred value of human life. While abortion, suicide, and euthanasia (there will be an article published this week that covers these subjects) violates this principle as the unlawful killing of the innocent, Scripture also delineates narrow, God‑authorized contexts—capital punishment, self defense, and just war—where taking life does not constitute murder but upholds divine justice and the protection of the community as an act of loving our neighbor.

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “well, I haven’t murdered anyone so I’m safe.” Unfortunately all of us are condemned murderers since Jesus has elevated the command “Do not murder” by equating hatred with murder. Each and everyone of us has experienced the explosion of anger in our hearts towards someone else. The penalty for violating God’s holy and just law is death and separation from Him for eternity. Each and every human stands in God’s courtroom as a convicted criminal with the sentence of death hanging over us. However, there is always hope by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Even on the cross, Jesus promised the bloodthirsty revolutionary (often translated thief) that on that day he would be with Jesus in paradise when he asked Jesus to remember him. Turn to Jesus! On the cross, the sinless Son of God took our sin upon Himself so that in Him, we are made righteous.