*What does the bible commandment "Thou shalt not kill" in Exodus 20, refer to ? Not killing humans, animals,

Question

reptiles, insects.

Which one, or does it refer to all of them ?

*How do you personally interpret this commandment ?"

OR was it written in reference to Not killing fellow Israelites for the Jews of that day ?

*Just want to learn what its Original meaning is as well - IF anyone can help with this also.

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Answer 1

It means, thou shall not murder.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, that commandment like many other writings from the Bible have lost their meaning in the language translation to English. In the original language, the commandment would have (if translated literally) You shall not murder. Murder means to take the life of another human being without justification. For example, this commandment is the basis for the laws of the U.S. against homocide. A person can kill someone else in self defense which is considered "murder justified" but cannot simply go out and take another's life.

Answer 3

It means not to kill humans. It is mentioned elsewhere that God gave man dominion over the earth, including plants and animals for food. If you look at the early books of the bible, God actually endorsed the killing of animals for the purposes of sacrificial offerings.

Also, I believe many have interpreted the original Hebrew on this as "thou shall not murder" which adds an interesting aspect to this command. The idea was that it was a sin was if it was pre-meditated. If you accidentally killed someone (hammer flies out of your hand, or you unintentionally run over someone with your car) it wasnt a sin since it was not pre-meditated.

Answer 4

There is a commandment which says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbour." That means that you should not knowingly say something about somebody else which isn't true - especially if what you say could get them into some kind of trouble. Since those words were written, the ban has been extended to any kind of lying. Most of the time that is probably a good idea (although it is easy to think of exceptions), but the commandment originally referred to one particular kind of lie.

Answer 5

There was no word which was translated into 'murder', but the word used here definately means it. Other scriptures describe unintentional killing of a person, and the different degrees of murder. Read the whole thing, instead of only an exerpt. The jews were commanded to offer sacrifices of animals and birds. Dead ones . Also to eat them freely.

Answer 6

It means don't "murder".

The word "kill" is a 400 year old word which meant the same, 400 years ago, as "murder" does today.

Pretty much any English Bible which has been translated in the past 60 years uses the term "murder" instead of "kill".

And it only refers to the murder of humans, not animals.

Pastor Art

Answer 7

It refers to not killing humans. Obviously it couldn't have meant not killing animals, because the Law of Moses specifically REQUIRED the killing of animals, for sacrificial purposes. And God wouldn't have expected people to keep animals for no other purpose than to give as sacrifices.... they would have owned the animals in the first place, because they used them as a food source.

Answer 8

Jews

It was written for the Jews. The OT is for Jews. Christians always say, "Oh, but that is the old testament" The OT forbids killing, lying to or stealing from other Jews. Genocide was the order of the day though.

Answer 9

רצח
râtsach
raw-tsakh'
A primitive root; properly to dash in pieces, that is, kill (a human being), especially to murder: - put to death, kill, (man-) slay (-er), murder (-er).
(Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary)

רצח
râtsach
BDB Definition:
1) to murder, slay, kill
1a) (Qal) to murder, slay
1a1) premeditated
1a2) accidental
1a3) as avenger
1a4) slayer (intentional) (participle)
1b) (Niphal) to be slain
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to murder, assassinate
1c2) murderer, assassin (participle) (substantive)
1d) (Pual) to be killed
Part of Speech: verb
(Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions)

In the command, “Thou shalt not kill,” not only is the accomplished fact of murder condemned, whether it proceed from open violence or stratagem (Exo_21:12, Exo_21:14, Exo_21:18), but every act that endangers human life, whether it arise from carelessness (Deu_22:8) or wantonness (Lev_19:14), or from hatred, anger, and revenge (Lev_19:17-18). Life is placed at the head of these commandments, not as being the highest earthly possession, but because it is the basis of human existence, and in the life the personality is attacked, and in that the image of God (Gen_9:6). The omission of the object still remains to be noticed, as showing that the prohibition includes not only the killing of a fellow-man, but the destruction of one's own life, or suicide.
(Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament)

Hope all of this helps.

Answer 10

Humans!

Answer 11

It's usually taken to mean "thou shalt not kill without just cause" or more simply, "thou shalt not commit murder".