What exactly constitutes killing in the commandment thou shalt not kill?

Question

Is this limited to the taking of human life?

Answer 1

Good question. How do the people who follow the commandments decide what/who they can kill and what/who they can't kill?

Enemies of their political state?
Animals for food, fun, fashion?
Tiny little bugs?
Convicted murderers?

Is there a footnote explaining the commandment?

Best article ever re: Thou Shalt Not Kill is here - http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28151

Answer 2

The OT Israelites were permitted to kill in war. God made distinction for them between that and murder.

Christians are simply not permitted to kill -- except in self defense and then that must be warranted.

There are several scriptures in the NT that show this. Perhaps a very poignant scripture is this one:
Revelation 13:10 he that shall kill by the sword, must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (DRC)

Answer 3

The sixth of the ten commandment is that "Thou shall not murder". murder is the term used to the killing of humans and not of anythng else .. The ten commandments are reported to have been written by the god in two slabs of stone and given to Mosses who was a shepherd .sheeps were reared for milk and flesh and so the killing if referred to the killing of animals would hve left the meat eaters hungry. for the very reason that animals wre being eaten by the persons the religions of meat eaters say that animals have no soul. It was man who invented the albaphets and it is not know who taught God to write .Among the ten commandments , god is admisniterig threats that man shall not recognize any other God or idol. so god is reduced to a goonda .but that was the leel of intelligence of the persons who creted those religions .they wanted to comple people to belive in whatever they taught by threats and by force and not bey any sensible and reasonable conviction , wisdom.and truth.

The prohibition to kill in the ten commandments is restrictd to the killing of humans only and does not extend to the killing of animals .

Answer 4

As it pertained to the bible, I believe that would mean the gratuitous taking of a life with no reason or rationale involved. An eye for an eye killing would, under the bible be considered acceptible. Following the laws of ones country and killing another by means of capital punishment would be acceptible as well.

I wonder if euthanasia for those who are just simply too stupid to exist would be acceptible.....Lord knows so many of them in here.....

Answer 5

It's difficult to tell, because the Hebrew word used was "ratasch" which means "kill" in every sense of the word.

Edit:

And translating it as murder is not only bad, but almost dishonest. There are other words in Hebrew that mean murder, and only murder. If god truly wanted it to be "thou shalt not murder," he would have used one of those words.

(You know, if the Bible is actually true and stuff).

Answer 6

Usually it's taken to mean first-degree murder of another human being. The Bible allows killing in self-defense and also insists upon the enforcement of the death penalty (the death penalty is the only law that is mentioned in all five books of the Torah). I don't know what it says about accidental killings.

Answer 7

No it's not limited to human life, it includes , animals, birds, insects, species in sea etc.

One is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me/God/Krishna.


One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.

Gita 18.54
http://www.vedabase.net/bg/18/54

Answer 8

Premeditated murder, accidental homicide, and everything in between, including miscarriage due to an avoidable mis-hap &/or outright abortion.

"Anyone shedding man’s blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God’s image he made man." --Ge 9:6

"You must not murder." --Ex 20:13

“... In case men should struggle with each other and they really hurt a pregnant woman and her children do come out but no fatal accident occurs, he is to have damages imposed upon him without fail according to what the owner of the woman may lay upon him; and he must give it through the justices. But if a fatal accident should occur, then you must give soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, branding for branding, wound for wound, blow for blow." --Ex 21:22-25

“... In case a bull should gore a [person] and that one actually dies, the bull is to be stoned without fail, but its flesh is not to be eaten; ... the owner of the bull is free from punishment. But if a bull was formerly in the habit of goring & warning was served on its owner but he would not keep it under guard, & it did put a man or a woman to death, the bull is to be stoned and also its owner is to be put to death. If a ransom should be imposed upon him, then he must give the redemption price for his soul according to all that may be imposed upon him. Whether it gored a son or gored a daughter, it is to be done to him according to this judicial decision." --Ex 21:28-31

"Everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer, and you know that no manslayer has everlasting life remaining in him." --1 Jo 3:15

"... As for the cowards ... those without faith ... those who are disgusting in their filth ... murderers ... fornicators ... those practicing spiritism ... idolaters, and all the liars--their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death." --Rev 21:8

Answer 9

i think it is premeditated murder (like if you see somebody you hate and shoot them or if a girl gets an abortion - it's something she thought about beforehand, then ended the life)
killing is not murder. like soldiers killing in a war is acceptable. but they are not allowed to kill civilians unless the civilians are trying to harm them.

Answer 10

There is no commandment "thou shall not kill". There is a commandment " Thou shall not Murder"