does anybody know the correct translation of the 6th commandment?

Question

if it's "though shall not kill" means that all the killing god told israelites to do are against his own commandments.
if it means" you should not kill anything whatsoever" would mean that all christians and jews should be vegans,
if it means" you shall not murder" it doesn't really help much, because murder is killing without justification, and justification gets really fuzzy depending on times and local customs, what's just in one society may be regarded as unjust in another one.
Are there other translations?

Answer 1

It's actually "You shall not murder" in the Jewish Torah.

It's also Jewish law, from the Jewish Torah, so you may be interested in learning what it means originally in Jewish law.

However, with that in mind, remember that Jews are also commanded to follow the laws of whatever land they live so as to not break the civil law codes of the country.

But, for just one of Torah law regarding the difference between murder and killing:

Torah law regarding taking another's life says that it can be done in the case that one person threatens to kill another, to prevent him from carrying out his threat. This is not considered to be murder.

There are many circumstances that must be fulfilled though before the threatener can be killed in order to prevent him from murdering the other person.

The person doing the threatening must have been seen and heard making the threats by 3 witnesses who also tried to disuade him from it at least 3 times, and if he disregarded them, ONLY then he can be killed for the protection of the person being threatened.

This is considered as "Pikuey Nefesh" - to save life in an emergency situation.

But by USA law a Jew, like any other US citizen, cannot just go and kill someone first who has threatened to kill him (even if he was heard and seen doing so by 3 witnesses who tried to disuade him), even though by Torah law, he could.

So Jews go by USA law so as not to run afoul of it since we live in this country. But it is always good for a Jew to know what the Torah law is, for any circumstance, nevertheless.

**Generally**, to murder, in Jewish law, means to take the life of another when there is no immediate threat that your own or that of your family will be taken by him, or there is no wartime activity going on in which someone's life would be taken legitimately during a battle.

Killing is different and is by definition in Jewish law not the same as murder. This would be done when your own life or that of your family is in immediate danger, or in times of war when commanded to take the lives of the enemy.

Here is a good page that details many Jewish Torah laws and how they are applied when living in the modern world: http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/

For how other societies who use the law from the Jewish bible, you'd have to look at their particular interpretations. And not all countries and societies get their laws regarding murder from the Jewish law, many have always had their own or created their own from their particular religion or the dictates of their own societies.

Also, to answer another Answerer who said "treat others how you would want to be treated'", etc. this is MUCH too subjective for Jewish law.

Suppose someone likes being slapped around, for instance,
and enjoys being treated like that. Does that mean that he has the right to go out and treat others like that? Treat others as he wants to be treated?

MUCH, much to open to individual interpretation there. What a person feels is good for him may be very painful and horrible to someone else.

Society must have basic laws laid down that protect the innocent and punish those who bring harm to others. It cannot be based on what individual people feel they enjoy and so be entitled to impart this to others.

Here is a good article on Jewish laws and what is behind them:
http://www.aish.com/torahportion/moray/These_Are_The_Laws.asp

Answer 2

He meant exactly what he said. No interpretations accepted. It's written that God doesn't see things the way man does. What man sees as evil god sees as good, and vise versa.

God can do whatever he pleases, so the great men of the old testament could have done what everybody thinks they did. But could they not just as well have slain those people with the truth. God's battles have always been with the religious people, because they did not believe and still don't.

Matthew 23:15
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Is that not worse than killing someone physically. I would rather did a physical death I assure you. I think that if one uses logic he surely can tell in today's society whose out winning converts.

Titus 1:11
They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

If I were you I would ask God and wait and be willing to believe and not go to teachers of the law that practice religion in earthly sanctuaries and offer the same sermons and offerings weekly that never take sin. Remember that those that stand behind the alter and do that have not Right to eat at the table of God's people. (That's Hebrews)

See if you can try to put yourself in God's thought process for a minute and see if you can see the true meanings to the things in His Book. Then one might be willing to believe God had the written Laws and all the Decrees nailed to the cross with the Christ because it stood opposed to God's people from the beginning. (That's Colossians)

That doesn't mean that the Law is not valid. If it wasn't for the Law, God's people wouldn't understand what he was actually saying. (Apostle Paul [once a teacher of the Law] said that).

If you live by the Law you will die by the Law. (Old Testament, Gospels, and New Testament). That is not to be interpreted nor anything else in the Book. He warns against that in the last few verse of the Bible.

Short Version: The Commandments need only be summoned up with the first two. That was the law of the prophets and why so many of God's were killed. Have no other God but him and treat people the way you want to be treated. Do those to and the rest are taken care of.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

Although this may sound impractical, how about not killing anything at all for food? (not even plants?) As this would be well nigh impossible to do, (think about it) how then could "Thou shalt not kill" be carried out? And don't say: "Hire someone else to do the killing." (That's fraud) The answer is in the fourth commandment. Although traditional Judaism frowned upon fasting on the Sabbath, some other sects did just that...they even forbid the use of the toilet. To achieve this they did not eat or drink well before the Sabbath. Extreme, but true. What does this accomplish? One would have to try it and see.

Answer 4

KJV
Thou shalt not kill.
HCSB
Do not murder.
NIV
"You shall not murder.
ESV
"You shall not murder.
NASB95
"You shall not murder.
NKJV
"You shall not murder.
NLT
“You must not murder.
NLT96
"Do not murder.
TEV
"Do not commit murder.
AMP
You shall not commit murder.
MSG
No murder.

Accordingly, in the command, "Thou shalt not kill," not only is the accomplished fact of murder condemned, whether it proceed from open violence or stratagem (Ex 21:12, 14, 18), but every act that endangers human life, whether it arise from carelessness (Deut 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 and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Answer 5

Hello and Jesus put the correct idea on that word in Matt.19:18 when He said to do no Murder, not to take the law in your own hands, and you put it correct "without justification, self defence is one thing, protecting ones family, a person who puts to death a person in a act of defending his country is not therefore called a murder, but one that takes the law into ones own hands is, i understand it to be a case by case thing, it depends upon the situation but the new international puts Matt.19:18 as murder, God bless.

Answer 6

It means don't MURDER. Murder is purposely,and maliciously killing, by God's definition, not by man's or customs of different societies, etc. It doesn't matter what is regarded in one place or another. It's what God's law says. You're putting men's laws into it.
This does not include war. It tells of wars in the Bible. It's not the same thing. As for God telling people to kill, HE IS JUSTIFIED IN WHAT HE DOES. GOD CANNOT GO AGAINST HIS OWN WORD. HE IS THE ONE WHO GAVE THE WORD. HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS. HE'S GOD.

Answer 7

Do not understand the importance of this. It says 20:13 “You shall not murder. Do not only look at this only that is why Jesus was send to this earth Read Hebrews 10 what is said about the law. For what it is worth better read all of Hebrews. God Bless and love in Jesus Christ
PS what has animals to do with it. Read Genesis

Answer 8

I think it's intending to mean that thou shalt not kill other people. Animals are already set up as being sacrificed and consumed and are there in that role. I also don't think that it's really allowing for justification to make it ok to kill. I don't think it is only specifically murder, but the killing of others.

Answer 9

It means we should not shed "INNOCENT" blood. You could write a long list of what is innocent blood but it primarily means killing someone without a very just cause.
However from where God sits innocent takes on many more layers of meaning. God Himself has ordered the killing of men women and children. This may seem cruel but it was common for tribes to raise entire families for the sole purpose of wiping out the Jews. That would have prevented Christ birth that’s why God did what He did. He is not blood thirsty at all He even gave nations other than Israel, hundreds of years to learn to respect Him before He passed judgment. It was imperative that Christ be born exactly the way He was born in order to fulfill God’s prophecy. Remember no religion on earth can rival the prophecies fulfilled by God that’s why He says He is God of gods and Lord of lords.

Answer 10

I did some research in the Hebrew for you, The translation of kill in the original Hebrew language in which is was written comes to this:

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).

As you can see it is only refering to another human being, but please don't take my word for it.

clarification can be found in Matthew, of what Jesus said, "
Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'
Mat 5:22 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.
Mat 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mat 5:25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
Mat 5:26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Answer 11

It means "thou shalt not murder", and the fact that this commandment may be viewed as "fuzzy" by some human cultures doesn't mean it is "fuzzy" to God. It just means that some human cultures have ideas that are not in accord with God's will. Which is why we act according to God's will and not according to mere human customs.