When was "Thou shall not kill" changed to "Thou shall not murder"? This was changed during our own lifetimes!

Question

When I was growing up, I always hear it as "Thou shall not kill". I was Mormon, and so this was out of the King James Bible in the 1980's. My wife was raised Catholic, and she told me it was the same from the Bible they used.

Ever watch "The Ten Commandments"? It was also made in the 1980's. (I think, perhaps earlier). This will prove my point that it was "Thou shall not KILL". Which Bible did they use? Hmmmm.

I pointed out that God says not to kill, and yet he also says to slay your own brother and live by the sword. I was "corrected" by many people who said, "It say thou shall not MURDER".

When did people decide to change this little discrepancy? Either the mainstream Bibles were changed, or these people were quoting some watered-down, NEW version of the Bible, obviously changing verses as they saw fit... I thought God's word did not change?

I will ask this question again tomorrow morning when all the diehard Bible-thumpers are on.

The excuses should be amusing.

I asked this question last night, and there was a very good answer... here it is bu Aurora Dawn:

"It says KILL. The exact Hebrew wording of this biblical phrase is lo tirtzack. One of the greatest scholars of Hebrew/English linguistics (in the Twentieth Century) -Dr. Reuben Alcalay - has written in his mammoth book the Complete Hebrew /English Dictionary that "tirtzach" refers to "any kind of killing whatsoever." The word "lo," as you might suspect, means "thou shalt not."

Please forgive my spelling errors. On a laptop with small keys lol.

Good for you Scotty. You must know more than the professor Aurora mentioned. Glad you are such an expert at Hebrew.

You also mock me for my inaccurate guess of when "The Ten Commandments" was made. Like I stated, it was only a guess. Good for you again that you know the exact date. Two gold stars.

You also prove that you are not a true Christian or Jew by mocking little details like this. Turn the other cheek? Forgive and forget? Those who call others a fool are in danger of hellfire? What a hypocrite.

Answer 1

No killing whatsoever? Odd, God commands his own people to kill (and if you read Exodus, he tells Moses to take his people into another nation and slaughter everyone and everything, including livestock... except the virgins) And he does this right after saying "thou shalt not kill". So does God go against his own Word?

They can't question why people do not believe in it when they spout this type of stuff at us, claiming they get this info from the Holy Spirit or "experts".

Answer 2

No excuses are vital. But I'm no longer definite of your factor -- it begins out as regardless that you're disappointed that translations are utilizing homicide/kill incorrectly, then it kind of feels you're disappointed that there looks to be contradictions in scripture, after which that a few humans lately made up our minds to difference the long-established which means of a passage? Finally it kind of feels like that is simply one other "for your face, Christians" style of remark. Very unusual. Your irritated that Christians consider the Bible, however you are additionally irritated that the Bible has been converted. If you are taking the commandment "Thou shall no longer kill" in context with the entire different 9 commandments, you'll be able to see that the topic of the 10 commandments is one among respecting your individual barriers and no longer crossing the road into the barriers of others. In the context of the 10 commandments, "do not kill" manner "do not homicide." Elsewhere, killing is permitted inside the context of warfare, and regularly this killing is also regarded homicide or no longer, will depend on the context and cause for the warfare. I could not uncover your connection with "slay your possess brother and reside via the sword," so I can not deal with it. I do not remember studying that within the Bible earlier than. But in the course of scripture, it's greater than transparent that God is finally calling all his humans to harmony and reconciliation. I'm gonna pass thump my Bible correct now!

Answer 3

I've studied Hebrew myself.

"Harag" is the more all-encompassing hebrew word for "kill", ie, "taking of a life."

The commandment uses the word "ratsah", which refers to "murder", or more specifically, the criminal act of taking a life.

God's word does not change. And obviously, you state things as though you know they are facts, when in fact, you're wildly inaccurate. I laughed out loud when you told me "The Ten Commandments" was made in the 1980's. Try 1956! That's when The Ten Commandments was made. (A remake was made in 2006, but surely you wouldn't be THAT ignorant to purport that it was made in the 80's).

If you have a REAL question to ask, we'd be happy to answer. But if you're just trying to talk smack and insult us, please stop.

Answer 4

The text reads "Thou shalt not kill", but it obviously does not refer to the killing of plants or animals for food; nor does it refer to the killing of microbes with antibiotics. It refers specifically to the destruction of a human life by another human. Therefore, substituting the word "murder" doesn't really change the meaning. It just makes the statement more precise. Unfortunately, ungodly human laws often allow for the murder of human beings without considering it murder, such as in abortion, embryonic stem cell research, capital punishment, and euthanasia. It is the supporters of such legalized forms of murder who like to change the wording of the commandment, attempting to make God's law subject to the laws of men. However, in God's eyes the deliberate, premeditated taking of a human life is always murder, despite the foolish legalisms of men. And we will be judged according to His law, not ours.

Answer 5

Taken with other verses in the Bible, whether it is translated "kill" or "murder" it was understood that it was a "willfull murder" or "willful killing" of a human being. Punishment for this "willful" act can be found in Numbers. 35:16, 18, 21, 31; Leviticus. 24:17. The "murder" or "killing" did not include the following...

First of all, let us notice what is not included in the command. It does not mean that killing animals for food is wrong. "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs" (Gen. 9:3). These words were spoken to Noah, but they were meant for all mankind for all time. In 1 Timothy 4:4,5 the apostle Paul wrote, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

Also, “You shall not murder (kill)” does not mean that it is wrong for a soldier or a policeman to perform his duty in a justifiable cause. Paul wrote in Romans 13:4, "For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." In the Old Testament, the same God who said, "You shall not murder," told Israel to destroy her enemies. "Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3). That was God's divine judgment upon those people who had opportunity to know God; yet they rebelled against Him, and God destroyed them. Thus, the execution of the duties of a soldier or a policeman in a justifiable cause are not condemned by the command, “You shall not murder.”

Also, this command, "You shall not murder (kill)" does not mean that capital punishment is wrong. An Israelite who suggested serving other gods, for instance, was to be killed (Deuteronomy 13:6-9). A person who practiced homosexuality was to be put to death (Leviticus 20:13). Adulterers and adulteresses were to be killed (Leviticus 20:10). Murderers were to be put to death (Numbers 35:30,31). It is still God's will that those who commit murder shall be put to death. This is capital punishment. There is an eternal principle established in Genesis 9:6. "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man."

Answer 6

Man has done his best to change a lot of things in the bible, some have wrote their own bibles to suit their purpose to teach their OWN Jesus Christ as Paul stated that some in his day have already blasphemed by teaching their own Jesus Christ or other gods with names that aren't his.

Answer 7

don't go after words....it's the meaning.
But what you said is true. Years ago, Bible was written by human hands. Then people made several changes and extracted the unpleasant things out of it over time.
Common people like you and me don't read the bible thoroughly. High priests can make any changes they want..

Answer 8

It should be "thou shalt not end the life of another living human being".