Then why did God tell Moses and Joshua to go killing people?
I can understand if the armies of the other nations would fall against the Hebrews, but why did they have to go killing the women and children?! Doesn't that just make the ancient Hebrews like al-Quaeda?!
I have nothing against Jews. I want to stress that; one of my best friends is a Jew; my boss is a Jew(and he's a great guy).
And also, I know that in God's eyes the peoples' ancestors sinned, but the people in the cities at the time didn't know!! Why couldn't the Hebrews send profits instead!?
2007-10-24 16:24:47 · 12 answers · asked by Riverwind 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There's no such thing as justified killing, because different cultures have different ways of justifying actions. Unless you're one of those people who says "I'm right, everybody else is wrong because a book says so!"
2007-10-25 07:17:44 · update #1
The Bible says do not "murder" not do not "kill". More details to come.
***UPDATE 1***
I thought I was going to have more details sooner but I could not quickly find where I have answered this quesiton earlier. So I will rewrite an answer form scratch! It will take a minute.
***UPDATE 2***
The best translation of the command in Exodus 20:13 is “Do not murder.” The Hebrew word for “murder” here is raṣaḥ. adsfsadf Strong’s Definition:
“AV translates as “slayer” 16 times, “murderer” 14 times, “kill” five times, “murder” three times, “slain” three times, “manslayer” twice, “killing” once, “slayer + 310” once, “slayeth” once, and “death” once. 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)(subst). 1D (Pual) to be killed.”
This term has to do with unjustified killing. However, there is a word “kill” that is used for justified killing. Such as a just punishment for a crime or killing animals for food. The word for “kill” in such circumstances is šaḥaṭ. Strong’s definition:
“AV translates as “kill” 42 times, “slay” 36 times, “offer” once, “shot out” once, and “slaughter” once. 1 to kill, slaughter, beat. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to slaughter. 1A1A beast for food. 1A1B sacrifice. 1A1C person in human sacrifice. 1A1D beaten, hammered (of shekels). 1B (Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice). 2 (BDB) slaughtering. 2A word doubtful.”
There is of course other words that can mean “kill” could be used but the usage of “rasah” is a deliberate attempt to convey what we call “murder.”
2007-10-24 16:27:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, the way I look at it, when you can sit on the edge of eternity and view the entire universe as though it were a ball in your hand, and still see every detail clearly; when you transcend both space and time, THEN you can challege God.
Until then, you remind me of a neutrino (do a google search on it) being shot out of the nucleus of an atom in someone's left shoulder, that exists for a fraction of a second, and in that brief existence, complaining about the person whose shoulder it was expelled from!
That's the epitome of arrogance!
2007-10-24 23:32:05 · answer #2 · answered by no1home2day 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some people try to make a crazy distinction between "killing" and "murder", as if killing, such as in war, is not murder. That's what makes this modern world such a sick place sometimes.
No amount of nit picking over the bible can make war moral.
2007-10-24 23:31:16 · answer #3 · answered by sudonym x 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a big difference between murder (addressed by that commandment) and killing.
There were other dynamics at work here, regarding the sins of the people they were displacing, and the influence these people would have on Israel should they not be completely removed from the land.
.
2007-10-25 08:44:00 · answer #4 · answered by Hogie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of the Commandments of God is not to kill. I don't believe God tells Moses to kill but you told it to moses.
jtm
2007-10-24 23:30:20 · answer #5 · answered by Jesus M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The commandments never condemned killing, you're mixing up the commandment "Thou shalt not murder..."
2007-10-24 23:28:21 · answer #6 · answered by Gorgonof 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They changed it to "thou shalt not murder"... didn't you get the memo?
2007-10-24 23:33:35 · answer #7 · answered by I'm an Atheist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep. Thou shalt not kill.
2007-10-24 23:27:55 · answer #8 · answered by SpikE 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
thou shall not murder they say. God says, if they deserved it...it's alright.
2007-10-24 23:27:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
god is the biggest sinner ever!!!!
2007-10-24 23:27:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋