1 Oct 03

The 6th Commandment

Many friends and students have been troubled by the admonition in the Sixth Commandment, ie: "Thou shall not kill." It is time this confusion be put to rest. Research through Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and several different translations of The Old Testament is helpful.

The clause in question is found in the book of Exodus, chapter twenty, verse thirteen. In the King James' Version (KJV), that verse is translated, "Thou shall not kill." In the days when this was written, animals were, of course, killed for food, and there is nowhere in scripture any instructions that this practice be stopped. So, we must examine the Hebrew word that is translated "kill" in the KJV in order to clarify exactly what is meant. Incidentally, it is only in the KJV and several other (old) translations that the word is translated "kill". In the Moffatt Translation, the verse is rendered, "You shall not murder". In The Living Bible, it is rendered, "You must not murder".

The Hebrew word translated to the English word "kill" in the KJV is "ratsach" (pronounced raw-tsakh'). It literally means, "to dash to pieces", and it is never used in context with animals. It refers exclusively to people. In fact, this particular word is used only several other times in The Old Testament, and each time it refers to homicide. A different word is used to describe the killing of animals for food or sacrifice. It is "shachat" (pronounced shaw-khat').

For example:

Numbers 35:15-16:

"Anyone who kills a person by accident may take sanctuary in them (your towns). But, if he (deliberately) struck the person with an iron tool, so that he died; the man is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death without fail."

The word here (ratsach) translated "murderer" is the same one translated "kill" back in Exodus. Apparently, KJV translators were not particularly consistent, unless it fit their agenda.

Continuing, Numbers 35:20-21:

"Also, if he pushes a person, because he hates him, or hides and throws something at him, so that he dies, or maliciously strikes him until he dies, the man who struck the blow must be put to death without fail; he is a murderer."

Again, the same word, "ratsach" is translated "murderer".

The word used to describe a public execution of a criminal, such as in the verses quoted above as "to put to death" is "nathan muwth" (naw-than' mooth). "Nathan" is a form of the verb, to do. It usually means, "to put," or "to make." "Muwth" is a form of the verb, "to die," and it refers to the state of death.

The word translated "kills" in the verse above, where the killing was an accident is, "nakah" (naw-kaw'). It means to commit a homicide, as does ratsach, but it is a softer word and is usually used to describe an accidental homicide, rather than a murder. There is no separate Hebrew word used to distinguish a deliberate, but justifiable homicide from a deliberate, but unjustifiable one. Ratsach is customarily used in both instances, much like our word, "homicide".

However, certain homicides are clearly identified as justifiable:

Numbers 35:26-27:

"If the murderer ever goes outside the bounds of the town of refuge where he has taken sanctuary and is caught by the avenger outside the bounds, then the avenger may kill (ratsach) the murderer without incurring any guilt."

From the forgoing, I think it is safe to say that Exodus 20:13 is correctly translated, "You shall not murder". "You shall not kill", is an obvious mistranslation, because it is not specific and engenders confusion, particularly among grass eaters who use it to rationalize their own willful unpreparedness and cowardice.

/John