Exodus 20:13
Thou shalt not kill.
Exodus 20:13
“Thou shalt not kill” is succinct but loaded with moral weight. The Hebrew term broadly means murder, not just any killing. The command prohibits unjust killing within community life—intentional taking of life, not necessarily killing in wartime or capital punishment debates that later jurisprudence addresses with nuance. In the broader biblical context, the command safeguards the sanctity of life as created in the image of God. Within the Sinai covenant, it frames justice, communal order, and mercy. It also signals God’s own character as life-giver—God values life and judges those who destroy it. The command sits alongside the other laws that regulate the community’s life—ethical, civil, and relational dimensions. It’s a boundary that shapes the moral imagination of Israel, shaping how neighbors relate, how disputes are resolved, and how violence is discouraged.
The prohibition reveals God’s holiness and reverence for human life. It anticipates Jesus’ teaching that even murderous anger and contempt in the heart can be culpable, expanding the ethics of life into thoughts and motives. This verse thus becomes a throughline to broader biblical ethics: life is sacred because God is life-giver, and human beings, bearing God’s image, must steward life with care, justice, and mercy. It also points forward to the ultimate hope of life in Christ, where reconciliation and peace redefine what it means to “not kill.”
Practically, this means addressing violence in all its forms: physical harm, domestic abuse, systemic oppression, or lethal harm in war. Communities can translate this into nonviolent conflict resolution, restorative justice, and protections for the vulnerable. On a personal level, this invites self-control over impulses toward anger and harm, choosing instead words and actions that preserve life. It also calls for civic engagement in policies that safeguard life, such as safe-keeping of the vulnerable and fair justice systems. The Spirit-led life seeks avenues for healing and peace rather than retaliation or dehumanizing rhetoric.
Cross-References: Genesis 9:6; Matthew 5:21-22; Romans 13:9; Leviticus 24:17; Deuteronomy 19:21