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THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT – A BRIEF EXPLANATION
TEXT
You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13)
STATISTICS
The word translated ‘murder’ in our New King James Bible is ‘ratsach’ in Hebrew, meaning ‘to dash to pieces’. It appears a total of 47 times in the Old Testament, translated into English as either ‘murder’ or ‘manslaughter’. In each of these 47 instances, it refers to the ‘dashing to pieces’ of human life. It could be an act committed by people or animals, but its target is always people!
SCOPE
It is clear therefore that this commandment does not include the ‘killing’ of plants and animals. You have not violated the 6th Commandment when you pluck a flower from your garden (if you have one) to put it in a vase. Neither have you sinned when you eat fried chicken or roast pork. Plants and animals are God’s creation, first for God’s glory and then for human benefit. While we may not abuse them, we may use them without sin.
The scope of this commandment is hence limited to human life. You shall not take human life. You shall not, because humans are made in God’s image. Hence Genesis 9:6 ~ Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man and James 3:9 ~ With it (our tongue) we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
Below are some ways where human life is “dashed to pieces”:
(i) Intentional and pre-meditated killing a.k.a. cold-blooded murder.
(ii) Intentional killing without pre-meditation a.k.a. hot-blooded manslaughter.
(iii) Reckless acts that resulted in killing (e.g. drunk driving or using inferior materials for building resulting in a collapse)
(iv) Accidental killing (e.g. while chopping down a tree, the ax flew off and killed someone)
Theologically, (i)-(iv) are termed “unlawful killing” and all of them would fall under the prohibition of the 6th Commandment. However, the following would be classified as “lawful killing”:
(a) Life taken due to self-defense. For example, in seeking to protect yourself from a kidnapper, you struggle to escape and in the process, stabbed him with his knife.
(b) Life taken due to capital punishment. This is not done in private capacity, but as the courts of the land sentenced a criminal to death sentence and the officers carry out the sentence. Both judge and officers have done “lawful killing”.
(c) Life taken as a result of fighting a just war. When war is waged to protect one’s country, resulting in soldiers and (even) civilians being killed.
‘Ratsach’ is limited to the unlawful killing of human life.
SEARCH
It is easy to stay at one level and claim that we have therefore not broken the 6th Commandment. However, we must search ourselves deeper, in the following two ways:
[A] According to Matthew 5:21&22 and 1 John 3:15, we can be guilty of ‘ratsach’ in our hearts! Anger, hatred, despising others, envy . . . while they are not classified strictly as ‘unlawful killing’, yet they are heart attitudes that can and will end there unless hindered by God’s grace. Am I guilty here?
[B] According to Matthew 5:23-26 and 1 John 3:14, we must not only avoid the negatives but also do the positives. We must actively preserve life, we must love people, we must act to promote the well-being and welfare of others. Again, are we blameless or blameworthy in this area?
QUESTIONS TO PONDER . . .
1. Do you agree there is such a thing as lawful killing? Do you agree that (a), (b) and (c) fit this category?
2. Is it always wrong to (a) carry out abortion (b) carry out euthanasia (c) commit suicide? Are there any circumstances whereby (a), (b) or (c) are justifiable or allowed in Scripture?
3. What’s the difference between committing suicide and sacrificing your life to save others?
4. Does the 6th Commandment have anything to say about participating in Extreme Sports, being a boxer or an F1 driver?
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