Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

The Biblical Difference Between Murder and Killing

by J. Warner Wallace & Peter Barnes

The commandment “Thou shall not murder” is one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by YEHOVAH God, recorded in Exodus 20:13. Many people misunderstand this commandment, assuming that it forbids all forms of killing. However, the Bible makes a clear distinction between murder, which is the unjust taking of innocent life, and killing that is either justifiable or divinely commanded.

Understanding this distinction requires looking at the original Hebrew word (ratsach), which refers specifically to intentional, unlawful killing rather than acts of war, self-defense, or executions carried out under YEHOVAH God’s law. Throughout Scripture, we see examples where YEHOVAH God commands the Israelites to carry out justice, engage in battle against wicked nations, or administer capital punishment (actions that do not fall under the category of murder).

Examples of Murder in the Bible

Cain murdering Abel -- The first recorded murder was when Cain, in jealousy, killed his brother Abel. “Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).

David having Uriah killed -- David had Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, placed in battle to be killed because he had sinned with Bathsheba. “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die” (2 Samuel 11:15).

Jezebel and Ahab murdering Naboth -- King Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard, and his wife Jezebel arranged for Naboth to be falsely accused and executed. “They carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died” (1 Kings 21:13).

These examples highlight that murder is always condemned in Scripture as an act of wickedness.

I occasionally present a talk on the nature of truth, and as part of this presentation, I discuss the existence of objective moral truth claims. I often ask my attendees if it is ever “OK” to kill someone. Every group typically contains a large number of people who believe the Christian worldview condemns the use of deadly force unilaterally. But the Scripture delineates a distinction between killing and murdering. “You shall not kill” is actually NOT a command found in the Ten Commandments. The command from scripture in the original language actually says “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Hebrew word for “murder” literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice.”

California Penal Codes

Interestingly, most of us are familiar with this definition of murder, because it is reflected in the Penal Codes of our country. In my home state of California, the Penal Code provides this definition of murder:

187. (a) Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought.

Malice is a form of evil intent that separates “murder” from “killing”. Even today there are acceptable forms of killing that lack this kind of evil intent, and these forms of killing exist as exceptions in the murder laws of the United States. In California, for example, a homicide is justified (according to Penal Code sections 187, 196 and 197) if one of the following conditions is met:

(a) A person kills someone accidentally

(b) A person is trying to defend him or herself and prevent his or her own murder (self-defense)

(c) A person is trying to prevent someone from entering his or her house to commit some violent felony

(d) A person is trying to prevent the murder of someone else (protecting an innocent)

In all these situations, killing is actually legal and justifiable, and exceptions of this nature exist in the Penal Codes of every state in America. Even those who don’t accept the existence of YEHOVAH God or the authority of the Bible recognize the necessity for laws like these; laws that allow for deadly force to be used to accomplish some greater good.

The Biblical Source

It’s interesting to note, however, these exceptions are not the invention of modern humans; they are simply a reflection of ancient Biblical Law. The Bible is the source for these modern laws and the exceptions come straight from the pages of scripture:

An accidental killing is not murder:

Exodus 21:12-13: "Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate."

Numbers 35:22-25: "But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled."

A killing performed in self-defense (or in defense of one’s home) is not murder:

Exodus 22:2: "If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed."

A killing performed in an attempt to save the life of an innocent person is not murder:

Exodus 2:11-12: "One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand."

YEHOVAH God did not judge Moses as a murderer because he was protecting the life of the slave.

Genesis 14:14-16: "When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people."

YEHOVAH God did not judge Abram as a murderer because he was protecting the life of Lot.

Killing becomes murder when (and only when) it is not properly justified, and the justifications are clear: you can use whatever force necessary to protect your own life from a hostile aggressor, or to save the life of an innocent from such imminent, life-threatening danger. The difference between the legal or illegal use of deadly force is really a matter of motive, intent and justification, and these distinctions come straight from the pages of Scripture.

Lack of Morale Perspective

We live in an era of muddled thinking. More than once I have had people say to me that the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13) precludes the taking of life under any circumstances. I have even heard people say that it forbids the taking of animal life.

The renowned medical missionary, Albert Schweitzer, wrote a book along those lines, entitled Reverence for Life. It can be made to sound very spiritual and Christian, but the whole concept is actually more Buddhist than Christian.

The Bible makes it clear that murder is what is forbidden by the sixth commandment. (The Hebrew word in this verse (ratsach) actually means "murder" -- not "killing" in this context). In the New Testament, the 6th Commandment is repeated six times -- Matthew 5:21, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, Romans 13:9 and James 2:11. In each instance, the Greek word “phoneuo” is used. The definition for “phoneuo” is “to be a murderer.” This is VERY helpful in clearing things up. “Phoneuo” is used only 12 times in the New Testament, with 8 of these uses being in verses repeating the 10 Commandments. This being the case, we can clearly see that the authors of the New Testament saw the 6th Commandment as pointing to “murder,” rather than “killing.” The four other verses in the New Testament that use “phoneuo” also point to murder (Matthew 23:31, 35, James 4:2, James 5:6).

The Eastern religions do not radically distinguish between human and animal life, but the Bible declares that it is man alone who is in the image of YEHOVAH God and that therefore his life is uniquely precious (Genesis 1:16­28; 9:5-6; James 3:9).

In the Book of Leviticus, animals which divide the hoof and chew the cud are regarded as clean and can be eaten (Leviticus 11:2-3). So, for example, one can eat a cow but not a horse. According to Scripture, one can also defend oneself or one's possessions from attacks by an animal. Hence, as a shepherd, David protected his flock from the bear and lion (1 Samuel 17:37). A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal (Proverbs 12:10), but that does not mean that he equates human life and animal life.

Concerning human beings, the Bible is similarly nuanced. It never simply equates murder and killing. Manslaughter -- the accidental killing of another human being -- was not treated in the same light as murder (Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19; Joshua 20). More significantly, the law declares that the punishment for murder is death (Exodus 21:12; Romans 13:4). If all killing is murder, then this would mean that the punishment for murder is murder! Not so -- murder is the deliberate taking away of judicially-innocent life, whereas killing is the deliberate taking away of any life. The former is always wrong; the latter may sometimes be justifiable.

Notice what transpires in Luke 22:35-38:

"And he [the Messiah] said to them, 'When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?' So they said, 'Nothing.' Then he said to them, 'But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in me: "And he was numbered with the transgressors." For the things concerning me have an end.' So they said, 'Lord, look, here are two swords.' And he said to them, 'It is enough.'"

The phrase "It is enough" in verse 38 has been argued over the centuries with the common understanding that the two swords were enough for all the disciples to defend themselves, which is incongruous to say the lest! It is to be observed that he did not say "the two swords are enough" but "it is enough," indicating that the Messiah declined to enter into the matter any further, leaving the disciples to meditate on his words. The formula was one sometimes used to waive a subject; compare 1 Ma 2:33.

The context of Luke 22:36 indicates that self-preservation in all areas is an active responsibility we bear, as evidenced by the instruction to obtain a moneybag and knapsack. Instead of waiting around for money and supplies to be given to us, we should strive to obtain these things on our own. So too with self-protection. None of this is to say that we should not accept assistance if it is offered, only that we should not expect it to replace our own responsibilities.

The Messiah’s teaching about the sword is that self-preservation is a moral requirement. We have an obligation to take care of ourselves and others. Whether that involves carrying a gun, a knife, pepper spray, learning martial arts, or just facilitating an escape is a matter of one’s own conscience. Everyone is called to care for themselves (1Corinthians 6:19-20). To that end, violence is sometimes necessary and proper.

The role of the sword (and firearm) is to provide a response to wrongdoing on earth. Peter’s use of the sword was rebuked because it was an attempt to use the sword in a way that went beyond its limited earthly role. Christian pacifists are guilty of making the same kind of mistake that Peter did, though in the opposite direction. They view the world as though the vision described in Isaiah 2:4 is indicative of how things should be right now. One day YEHOVAH God and the Messiah will return and reign. When that happens, weapons (along with many other things) will be unnecessary. But that has not happened yet, and it is foolish, naïve, and dangerous to pretend that it has.

Until then, "let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one."

Self-defense is thus allowed, although the Israelite was not allowed to kill in defense of his property (Exodus 22:2-3). Even the life of a thief is of more value than property. If a man breaks into my house at night, and threatens me or my family, the Bible allows me to kill him. But that does not apply if I catch him stealing my car. His life is worth more than my car. I may do all I can to try to stop him, but I am not allowed to kill him.

Similarly, the Old Testament laid down rules for the conduct of Israel's war against the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 20:10-20). There was to be no unnecessary destruction, and women and children were to be treated differently from sword-wielding males. As Winston Churchill once put it: "law-jaw is better than war-war." If the same just aim can be achieved by other means, then the nation should not go to war. But if it is permissible to kill an individual who is threatening to kill you, it is similarly permissible to use force of arms against a nation which is threatening the nation to which you belong.

Then there is the case of the Judahites returning to Jerusalem under Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of the city -- notice:

"But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat...Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work”...Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (Nehemiah 4:7-14, NIV).

These verses make it clear that if these peoples attacked the Judahites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was sanctioning a deadly response if this should accur, once again pointing to the difference between "You shall not murder" and our right under YEHOVAH's Law to defend ourselves against aggression in our homes, on the streets, and if a foreign nation should invade our land.

What, then, about the Messiah's injunctions to love one's enemies and not to resist an evil person (Matthew 5:38-44)? Here the Messiah is telling individual Christians how they are to conduct themselves in a fallen world. He is not offering a blueprint for action to a meeting of the United Nations. Gandhi was not interested in the Messiah's atonement or resurrection, and so misread the Sermon on the Mount as an agenda for social action. It is not that.

The Bible's agenda for the state is that it should punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right (1 Peter 2:14). In other words, the state is mainly concerned with justice. The Sermon on the Mount, on the other hand, goes beyond that. It gives us the full meaning of YEHOVAH God's law and sets out the true nature of Christian-Israelite discipleship. To the unbeliever -- such as Gandhi -- it is only a word of death and condemnation.

There is a terrible lack of moral perspective today. People become all moralistic about the killing of whales, but agitate for abortion and euthanasia. Morality has become very selective. In some circles, violence perpetrated by a Western nation is highly culpable, but dictatorships outside the West are applauded. We are not sure who God is, who we are, or what we should be doing on earth. Hence the confusion between killing and murdering. Or, to cite Sergei Levitzky: "The relativization of the absolute leads to the absolutization of the relative."

The commandment “Thou shall not murder” is a call to respect life as YEHOVAH God’s creation. While not all killing is murder, unjust killing is always condemned in Scripture. YEHOVAH God allows justice, war against extreme evil, and self-defense, but He forbids hatred, revenge, and shedding innocent blood. This commandment also goes deeper: it exposes the sinfulness of the human heart. The Messiah taught that anger and hatred are just as serious as murder in YEHOVAH’s eyes. This is why, only through the Messiah, can we be truly changed and learn to love as YEHOVAH God loves.

May we honor YEHOVAH’s holiness, uphold the value of life, and seek to love rather than hate, walking in righteousness through the power of the holy spirit.

-- Edited by John D. Keyser.