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Exodus 20:13 (UASV):
13 “You shall not murder.”
The sixth commandment in Exodus 20:13 is one of the shortest yet most disputed passages in the Decalogue. The disagreement centers not on whether the prohibition forbids the taking of innocent life, but rather on how best to render the Hebrew verb רָצַח (rāṣaḥ). Should translators render it “kill” as found in older English versions like the King James Version, or should it be “murder,” as in the Updated American Standard Version (UASV) and other modern literal translations? The lexical, legal, and theological issues bound up in this translation decision demand careful attention.
The Hebrew Verb רָצַח (Rāṣaḥ)
The key to understanding Exodus 20:13 lies in the Hebrew verb רָצַח. It occurs approximately 47 times in the Hebrew Bible. Its semantic range is narrower than the general Hebrew verb for “kill,” which is הָרַג (hārag). Unlike hārag, which can refer broadly to killing in battle, judicial execution, or animal slaughter, rāṣaḥ is consistently used in the sense of unlawful killing of a human being.
Lexicons such as Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) define rāṣaḥ as “murder, slay” and stress its connection to criminal homicide. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) confirms this focus: rāṣaḥ covers intentional murder, manslaughter, and blood revenge, but it does not extend to legal executions, killing in warfare, or animal slaughter.
In short, rāṣaḥ is not a general prohibition of killing, but specifically of homicide that violates God’s law.
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Contrast with Other Hebrew Verbs for Killing
The distinction between rāṣaḥ and other Hebrew verbs for killing is crucial:
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הָרַג (hārag) – general killing, including in war (Judges 8:17; 1 Samuel 18:7).
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מוּת (mût, hiphil) – to cause death or execute (Genesis 38:24; Exodus 21:12).
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שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ) – slaughter, often of animals (Leviticus 1:5, 11).
Exodus 20:13 does not employ hārag or mût, which could have suggested all forms of killing. Instead, it employs rāṣaḥ, which narrows the commandment to homicide that is morally and legally unjustified.
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The Legal Context of Exodus 20:13
The Decalogue was not given in isolation but as part of the Torah’s broader covenantal legislation. Immediately following the Ten Words (Exodus 20), detailed laws are laid out in Exodus 21–23. Within these chapters, it becomes clear that the Torah prescribes death penalties for certain crimes (Exodus 21:12–17), sanctions warfare against Israel’s enemies (Exodus 23:23), and allows animal slaughter (Exodus 12:6, 21).
If Exodus 20:13 had meant “You shall not kill” in the absolute sense, the Torah would contradict itself. The Mosaic Law not only permitted but required certain kinds of killing under divine mandate. The only consistent reading, therefore, is that the commandment prohibits unlawful homicide—that is, murder.
Exodus 21:12-14 provides explicit clarification:
“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.”
This differentiation between premeditated murder and unintentional manslaughter shows that rāṣaḥ cannot be equated with all killing, but only with culpable homicide.
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Historical Translations of Exodus 20:13
Older English versions, such as the King James Version (1611), rendered Exodus 20:13 as “Thou shalt not kill.” This translation is overly broad and has led to centuries of interpretive confusion, especially among pacifist groups who have claimed the Decalogue forbids military service, self-defense, or capital punishment.
The Septuagint (LXX) translates rāṣaḥ with the Greek verb φονεύω (phoneuō), which means “to murder.” This Greek verb does not refer to all forms of killing, but specifically unlawful homicide. The New Testament consistently quotes the sixth commandment using φονεύω (Matthew 19:18; Romans 13:9; James 2:11), reinforcing the point that the biblical prohibition is against murder, not all killing.
Jerome’s Vulgate rendered the command as non occides, “you shall not kill.” While occidere could mean “to slay, to kill,” its range included homicide and thus functioned closer to “murder.” Unfortunately, the English “kill” developed a broader sense, obscuring the original intent.
Modern literal translations such as the NASB (1971/1995), ESV, and especially the UASV correctly employ “murder,” whereas the NRSV and others that continue with “kill” perpetuate the imprecision.
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Theological Implications of Translating “Kill” vs. “Murder”
The translation choice is not merely semantic; it profoundly shapes theological interpretation and ethical application.
If rendered “kill,” the commandment:
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Appears to outlaw all killing, leading to pacifism and opposition to military service or police work.
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Contradicts God’s own commands for capital punishment (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12).
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Misrepresents the consistent usage of rāṣaḥ in the Hebrew Bible.
If rendered “murder,” the commandment:
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Aligns with the semantic range of rāṣaḥ.
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Fits within the covenantal legislation that prescribes just executions and divinely mandated warfare.
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Provides clear moral boundaries, distinguishing between lawful taking of life (execution, war, self-defense) and unlawful homicide (murder).
The precision of “murder” maintains the integrity of God’s Law without either softening its force or broadening its prohibition beyond what the text intends.
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Misuses of “Thou Shalt Not Kill”
Throughout history, “Thou shalt not kill” has been weaponized to argue against biblical doctrines.
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Pacifism: Groups such as the Anabaptists and Quakers have cited Exodus 20:13 to condemn all warfare, despite Israel’s divinely sanctioned wars and New Testament recognition of government authority to wield the sword (Romans 13:4).
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Abolition of Capital Punishment: Opponents of capital punishment invoke “kill,” but Genesis 9:6 and numerous Torah statutes demonstrate that execution for murderers was not merely allowed but required by God.
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Animal Rights Theology: Some extend “kill” to animals, despite the Torah’s sanctioning of animal sacrifice and meat consumption.
These distortions dissolve when rāṣaḥ is translated accurately as “murder.”
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Rāṣaḥ in Other Texts
The use of rāṣaḥ elsewhere in Scripture confirms this meaning.
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Numbers 35: A detailed legal discussion distinguishes intentional murder (rāṣaḥ) from unintentional manslaughter, prescribing cities of refuge for the latter but demanding death for the former.
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Deuteronomy 5:17: The parallel Decalogue account repeats “You shall not murder” with the same verb, reinforcing its precision.
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Proverbs 22:13; Hosea 4:2: Rāṣaḥ is associated with criminal acts and bloodguilt.
Never is rāṣaḥ used to refer to judicial execution, lawful warfare, or animal sacrifice.
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Implications for Translation Philosophy
Literal translation philosophy demands accuracy to the original Hebrew lexeme. Rendering rāṣaḥ as “kill” is misleading because it overgeneralizes the prohibition. The UASV, in translating Exodus 20:13 as “You shall not murder,” exemplifies fidelity to the text’s true meaning.
Translators who adopt “kill” have succumbed either to traditional inertia (as with the KJV) or to modern tendencies to avoid precise legal distinctions in favor of broad, inclusive wording. Both approaches obscure the inspired text’s intent. A truly literal translation—concerned with what God said, not with what translators think He meant—must consistently use “murder.”
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Conclusion
Exodus 20:13 is not a ban on all killing but on murder—the unlawful taking of human life. The Hebrew verb rāṣaḥ never refers to execution, warfare, or animal slaughter, but always to culpable homicide. Older translations like the KJV rendered it “kill,” leading to widespread theological distortions. The Septuagint, New Testament citations, and modern literal translations affirm the correct rendering: “You shall not murder.”
For translators committed to fidelity, precision, and clarity, the choice of “murder” is not optional—it is necessary to uphold the Word of God accurately.
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