Exodus 20:13
“Thou shalt not kill.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Part of the Ten Commandments at Sinai, this command protects human life within the covenant community.
What Does Exodus 20:13 Mean?
This verse means that the unlawful taking of a human life is forbidden, because every person bears immeasurable worth before God. Brief and absolute, this commandment guards the sanctity of human life. The Hebrew word points specifically to murder -- the wrongful, intentional killing of another person -- distinguishing it from the broader questions of justice and warfare that the law addresses elsewhere. At its heart is a profound truth: human life belongs to God and must not be destroyed at human whim.
Behind this command stands the conviction, declared from the beginning of Scripture, that people are made in the image of God. To attack a human life is to assault something that bears God's own likeness. Later, Jesus would deepen this commandment, tracing murder back to the anger and contempt that poison the heart, showing that God cares not only about the deed but about the disposition behind it. This short line calls every generation to reverence for life -- to protect rather than harm, to value rather than dismiss, and to guard the dignity of those God has made.
In the Original Language
The verb is the Hebrew ratsach, which refers especially to murder, the unlawful and intentional killing of a person.
Cross References
“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
- Genesis 9:6
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.”
- Matthew 5:21
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”
- 1 John 3:15
Application
Honor the sacredness of every life by guarding your heart against anger and contempt and choosing to protect rather than harm.