◄ Deuteronomy 5:17 ►
You shall not murder.
Study Bible
You shall not murder
You
This word is a direct address to the individual, emphasizing personal responsibility and accountability. In the Hebrew text, the word "you" is singular, indicating that this commandment is directed at each person individually. It underscores the personal nature of God's law, reminding each believer that they are personally accountable to God for their actions. This personal address is consistent with the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where each person is called to live in obedience to God's commands.

shall not
This phrase is a clear and unequivocal prohibition. The Hebrew word used here is "לא" (lo), which is a strong negative particle. It is not merely a suggestion or a guideline but an absolute command. The use of "shall not" indicates the seriousness of the command and the expectation of complete adherence. In the context of the Ten Commandments, this prohibition is part of the moral law that reflects God's holy and unchanging character.

murder
The Hebrew word used here is "רָצַח" (ratsach), which specifically refers to unlawful killing. It is important to distinguish this from other forms of killing, such as capital punishment or killing in war, which are addressed separately in the Old Testament. The term "murder" here refers to the premeditated and intentional taking of an innocent life. This commandment highlights the sanctity of human life, which is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). The prohibition against murder is foundational to a just and orderly society and reflects the value that God places on human life. Historically, this commandment has been a cornerstone of Judeo-Christian ethics, influencing legal systems and moral teachings throughout history. It calls believers to respect and protect life, recognizing that each person is precious in the sight of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
- The leader of the Israelites who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and delivered them to the people.

2. Israelites
- The chosen people of God, who were given the Law as a covenant to live by as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.

3. Mount Sinai
- The place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, including the commandment "You shall not murder."

4. God
- The divine lawgiver who established the moral and ethical standards for His people through the commandments.

5. Promised Land
- The land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, where the Israelites were to live according to God's laws.
Teaching Points
Sanctity of Life
Human life is sacred because it is created in the image of God. This commandment calls us to respect and protect life.

Heart Attitude
Jesus teaches that the root of murder lies in the heart. We must guard against anger and hatred, which can lead to destructive actions.

Love as Fulfillment of the Law
Loving our neighbor as ourselves is the essence of the law. By cultivating love, we naturally uphold the commandment against murder.

Community Responsibility
As a community of believers, we are called to uphold justice and peace, ensuring that life is valued and protected.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation
In light of Christ's teachings, we are encouraged to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, breaking the cycle of anger and violence.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the sanctity of life as being made in the image of God influence your view on contemporary issues related to life and death?

2. In what ways can unchecked anger or hatred lead to actions that violate the spirit of the commandment "You shall not murder"?

3. How does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:21-22 challenge you to examine your heart and relationships with others?

4. What practical steps can you take to promote a culture of life and respect within your community?

5. How can the principle of love fulfilling the law, as mentioned in Romans 13:9, guide your interactions with others in everyday life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 9:6
- This verse underscores the sanctity of human life, as humans are made in the image of God, providing a foundational reason for the prohibition against murder.

Matthew 5:21-22
- Jesus expands on the commandment against murder, teaching that even anger and insult towards others can be subject to judgment, emphasizing the heart's condition.

Romans 13:9
- Paul reiterates the commandment in the context of loving one's neighbor, showing that love fulfills the law.

1 John 3:15
- This verse equates hatred with murder, reinforcing the idea that the commandment addresses internal attitudes as well as external actions.
Sermons
Eights of LifeJ. P. Newman, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:17
The Sixth CommandmentEdwards, JonathanDeuteronomy 5:17
The Sixth CommandmentDean Farrar.Deuteronomy 5:17
The Sixth CommandmentS. Walker, B. A.Deuteronomy 5:17
Thou Shalt not KillK. H. Caspari.Deuteronomy 5:17
The DecalogueR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Reminiscences of HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:1-33
The Divine Plan for the Conduct of Our Life on EarthD. Davies Deuteronomy 5:6-21
People
Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb
Topics
Anyone, Cause, Death, Kill, Murder
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 5:17

     5025   killing
     5040   murder
     5061   sanctity of life
     5295   destruction
     7315   blood, basis of life

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

     1443   revelation, OT
     7263   theocracy
     8412   decisions

Deuteronomy 5:16-17

     8471   respect, for human beings

Deuteronomy 5:16-20

     2333   Christ, attitude to OT

Deuteronomy 5:16-21

     8841   unfaithfulness, to people

Deuteronomy 5:17-21

     8242   ethics, personal

Library
Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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