KILL. To cause someone to die; to put to death. One of the ten commandments is "thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13). The Hebrew word translated "murder" in Ex. 20:13, ratsach, is translated "murder" 14 times (Nu. 35:16, 17,18,19,21,30,31; 1 Ki. 6:32; Job 24:14; Ps. 94:6; Is. 1:21; Je. 7:9; Ho. 6:9) and "slayer" 17 times (Nu. 35:11,25,26, 27,28; De. 4:42; 19:3,4,6; Jos. 20:3,5,6; 21:13,21, 27,32,38).
BIBLE TRUTHS ABOUT MURDER AND KILLING.
(1) MURDER AND SLAYING ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME (Nu. 35:15-25). There are at least four occasions in the Bible when killing is not murder: Accidential death. It is not murder to kill someone accidently (Nu. 35:20-23). Self Defense. It is not murder to defend oneself or one's loved ones and property (Ex. 22:2-3). Military service and Law enforcement. It is not murder to kill a person in the line of duty in law enforcement and in the military (Ro. 13:1-4). Capital punishment. It is not murder to put criminals to death for heinous crimes. The Bible plainly says that the man who takes a life is to forfeit his own life (Ge. 9:6). The Law of Moses called for capital punishment in the case of murder (Le. 24:17; De. 19:11-13), idolatry (Le. 20:2; De. 17:2-7), witchcraft (Le. 20:27), adultery (Le. 20:10; De. 22:21,22), homosexuality (Le. 20:13), bestiality (Le. 20:15,16), rape (De. 22:25-27), incest (Le. 20:17), and blasphemy (Le. 24:11-16,23). The avenger of death in O.T. times was a relative or friend who put the murderer to death (De. 19:11-13 ). God allowed for this, and made provision for cities of refuge for those who had killed accidentally. In this dispensation God has given civil government the authority to put offenders to death. In Ro. 13 we see that God has given nations the authority to "bear the sword" against evil. This obviously refers to capital punishment. The sword certainly does not speak of a fine or of imprisonment!
(2) MURDER IS AN UNUSUALLY HORRIBLE CRIME. It is horrible because of its finality (He. 9:27). It is horrible because of the value of a soul (Ma. 16:27). It is horrible because of what man is (Ge. 1:26; 1 Jn. 4:20). A man is not an animal; a man has an eternal soul, and to cut a man's life off seals his eternal destiny (Lk. 16:22,23; He. 9:27).
(3) MURDER DEFILES THE LAND (Nu. 35:33; Ju. 20:13) and requires capital punishment (Nu. 35:30-34; Ge. 9:6; Pr. 28:17; Ro. 13:4).
(4) MURDER IS PROBLEM OF THE HEART (Mt. 15:18-20). Christ compared murder with anger (Mt. 5:21-22). The first murder was committed by the first child born into the world (Ge. 4:8-9). [See Anger, Avenger of Blood, Capital Punishment, Cities of Refuge, Death, Pacifism, Stealing, Vengeance.]