Once again, brilliantly exemplifying the same point you try to criticize.
But I’m dumb, let the experts speak:
Thou Shalt Not Kill or You Shall Not Murder?
*written by Larry Brigden
Senior Editorial Consultant (Linguistics)
Introduction: רצח (ratsach)
The Authorised (King James) Version translation of Exodus 20.13 is ‘Thou shalt not kill’, but more modern versions, such as the English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, and even the New King James Version, translate the verse as ‘You shall not murder’, evidently preferring ‘murder’ as the translation of the Hebrew word in the verse to ‘kill’. So which is correct? Should the verse read ‘kill’ or ‘murder’? The purpose of this brief article is to demonstrate that ‘kill’ is in fact correct and that the use of ‘murder’ by the more modern versions indicates a departure from some quite important principles of translation.1
The Hebrew word in Exodus 20.13 is רצח (ratsach), a word that can mean ‘to commit murder’, but which also has the broader, more general meaning of ‘to kill’, ‘to slay’. The context determines which meaning should be used for the word in each place where it occurs. That is why the translation of רצח (ratsach) in the AV, as well as in other translations, varies according to the context: sometimes ‘kill’ or ‘slay’2 and at other times ‘murder’.3 The question then is whether ‘kill’ is the better translation of רצח (ratsach) in Exodus 20.13 or ‘murder’. The AV translators evidently thought the former, while more modern translations evidently think the latter.
Differing opinions
Some who criticise the AV translation of ‘kill’ argue that the Hebrew verb רצח (ratsach) means ‘murder’ and therefore that is how the word should be translated here.4 But they are quite mistaken, as a survey of the use of רצח (ratsach) in the Old Testament makes clear.
For example, in Numbers 35.27 we have:
… and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill [ratsach] the slayer [ratsach5]; he shall not be guilty of blood
Now, the Hebrew word for ‘kill’ is the same as the one used for the ‘slayer’ (in the latter case it is a participle). Yet, quite obviously, the former action cannot be ‘murder’ for the text explicitly says that ‘he shall not be guilty of blood’.
Consider also Numbers 35.30:
Whoso killeth [ratsach] any person, the murderer shall be put to death [ratsach] by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
Here the same verb ratsach describes the act of one who kills ‘any person’ and the act by which the killer is himself put to death. But obviously the latter action cannot be ‘murder’, though the same verb is used.
The cities of refuge
Then there are the cities of refuge listed in Joshua 21. They are called city of refuge of the ratsach (Joshua 21.13, 21, 27, 32, 38). Are each of these to be translated as a city of refuge of the ‘murderer’ because ratsach must have that meaning? Obviously not, since it was not the purpose of the cities of refuge to harbour a murderer but simply to give refuge to a manslayer from the avenger of blood till the case should be tried (Numbers 35.12). And most modern versions correctly translate this as ‘city of refuge for the manslayer’.6
The impact of a translation choice
Others argue that ‘kill’ seems to introduce a contradiction into Scripture since certain killings are permitted and even sanctioned by Scripture.7 But they seem not to notice that by translating ‘murder’, the impression may be given that some types of unlawful killing, such as manslaughter, suicide, etc., could be understood as not forbidden by the commandment. Misunderstandings are possible with any translational choice, but the solution is never to adjust the translation in order to avoid any ill consequence that may be supposed to attend it. Rather, the aim should always be to translate the original Hebrew or Greek word as it stands in the text, though having due regard, of course, to the context and the analogy of Scripture. It must always be left to the preacher or expositor to explain the meaning of the original word and clear up any supposed inconsistency with the rest of Scripture. It is not the work of the translator to attempt such a task, but as far as possible to faithfully translate the word as it stands in the text.
Examining ratsach in context
So which is the correct translation at Exodus 20.13, ‘kill’ or ‘murder’? As already noted, the Hebrew word רצח (ratsach) can have the narrower meaning of ‘murder’ or it could have the broader meaning of ‘kill’, ‘slay’. The correct meaning of the word in Exodus 20.13 will depend on the context. Is there anything in the context of Exodus 20.13 that would favour either meaning? As the commandment is very briefly expressed, the broader and more general meaning of ‘kill’ would seem to be favoured. At least, there is nothing in the context that compels us to adopt the narrower meaning of ‘murder’. Any such narrowing of the meaning must therefore be arbitrary and motivated by considerations outside of the text itself, such as the need to avoid a supposed contradiction with the rest of Scripture as mentioned above.
The broader meaning of the Hebrew word רצח (ratsach) at Exodus 20.13 is also confirmed by the inspired and authoritative exposition of the sixth commandment in the New Testament. In Matthew 5.21–22 our Lord contrasts the faulty understanding of the sixth commandment common at that time with its true meaning, indicating by His exposition of the commandment its very broad scope, reaching even to the first motions of enmity toward another:
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: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire
The Greek word for ‘kill’ in Matthew 5.21, φονεύω (phoneuó), closely matches the Hebrew word רצח (ratsach) in Exodus 20.13, being also capable of both the narrower meaning of ‘murder’ and the broader meaning of ‘kill’. But it may be observed that if ‘murder’ were substituted for ‘kill’ in the initial statement of the commandment in verse 21, as in most modern versions,8 then the contrast with the broader scope of the commandment in verse 22 is not so fitly stated.
The intended contrast is evidently between the outward physical act of taking life and any inward malice and enmity of heart. Our Lord checks the sin at its source, even when it falls far short of the outward physical act. That being the intended contrast, how is it fitting that the first member of the two things contrasted should be the very specific act of ‘murder’? Is the contrast not more fitly expressed between any outward act of killing and the inward motions of malice and enmity of the heart? Such inward motions of malice and enmity do not necessarily always aim at ‘murder’, but may extend only to grievous bodily harm, though that may yet, even if unintentionally, actually issue in the death of the victim. Thus, ‘kill’, being the broader term, covers all cases and is the more suitable term as the first member of the two things contrasted. But to restrict the first member of the contrast to the narrower act of ‘murder’ is unnecessary and appears as an artificial over restriction.
Conclusion: The correct translation
In conclusion, the translation ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is the correct translation of the Hebrew at Exodus 20.13. This was the translation of the verse found in all early English Bibles9 and up until about the mid twentieth century when most versions substituted ‘murder’ for ‘kill’ on quite inadequate grounds, grounds which in fact reflect a departure from important principles of translation. The work of the translator is, as far as possible, to faithfully translate the word as it stands in the text, having due regard to the context and the analogy of Scripture, and not attempt to adjust the translation so as to avoid any supposed contradictions with the rest of Scripture. The clearing of such supposed contradictions must be left to others, to the preachers and expositors of the Holy Scriptures.
Endnotes:
1.This article does not discuss the other clear difference between the translation of the more modern versions and the AV, which is the use of ‘you’ instead of ‘thou’. The English ‘thou’ is certainly more accurate, being a singular pronoun matching the underlying Hebrew singular pronoun, whereas the English ‘you’ may be singular or plural. But the key difference in the translations is the substitution of ‘murder’ for ‘kill’, and hence the discussion here is confined to that difference.
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Exodus 20.13; Numbers 35.6, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30; Deuteronomy 4.42, 5.17, 19.3, 4, 6, 22.26; Joshua 20.3, 5, 6, 21.13, 21, 27, 32, 38; Judges 20.4; 1 Kings 21.19; Psalm 62.3; Proverbs 22.13; Hosea 4.2.
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Numbers 35.16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 31; 2 Kings 6.32; Psalm 94.6; Isaiah 1.21; Jeremiah 7.9; Hosea 6.9.
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‘“Thou shalt not kill” vs. “Thou shalt not murder”’, Andrew Holt, Ph.D.: History, Religion, and Academia, apholt.com/2015/03/17/thou-shalt-not-kill-vs-thou-shalt-not-murder. It is worth noting that, according to the modern Hebrew dictionary, Reuben Alcalay, The Complete Hebrew English Dictionary, (NY, USA: P. Shalom Publications, 2000), רצח (ratsach) is not confined to the meaning of ‘murder’, but may also mean ‘kill’.
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It is actually the participle form of the verb with the article, חַצֵ֔הרָ֣, which is used here.
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One interesting exception is the version called ‘God’s Word’ which has ‘a city of refuge for murderers’.
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Self defence (Exodus 22.2, Esther 8.11), lawful war (Judges 7.13-25, 1 Samuel 15.3, 1 Chronicles 19.6-19) and capital punishments judicially inflicted for certain breaches of the Moral Law, e.g. bestiality (Exodus 22.19), adultery (Leviticus 20.10), sodomy (Leviticus 20.13), sorcery (Leviticus 20.27), idolatry (Deuteronomy 13.10),
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English Standard Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, New English Translation, etc.
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Geneva, Bishops’, Coverdale, Tyndale. Even the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible uses ‘kill’.*
So, no, THOU SHALT NOT KILL, but you kill all the time, so your morality is worthless.