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The Word "to kill"This page is still being developed The argument is often made in various applications of "You shall not kill" that this Commandment is really a specific prohibition of murder. This evokes a range of connotations for the English word murder with a primary emphasis on unlawful killing, premeditated and deliberate killing of another human being. This would be opposed to other forms of killing, such as legal execution, war, or self defense. Appeal is usually made to the original Hebrew by arguing that the word used does not mean killing in general but refers specifically to murder. This view is supported in some modern translations, such as the NRSV:
However a close examination of the the Hebrew word used here raises questions about this translation. The Hebrew word used in both versions of the Ten Words (Commandments), ratsach, is not nearly as specific as is the English word murder. For example, in the Priestly Code of Numbers, the word is used twice (35:27, 30) for legal killing done by the blood avenger. Also, there are several places in Deuteronomy (4:42, 19:3, 4, 6, as well as 15 or so other passages scattered throughout Numbers and Joshua that use the word to refer to unintentional killing or causing accidental death (manslaughter). It can also mean to murder or assassinate. A cognate noun means “shattering” or “mortal wound” (Psa 42:11), which suggests that the word emphasizes violence, not whether the action was legal or premeditated. |
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