Exodus 20 · Verse 13

Exodus 20:13

Thou shalt not kill.
Exodus 20:13, King James Version

Exodus 20:13 in other translations

BSBYou shall not murder.
WEB“You shall not murder.
ASVThou shalt not kill.
YLT‘Thou dost not murder.
DARBYThou shalt not kill.
BBEDo not put anyone to death without cause.
WebsterThou shalt not kill.

What does Exodus 20:13 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Thou shalt not kill - This commandment, which is general, prohibits murder of every kind. 1. All actions by which the lives of our fellow creatures may be abridged. 2. All wars for extending empire, commerce, etc. 3. All sanguinary laws, by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offenses of comparatively trifling demerit. 4. All bad dispositions which lead men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief against, one another; for, says the Scripture, He that hateth his brother in his heart is a murderer. 5. All want of charity to the helpless and distressed; for he who has it in his power to save the life of another by a timely application of succor, food, raiment, etc., and does not do it, and the life of the person either falls or is abridged on this account, is in the sight of God a murderer. He who neglects to save life is, according to an incontrovertible maxim in law, the same as he who takes it away. 6. All riot and excess, all drunkenness and gluttony, all inactivity and slothfulness, and all superstitious mortifications and self-denials, by which life may be destroyed or shortened; all these are point-blank sins against the sixth commandment.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 20:12-17

The laws of the SECOND table, that is, the last six of the ten commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Lu 10:27. Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their…

Read the full comment on Exodus 20:12-17 →

Exodus 20:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹ֥֖אlo'notH3808
תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח\׃\ \סtre.Tzachyou must murderH7523

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 20:13

  • Romans 13:9

    For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

  • Deuteronomy 5:17

    Thou shalt not kill.

  • Genesis 9:5-6

    And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

  • Matthew 5:21-22

    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.

  • Exodus 21:14

    But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

  • Matthew 19:18

    He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

  • James 2:11

    For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

  • Leviticus 24:21

    And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

  • 1 John 3:12-15

    Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

  • Deuteronomy 19:11-13

    But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Exodus 21:20

    And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Context

  • Exodus 20:12

    Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

  • Exodus 20:13

    Thou shalt not kill.

  • Exodus 20:14

    Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Read all of Exodus 20

Exodus 20:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
No matarás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Tu ne tueras point.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Du sollst nicht töten. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Non occides.