BibleProject | The 10 CommandmentsSample

Give Life; Don’t Kill It

Pretty much everywhere you go, people agree on at least one moral principle: Murder is wrong. So when we read the command, “You shall not murder” (Exod. 20:13), it seems almost obvious. But, in light of all of Scripture, this instruction is more complex than it first appears.

In Exodus 20:13, the Hebrew word translated “murder” (ratsakh) can refer to any taking of life, not just premeditated murder. As today’s video explains, laws appear later in the Bible that deal with the complicated realities of violence and justice. But here, God establishes a baseline: Protect life. Give life. Don’t take it.

Later, Jesus exposes the command’s deeper wisdom. In his Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), he reveals the deeper problem with murder: the heart’s attitude (Matt. 5:21).

When we treat someone as worthless, when we write them off as “bad,” “unclean,” or beneath us, we’re already harming life in our hearts. This anger, contempt, and belittling all come from the same place that produces violence.

Jesus isn’t saying that insults and murder are the same thing. The point is that both reveal how much, or how little, we value another person. If God shows no favoritism among people (Acts 10:34), then those who follow God want to see people as equals too.

That raises a hard question: How do we actually think about others? Simply avoiding violence isn’t the goal.

It’s easy to divide the world into “good” and "bad" people and feel justified in treating the "bad" ones with contempt. But every time we feel the urge to insult, dismiss, or condemn someone, Jesus' teaching invites us to choose something better. We can pause and ask, “How can I bless this person’s life right now?”

That’s the deeper wisdom of the command, and it’s the way of love Jesus calls us to live.

Reflection Question:

• Is there a person or group that brings up feelings of anger or contempt in your heart? What is one practical step you can take so that you can affirm their worth as human beings made in God’s image?