Is It Wrong To Kill?

Q. Is It Wrong To Kill?

The critic argues that sometimes the Bible says it is wrong to kill, and yet at other times commands it! Here are the two verses that the skeptic uses to substantiate his claim:

(Exo 20:13 NKJV) "You shall not murder.

(Exo 32:27 NKJV) And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ’Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’"

Note: The critic usually cites Exodus 20:13 from a translation that says "kill" rather than murder. Legal systems universally make a distinction between "killing" and "murder". For example, a policeman is legally empowered to kill the criminal in order innocent lives, and the homeowner is allowed to kill an intruder who threatens the lives of his family. These examples are not examples of murder, but they are examples of killing.

The command in Exodus 20:13 is best translated "murder" (NKJV, NIV, etc.). It is evident from the context in which it was given that it does not prohibit all "killing", for the law itself included a requirement that anyone who profaned the Sabbath was to be put to death (Ex. 31:14). This is the same distinction made by legal systems around the world -- murder is different from capital punishment.

The command in Exodus 32:27 is in context when Moses came down from the mountain and found the people worshiping the golden calf. The order was not universal (as is evidenced by the next verse), but was carried out by the Levites on a small number of the people (3,000) who ostensibly were opening committing idolatry – a capital crime. It is generally accepted that the "state" has the power to execute criminals who commit capital offenses. This is the same principle applied here.

-- David A. Duncan