Exodus 20:13 — Word Study
WLCלֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃ ס
BSAYou shall notlôʼ [without cause, or unjustly] murderrâtsach▸ [kill, take a life, implying a strong negation, as in the case of Cain and Abel, a premeditated act]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לֹ֥֖א | not | Particle |
| תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃ ס | you must murder | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You shall not murder. |
| KJV | Thou shalt not kill. |
| ASV | Thou shalt not kill. |
| YLT | 'Thou dost not murder. |
| WEB | “You shall not murder. |
| BBE | Do not put anyone to death without cause. |
Translations agree here, using 'murder' consistently across versions.
A single command stands alone, emphasizing its importance.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָצַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 20:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Ten Commandmentsgenerated
Exodus 20:13 is part of the Ten Commandments, which are foundational laws given by God to the Israelites. These commandments serve as moral guidelines for living in a way that honors God and respects others. The commandment against murder highlights the sanctity of human life and the seriousness of taking a life unjustly.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 21:14–20 | But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death. |
| 2 | Genesis 4:8–23 | Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. |
| 3 | Genesis 9:5–6 | And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: |
| 4 | Leviticus 24:21 | Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. |
| 5 | Numbers 35:16–34 | If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 21 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רָצַח, tre.Tzachgenerated
The Hebrew word רָצַח (ratsach) is a verb meaning to murder or slay, specifically in a premeditated context. It emphasizes the intentional act of taking a human life, distinguishing it from accidental killing.
This command is not merely a prohibition against killing; it specifically addresses wrongful killing, as seen in the example of Cain and Abel. The parsing as a second person masculine singular imperfect verb indicates a direct command to the hearers.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of a single clause with a clear command: לֹ֖א תִּרְצָֽח, you shall not murder. The structure emphasizes the prohibition directly.
The word order places the negation לֹא first, highlighting the strong prohibition against murder.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates רָצַח with φονεύσεις (phoneusis), which also means to murder. This choice maintains the emphasis on intentional killing, similar to the Hebrew.
The Greek word carries a similar weight, reinforcing the command's seriousness.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 20:13 states that you shall not murder, which means taking a life unjustly is strictly forbidden. This command highlights the importance of valuing human life and the seriousness of premeditated killing.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that taking a life unjustly is prohibited, emphasizing the value of human life.
This commandment underscores the seriousness of murder and the need to respect life.
The command specifically addresses unjust killing, implying that there are contexts, like self-defense, where killing may not be considered murder.
It is part of a broader moral framework that governs behavior toward others, promoting justice and respect.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I value human life in my daily actions?
- How can I promote peace and prevent violence in my community?
- What are some examples of unjust killing in today's world?
- How does understanding this commandment affect my view of justice?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers referenced this commandment to discuss the moral implications of killing and the nature of justice.
How was it then when he said, “You shall not kill,” that he did not add, “because murder is a wicked thing?” The reason was that conscience had already taught this beforehand.Early Church Fathers on Exodus 20 →
“What about the prohibition, ‘You shall not kill,’ which is also there? If killing is evil in every respect, how will the just who, in obedience to a law, have killed many,Early Church Fathers on Exodus 20 →
It is significant that in Holy Scripture no passage can be found enjoining or permitting suicide either in order to hasten our entry into immortality or to void or avoid temporal evils.Early Church Fathers on Exodus 20 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 20:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou shalt not kill. Not meaning any sort of creatures, for there are some to be killed for the food and nourishment of men, and others for their safety and preservation; but rational creatures, men,
Read John Gill on Exodus 20 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not kill. 'Killing' is not what is prohibited, otherwise the judicial infliction of capital punishment, as well as the slaughter of an enemy in defensive war, would be
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 20 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTo wit any man or woman, without authority, and without just cause; which exception must necessarily be understood, because many other scriptures command the magistrate to kill great offenders. And this prohibition being delivered by God, who made, and searcheth, and commands men’ s hearts, must be extended not only to the external act of killing, but to all motions of the heart or tongue which tend that way, as anger, hatred, envy, malice, strife, blows, and the challenges of duelists; which is clearly manifest by comparing this with other scriptures, as , &c. And here, as in the rest, is commanded the contrary duty of preserving tie lives of our neighbours as much as lies in our power.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 20 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.Ver. 13. Thou shalt not kill.] A crying sin. For the which God makes inquisition, and strangely brings it to light. It was a saying of King James, that if God did allow him to kill a man, he would think God did not love him.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 20 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) Thou shalt not kill.—From the peculiar duties owed by children to their parents, the Divine legislator went on to lay down those general duties which men owe to their fellow-men. And of these the first is that of respecting their life. The security of life is the primary object of government; and it has been well said that men originally coalesced into States with a view to self-preservation (Arist., Pol. i. 1). All written codes forbid murder; and in communities which are without written codes an unwritten law condemns it. When God “set a mark upon Cain” (Genesis 4:15), He marked thereby His abhorrence of the murderer. The “seven precepts of Noah” included one which distinctly forbade…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 20 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleTHE SIXTH COMMANDMENT Against murder and cruelty. 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, c. 3. All sanguinary laws, by the operation of which the lives of men may be taken away for offences 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…
Read AdamClarke on Exodus 20 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. The sixth commandment. The sanctity of human life to be upheld (cf. Genesis 9:5-6 P). Here the duty is laid down simply as a Divine command: the human penalty for infringing it is prescribed elsewhere (see on Exodus 21:12). shalt do no murder] AV. had shalt not kill: but the Heb. word implies violent, unauthorised killing. Cf. especially the list of crimes in Hosea 4:2 (where ‘killing’ has been kept), Jeremiah 7:9. The verb in the ptcp. occurs repeatedly in P’s law of homicide in Numbers 35 (RV. always here ‘manslayer’). Comp. the spiritualization of this commandment by our Lord in Matthew 5:21-26.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 20 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE SIXTH , Exodus 20:13. 13. Thou shalt not kill — Better, thou shalt not commit murder.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 20 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You shall not murder.
“You shall not murder.
You shall not murder.
“You shall not murder.
Tyndale line
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt do no murder.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill.
Strictly literal
Thou shalt not kill.
'Thou dost not murder.
You do not murder.
Thou shalt not kill.
You must not murder anyone.
From the Latin
Thou shalt not kill.
Simplified
You must not murder.
Do not put anyone to death without cause.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word on this commandment, both stating לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃ ס. The Septuagint matches in meaning but not in word order.
לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃ ס
2 of the 2 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לא תרצח
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 20:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
רָצַח (ratsach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to murder or slay, with nuances of premeditated and accidental killing. It appears in various forms, including Qal (to murder), Niphal (to be slain), and Piel (to intensively murder or assassinate). The entries emphasize the act of killing a human being, particularly in a malicious context.
רָצַח vb. murder, slay
Qal murder, slay, with premeditation
Niph. I shall be slain
Pi. (intens.) murder, assassinate
Pu. ye murder
base
H7523 רָצַח murder, slay
7523 ratsach raw-tsakh'
a primitive root; properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a
human being), especially to murder:--put to death, kill,
(man-)slay(-er), murder(-er).
רָצַח (ra.tsach) — to murder.
1) to murder, slay, kill
1a)(Qal) to murder, slay
1a1) premeditated
1a2) accidental
1a3) as avenger
1a4) slayer (intentional) (participle)
1b) (Niphal) to be slain
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to murder, assassinate
1c2) murderer, assassin (participle) (subst)
1d) (Pual) to be killed
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
1. Terms:
mur'-der (haragh, "to smite," "destroy," "kill," "slay" (Ps 10:8; Ho 9:13 AV]), ratsach, "to dash to pieces," "kill," especially with premeditation (Nu 35:16 and frequently; 3Job 24:14; Ps 94:6; Jer 7:9; Ho 6:9); phoneus, "criminal homicide," from phoneuo, "to kill," "slay"; phonos, from pheno, has the same meaning; anthropoktonos, "manslayer," "murderer," is used to designate Satan (Joh 8:44) and him that hates his brother (
Murder
Wilful murder was distinguished from accidental homicide, and was invariably visited with capital punishment (Num. 35:16, 18, 21, 31; Lev. 24:17). This law in its principle is founded on the fact of man’s having been made in the likeness of God (Gen. 9:5, 6; John 8:44; 1 John 3:12, 15). The Mosiac law prohibited any compensation for murder or the reprieve of the murderer (Ex. 21:12, 14; Deut. 19:11, 13; 2 Sam. 17:25; 20:10). Two witnesses were required…
The law of Moses, while it protected the accidental homicide, defined with additional strictness the crime of murder. It prohibited compensation or reprieve of the murderer, or his protection if he took refuge in the refuge city, or even at the altar of Jehovah. (Exodus 21:12,14; Leviticus 24:17,21; 1 Kings 2:5,6,31) The duty of executing punishment on the murderer is in the law expressly laid on the "revenger of blood;" but the question of guilt was to be previously decided by the Levitical tribunal. In regal times the duty of execution of justice on a murderer seems to have been assumed to some extent by the sovereign, as was also the privilege of pardon. (2 Samuel…
The designed and malevolent taking of human life, was by the original appointment of God, a crime to be punished by death. Cain, the first murderer, recognized it as such, Ge 4:14. The ground for the death penalty for murder is the eminent dignity and sacredness of man as a child of God, Ge 9:5-6. Like the Sabbath and marriage, it is a primeval and universal institution for mankind, and all nations have so recognized it, Ac 28:4. The Mosaic code reenacted it, Le 24:17; and while providing for the unintentional homicide a safe retreat, declares that deliberate murder must be punished by death, from which neither the city of refuge nor the altar of God could shield the…