Murder רָצַח

We are in chapter twenty of Exodus with our word for today. רָצַח kill, murder, strike down, slay. It is used 47 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in a general way to describe killing so the context that the word is used in determines if it is intentional or accidental. Here are some examples of where our word is used in an unintentional way. Deuteronomy 4:41-42 Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan, that the manslayer might flee there, anyone who רוֹצֵ֗חַ kills his neighbor unintentionally, without being at enmity with him in time past; he may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Deuteronomy 19:4-5 This is the provision for the הָרֹצֵ֔חַ manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone יַכֶּ֤ה kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past— as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live. Notice how our word is translated as manslayer this is to distinguish it from the word murder because the context shows that we are talking about an accidental death. Our word is also used in the sense of intentional premeditated killing. Numbers 35:16-18 But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a רֹצֵ֣חַֽmurderer. הָרֹצֵֽחַ The murderer shall be put to death. And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a רֹצֵ֣חַֽ murderer. הָרֹצֵֽחַ The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Here we have the very definition of murder when one uses a weapon to hit someone that could kill him if the person dies then the one who killed is a murder. Also notice that even with a lesser dangerous weapon the wooden tool the title of murder is given because the definition is having the knowledge that your actions could kill someone but you don’t stop yourself. This constitutes intentional killing that is different from accidental which is why the translation of our word murder is accurate. This is the sense of how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 20:13 You shall not תִּֿרְצָ֖ח murder. This exact same wording of this commandment is also repeated in Deuteronomy 5:17. What I find interesting is that one of the best examples of premeditated murder in the Bible is King David. 2 Samuel 11:14-17 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” The motive behind David’s murder was to cover up the truth that he had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife. But as always God knew what was going on. 2 Samuel 11:27 But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. Later God sends the prophet Nathan to confront David of his sin. And the good news is that David confesses his sin and repents. So even though these ten commandments are the foundation of any nation, especially one that claims to be God’s people, God does offer forgiveness when we sin against him. Even the sin of murder. We see this same thing in the New Testament with the apostle Paul who the Holy Spirit describes “was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” Acts 9:1. I’ll close with this encouraging passage about how God could forgive and even use a person with such a past. 1 Timothy 1:12-14 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.