Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 5:17
You shall not murder.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses Israel in Moab, reciting covenant stipulations immediately before and after the command to honor parents, framing ethical conduct as a condition for life in the promised land.
The words — The Hebrew לֹא (lo') negates the verb תַּרְצָח (tar'tzach), literally rendering the prohibition as a direct command against unlawful killing.
The thread — The text appears in Exodus 20:13 as the original covenant decree, is grouped with other moral prohibitions in Romans 13:9, and is cited by Jesus in Matthew 5:21 to establish the baseline of the law he fulfills.
Why it lands — The verse demands immediate obedience to the prohibition against taking human life, requiring readers to measure their actions against a non-negotiable boundary before considering any subsequent justification.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Thou shalt not kill.
Cross-references
- Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.
- Romans 13:9 The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
- Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
- James 2:11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
- Matthew 19:18 “Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,