The Sixth Commandment Explained
“You shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13
The Meaning of the Commandment
The Sixth Commandment is one of the shortest, yet most weighty, declarations in Scripture. In just four words, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), God affirms the sanctity of life and forbids the unlawful taking of it.
This commandment does not condemn all killing in every circumstance but specifically prohibits murder, the intentional and unjust taking of innocent human life. It upholds the truth that life is sacred because it originates from God Himself. Humanity does not own life, it receives it as a gift. To take life wrongly is to assault the image of the Creator imprinted on every person.
By commanding against murder, God establishes that every human being has dignity and value. This law protects not only bodies but also the moral order of society. It calls each person to act as a guardian of life rather than a destroyer of it.
The Sanctity of Life
The foundation of this commandment reaches back to creation. Scripture declares, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27). Every person bears that divine image, and therefore every life has inherent worth.
After the flood, God reaffirmed this principle, saying, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” (Genesis 9:6). The reason murder is forbidden is not simply because it harms another person, but because it violates God’s creative design.
To disregard life is to disregard its Giver. This commandment therefore calls believers to protect, value, and respect life in all its forms, from the unborn to the elderly, from the strong to the weak.
Beyond the Act: The Spirit of the Commandment
Jesus expanded this commandment beyond physical acts to the inner condition of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matthew 5:21–22).
Although Jesus used the traditional wording “kill,” His teaching reveals the true meaning, that murder begins long before the act. It begins with anger, hatred, and contempt. When resentment is nurtured, it grows into hostility and destruction.
The Apostle John later wrote, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15). Murder, then, is not only an outward crime but an inward corruption. The commandment calls for purity of heart as well as restraint of hand.
The Value of Reconciliation
If hatred and anger are the roots of murder, reconciliation is the antidote. Jesus taught, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23–24).
God desires peace among His people before they come to worship Him. Reconciliation is not optional, it is part of true obedience. The Sixth Commandment therefore reaches into the heart of community life, reminding us that unresolved conflict endangers both relationships and faith.
Paul echoed this principle when he wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:17–18). Living peaceably is an act of obedience to this commandment, it honours life, restores harmony, and reflects the mercy of God.
Protecting and Preserving Life
The Sixth Commandment also calls humanity to protect life actively, not merely to avoid taking it. Proverbs 24:11 urges, “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?” (Proverbs 24:11–12). God expects His people to defend the vulnerable and intervene when life is threatened.
This duty includes care for the poor, protection of the weak, and justice for the oppressed. Indifference to suffering violates the spirit of this law as surely as violence does. To obey this commandment fully is to uphold the dignity of life through compassion, mercy, and courage.
The Commandment and Social Responsibility
The sanctity of life extends beyond individual morality to the structure of society itself. Laws, institutions, and communities are judged by how they protect or neglect life. The prophets often rebuked Israel for injustices that destroyed life indirectly, through oppression, greed, and indifference. Amos declared, “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24).
True obedience to this commandment therefore requires both personal righteousness and public justice. Every act of violence or exploitation, whether physical or systemic, breaks God’s law by devaluing those made in His image.
As followers of Christ, believers are called to be agents of life, to confront evil, to pursue peace, and to stand against anything that diminishes the worth of a human being.
The Commandment’s Fulfilment in Christ
The ultimate fulfilment of this commandment is found in Jesus Christ. He came not to destroy life but to redeem it. He said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).
Jesus reversed the pattern of sin and violence. Instead of taking life, He gave His own so that others might live. Through His death and resurrection, He defeated the power of death and offered eternal life to all who believe.
In Him, the commandment to preserve life becomes a calling to love sacrificially. The one who follows Christ must become a giver of life, through kindness, mercy, and truth. Every act that nurtures, protects, or restores life echoes the heart of this commandment.
Living the Commandment
To live by the Sixth Commandment is to become a guardian of life in all its forms. It means refusing hatred, rejecting cruelty, and replacing anger with compassion. It also means acting with wisdom and courage to prevent harm and promote healing.
Obedience begins with seeing others as God sees them, as bearers of His image and recipients of His love. It continues in daily choices: speaking peace instead of wrath, forgiving instead of condemning, and helping instead of ignoring.
The believer who lives this commandment becomes a witness to the God who values every life. In a world often desensitised to violence, the one who chooses peace, mercy, and love reflects the light of Christ and honours the Creator of all.
Summary
The Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder,” upholds the sanctity of life and forbids the intentional destruction of it. It teaches that every human being is made in the image of God and must be treated with dignity and care. Jesus revealed that this commandment also governs the heart, condemning hatred, anger, and revenge.
To keep this commandment is to protect, value, and preserve life. It is to be a peacemaker and a defender of the innocent. Above all, it is to mirror the love of Christ, who came to bring life in all its fullness.
Scripture References
Exodus 20:13 – “You shall not murder.”
Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.”
Genesis 9:6 – “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
Matthew 5:21–22 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
1 John 3:15 – “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
Matthew 5:23–24 – “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Romans 12:17–18 – “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
Proverbs 24:11–12 – “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?”
Amos 5:24 – “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
John 10:10 – “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
