Read Exodus 20:13 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph division
Exo 20:13 {s} You shall not murder
Hebrew roots
You shall not murder. Exo 20:13
Murder is Strong’s H7523 רצח ratsach, a primitive root meaning, “to murder.” The pictographs are resh + tsadey + chet.
resh ר = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
tsadey צ, ץ = the trail, thus a man concealed, journey, chase, hunt
chet ח = the wall, thus outside, divide, half
The story being told is of the man (resh) lying in wait (tsadey, as a man conceals himself when hunting along the trail) to divide (chet) another’s spirit from his body. The Hebrew makes it clear that there is a distinction between premeditation, which the commandment forbids, and capital punishment or defense of self and others, which the commandment does not forbid.
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