Reference: Murder
American
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 criminal, Ex 21:12-14; Nu 35:9-34; De 19:1-13; 1Ki 2:5-6,28-34. Death was usually inflicted by stoning, upon the testimony of at least two witnesses, Nu 35:30. If a corpse were found in the open fields, and the murderer could not be discovered, the town nearest to the spot was obliged to purge itself by a solemn ceremony, lest it should become liable to the judgments of God, De 21:1-9. In various ways God is represented as specially abhorring this crime, and securing its punishment, De 32:43; 2Sa 21:1; Ps 9:12; 55:23; Ho 1:4; Re 22:15. Our Savior instructs us that one may be guilty, in the sight of God, of murder in the heart, without any overt act, Mt 5:21-22; 1Jo 3:15. Nothing is said especially in the law respecting self-murder, and only the cases of Saul, Ahithophel, and Judas are described in the Bible, 1Sa 31:4; 2Sa 17:23; Ac 1:18. Of all murders, that of the soul is incomparably the most awful, Joh 8:44, and many plunge not only themselves but also others into the second death.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Behold, thou castest me out this day from off the face of the earth, and from thy sight must I hide myself, and I must be a vagabond and a renegade upon the earth: Moreover whosoever findeth me, will kill me."
For verily the blood of you, wherein your lives are, will I require: Even of the hand of all beasts will I require it, and of the hand of man and of the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man: so that he which sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man again: for God made man after his own likeness.
"He that smiteth a man that he die, shall be slain for it. If a man lay not await, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will point thee a place whither he shall flee. read more. If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor and slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he die.
"He that killeth any man, shall die for it,
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, 'When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan, read more. ye shall build cities which shall be privileged towns for you: that he which slayeth a man unawares, may fly thither. And the cities shall be to flee from the executer of blood, that he which killed die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these six free cities which ye shall give, three ye shall give on this side Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. And these six free cities shall be for the children of Israel and for the stranger and for him that dwelleth among you, that all they which kill any person unawares, may flee thither. "'If any man smite another with a weapon of iron that he die, then he is a murderer, and shall die for it. If he smite him with a throwing stone that he die therewith, then he shall die: For he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. If he smite him with a hand weapon of wood that he die therewith, then he shall die: for he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. The judge of blood shall slay the murderer, as soon as he findeth him. "'If he thrust him of hate, or hurl at him with laying of wait that he die, or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him. But and if he pushed him by chance and not of hate, or cast at him with any manner of thing and not of laying of wait, or cast any manner of stone at him that he die therewith, and saw him not, and he cast it upon him and he died, but was not his enemy, neither sought him any harm; then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the executer of blood in such cases. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the judge of blood, and shall restore him again unto the franchised city whither he was fled. And he shall bide there unto the death of the high priest which was anointed with holy oil. "'But and if he came without the borders of his privileged city whither he was fled, if the blood avenger find him without the borders of his free town, he shall slay the murderer and be guiltless, because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession. And this shall be an ordinance and a law unto you, among your children after you in all your habitations. Whosoever slayeth, shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. For one witness shall not answer against one person to put him to death.
Whosoever slayeth, shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. For one witness shall not answer against one person to put him to death. Moreover ye shall take none amends for the life of the murderer, which is worthy to die: But he shall be put to death. read more. Also ye shall take none atonement for him that is fled to a free city, that he should come again and dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. "'And see that ye pollute not the land which ye are in, for blood defileth the land. And the land can none otherwise be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of it that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye inhabit, and in the midst of which I also dwell, for I am the LORD which dwell among the children of Israel.'"
When the LORD thy God hath destroyed the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou hast conquered them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses; thou shalt appoint three cities in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. read more. Thou shalt prepare the way and divide the coasts of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts that whosoever committeth murder may flee thither. And this is the cause of the slayer that shall flee thither and be saved: If he smite his neighbour ignorantly and hated him not in time past; as when a man goeth unto the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and as his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe, the head slippeth from the helve and smiteth his neighbour that he die; the same shall flee unto one of the same cities and be saved. Lest the executer of blood follow after the slayer while his heart is hot and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, and yet there is no cause worthy of death in him, inasmuch as he hated not his neighbour in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, 'See that thou appoint out three cities.' And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coasts as he hath sworn unto thy fathers and give thee all the land which he said he would give unto thy fathers - so that thou keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, that thou love the LORD thy God and walk in his ways ever - then thou shalt add three cities more unto those three, that innocent blood be not shed in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, and so blood come upon thee. But and if there be any man that hateth his neighbour and layeth await for him and riseth against him and smiteth him that he die, and fleeth unto any of these cities; Then let the elders of his city send and fetch him thence and deliver him into the hands of the justice of blood, and he shall die. Let thine eye have no pity on him, and so thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel, and happy art thou.
If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, and lieth in the fields, and not known who hath slain him: Then let thine elders and thy judges come forth and meet unto the cities that are round about the slain. read more. And let the elders of that city which is next unto the slain man, take a heifer that is not laboured with nor hath drawn in the yoke, and let them bring her unto a valley where is neither earing nor sowing, and strike off her head there in the valley. Then let the priests the sons of Levi come forth - for the LORD thy God hath chosen them to minister and to bless in the name of the LORD and therefore at their mouth shall all strife and plague be tried. And all the elders of the city that is next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the plain, and shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful LORD unto thy people Israel which thou hast delivered and put not innocent blood unto thy people Israel: and the blood shall be forgiven them.' And so shalt thou put innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt have done that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
"Rejoice, heathen with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will avenge him of his adversaries, and will be merciful unto the land of his people."
as soon as they that bare the ark came unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water - Jordan being full over all his banks all the time of harvest -
Then said Saul unto his harness bearer, "Draw out thy sword and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come thrust me through and make a mockingstock of me." But his harness bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Wherefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it.
And why? For when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them, and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor.
But as for them, thou, O God, shalt bring them into the pit of destruction. The bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. Nevertheless, my trust shall be in thee, O LORD.
And the LORD said unto him, "Call his name Jezreel, for I will shortly avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will bring the kingdom of the house of Israel to an end.
"Ye have heard how it was said unto them of the old time, 'Thou shalt not kill; for whosoever killeth shall be in danger of judgment:' But I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgment: whosoever sayeth unto his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of a council: but whosoever sayeth, 'Thou fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father, ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning; And abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, then speaketh he of his own. For he is a liar, and the father thereof.
And the same hath now possessed a plot of ground with the reward of iniquity. And when he was hanged, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said among themselves, "This man must needs be a murderer: Whom, though he have escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live."
For without shall be dogs and enchanters, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth or maketh lies.
Easton
Wilful murder was distinguished from accidental homicide, and was invariably visited with capital punishment (Nu 35:16,18,21,31; Le 24:17). This law in its principle is founded on the fact of man's having been made in the likeness of God (Ge 9:5-6; Joh 8:44; 1Jo 3:12,15). The Mosiac law prohibited any compensation for murder or the reprieve of the murderer (Ex 21:12,14; De 19:11,13; 2Sa 17:25; 20:10). Two witnesses were required in any capital case (Nu 35:19-30; De 17:6-12). If the murderer could not be discovered, the city nearest the scene of the murder was required to make expiation for the crime committed (De 21:1-9). These offences also were to be punished with death, (1) striking a parent; (2) cursing a parent; (3) kidnapping (Ex 21:15-17; De 27:16).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
For verily the blood of you, wherein your lives are, will I require: Even of the hand of all beasts will I require it, and of the hand of man and of the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man: so that he which sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man again: for God made man after his own likeness.
"He that smiteth a man that he die, shall be slain for it.
If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor and slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he die. And he that smiteth his father or his mother, shall die for it. read more. "He that stealeth a man and selleth him, if it be proved upon him, shall be slain for it. And he that curseth his father or mother, shall be put to death for it.
"He that killeth any man, shall die for it,
"'If any man smite another with a weapon of iron that he die, then he is a murderer, and shall die for it.
If he smite him with a hand weapon of wood that he die therewith, then he shall die: for he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. The judge of blood shall slay the murderer, as soon as he findeth him. read more. "'If he thrust him of hate, or hurl at him with laying of wait that he die, or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him.
or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him. But and if he pushed him by chance and not of hate, or cast at him with any manner of thing and not of laying of wait, read more. or cast any manner of stone at him that he die therewith, and saw him not, and he cast it upon him and he died, but was not his enemy, neither sought him any harm; then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the executer of blood in such cases. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the judge of blood, and shall restore him again unto the franchised city whither he was fled. And he shall bide there unto the death of the high priest which was anointed with holy oil. "'But and if he came without the borders of his privileged city whither he was fled, if the blood avenger find him without the borders of his free town, he shall slay the murderer and be guiltless, because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession. And this shall be an ordinance and a law unto you, among your children after you in all your habitations. Whosoever slayeth, shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. For one witness shall not answer against one person to put him to death. Moreover ye shall take none amends for the life of the murderer, which is worthy to die: But he shall be put to death.
At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death, die: but at the mouth of one witness he shall not die. And the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterward the hands of all the people: so shalt thou put wickedness away from thee. read more. If a matter be too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood, plea and plea, stroke and stroke in matters of strife within thy cities: Then arise and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen, and go unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and ask, and they shall show thee how to judge. And see that thou do according to that which they of that place which the LORD hath chosen show thee, and see that thou observe to do according to all that they inform thee. According to the law which they teach thee and manner of judgment which they tell thee, see that thou do and that thou bow not from that which they show thee, neither to the righthand nor to the left. And that man that will do presumptuously, so that he will not hearken unto the priest that standeth there to minister unto the LORD thy God or unto the judge, shall die: and so thou shalt put away evil from Israel.
But and if there be any man that hateth his neighbour and layeth await for him and riseth against him and smiteth him that he die, and fleeth unto any of these cities;
Let thine eye have no pity on him, and so thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel, and happy art thou.
If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, and lieth in the fields, and not known who hath slain him: Then let thine elders and thy judges come forth and meet unto the cities that are round about the slain. read more. And let the elders of that city which is next unto the slain man, take a heifer that is not laboured with nor hath drawn in the yoke, and let them bring her unto a valley where is neither earing nor sowing, and strike off her head there in the valley. Then let the priests the sons of Levi come forth - for the LORD thy God hath chosen them to minister and to bless in the name of the LORD and therefore at their mouth shall all strife and plague be tried. And all the elders of the city that is next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the plain, and shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful LORD unto thy people Israel which thou hast delivered and put not innocent blood unto thy people Israel: and the blood shall be forgiven them.' And so shalt thou put innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt have done that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
"'Cursed be he that curseth his father or his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
And now take you twelve men of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man.
as soon as they that bare the ark came unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water - Jordan being full over all his banks all the time of harvest -
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father, ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning; And abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, then speaketh he of his own. For he is a liar, and the father thereof.
Fausets
In the Scripture view an outrage or sacrilege (Philo, Spec. Leg. 3:15) on God's likeness in man. Ge 9:5-6, "whose sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man." His blood was so sacred that "God requires it (compare Ps 9:12) of every beast"; so the ox that gored man must be killed (Ex 21:28). God's image implies in man a personal, moral, and responsible will. To cut short his day of grace and probation is the greatest wrong to man and insult to his Maker. Cain's punishment God Himself took in hand, dooming him to a life full of fears, remorse, and guilt. His life was temporarily spared, perhaps in order not to impede the natural increase of mankind at the first. But after the flood God delegated thenceforth the murderer's punishment, which is death, to man; life must go for life, blood for blood.
Murder results from the instigation of Satan the "murderer (of Adam's and Eve's souls, and Abel's body) from the beginning" (Joh 8:44). Not only the killer but the hater is a murderer before God (1Jo 3:12,15).Even a slave's life sacrificed under the rod entailed death, or some heavy punishment as the judges should decide on the master, unless the slave survived the beating a day or two, when it was presumed the master did not intend to kill him and the loss of his slave was deemed enough punishment (Ex 21:12,20-21). A housebreaker might be killed in the act by night; but if by day he was to be sold, so sacred was life regarded (Ex 22:2-3). The cities of refuge saved the manslayer, but not the murderer, from the blood avenger. (See CITIES OF REFUGE.)
Not even Jehovah's altar could save Joab (1Ki 2:5-6,31). Bloodshed in any way, even in war, brought pollution (Nu 35:33-34; De 21:1-9; 1Ch 28:3, David; 1Ch 22:8). Striking a pregnant woman so as to cause death brought capital punishment. Two witnesses were required before anyone could be put to death for murder, a check on private revenge (Nu 35:19-30; De 17:6-12; 19:12,17). The sovereign assumed the power of executing or pardoning murderers (2Sa 1:15-16, David and the Amalekite slayer of Saul; 2Sa 13:39; 14:7-11, David in respect to Anmon and Absalom; 1Ki 2:34, Solomon and Joab).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
For verily the blood of you, wherein your lives are, will I require: Even of the hand of all beasts will I require it, and of the hand of man and of the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man: so that he which sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man again: for God made man after his own likeness.
"He that smiteth a man that he die, shall be slain for it.
"If a man smite his servant or his maid with a staff that they die under his hand, it shall be avenged. But and if they continue a day or two, it shall not be avenged for they are his money.
If an ox gore a man or a woman that they die, then the ox shall be stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten: and his master shall go quit.
If a thief be found breaking up and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him: except the su be up when he is found, then there shall be blood shed for him. A thief shall make restitution: If he have not wherewith, he shall be sold for his theft.
The judge of blood shall slay the murderer, as soon as he findeth him. "'If he thrust him of hate, or hurl at him with laying of wait that he die, read more. or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him. But and if he pushed him by chance and not of hate, or cast at him with any manner of thing and not of laying of wait, or cast any manner of stone at him that he die therewith, and saw him not, and he cast it upon him and he died, but was not his enemy, neither sought him any harm; then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the executer of blood in such cases. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the judge of blood, and shall restore him again unto the franchised city whither he was fled. And he shall bide there unto the death of the high priest which was anointed with holy oil. "'But and if he came without the borders of his privileged city whither he was fled, if the blood avenger find him without the borders of his free town, he shall slay the murderer and be guiltless, because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession. And this shall be an ordinance and a law unto you, among your children after you in all your habitations. Whosoever slayeth, shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. For one witness shall not answer against one person to put him to death.
"'And see that ye pollute not the land which ye are in, for blood defileth the land. And the land can none otherwise be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of it that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye inhabit, and in the midst of which I also dwell, for I am the LORD which dwell among the children of Israel.'"
At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death, die: but at the mouth of one witness he shall not die. And the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to kill him, and afterward the hands of all the people: so shalt thou put wickedness away from thee. read more. If a matter be too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood, plea and plea, stroke and stroke in matters of strife within thy cities: Then arise and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen, and go unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and ask, and they shall show thee how to judge. And see that thou do according to that which they of that place which the LORD hath chosen show thee, and see that thou observe to do according to all that they inform thee. According to the law which they teach thee and manner of judgment which they tell thee, see that thou do and that thou bow not from that which they show thee, neither to the righthand nor to the left. And that man that will do presumptuously, so that he will not hearken unto the priest that standeth there to minister unto the LORD thy God or unto the judge, shall die: and so thou shalt put away evil from Israel.
Then let the elders of his city send and fetch him thence and deliver him into the hands of the justice of blood, and he shall die.
then let both the men which strive together stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days,
If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, and lieth in the fields, and not known who hath slain him: Then let thine elders and thy judges come forth and meet unto the cities that are round about the slain. read more. And let the elders of that city which is next unto the slain man, take a heifer that is not laboured with nor hath drawn in the yoke, and let them bring her unto a valley where is neither earing nor sowing, and strike off her head there in the valley. Then let the priests the sons of Levi come forth - for the LORD thy God hath chosen them to minister and to bless in the name of the LORD and therefore at their mouth shall all strife and plague be tried. And all the elders of the city that is next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the plain, and shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful LORD unto thy people Israel which thou hast delivered and put not innocent blood unto thy people Israel: and the blood shall be forgiven them.' And so shalt thou put innocent blood from thee, when thou shalt have done that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
And David called one of his young men, and said, "Go and run upon him." And he smote him that he died. Then said David unto him, "Thy blood upon thine own head; for thine own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, 'I have slain the LORD's anointed.'"
And by that time, the king turned his mind from pursuing Absalom. For he had left mourning for the death of Amnon.
And behold, the whole kindred arose against thy handmaid and said, 'Deliver us him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soul of his brother whom he slew: for he will destroy the heir also.' And so they shall quench my sparkle which is left that he shall stir up neither name or issue upon the earth unto my husband." And the king said unto the wife, "Go home to thine house, and I will give a charge for thee." read more. And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, "My lord king, the trespass be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his seat be guiltless." And then said the king, "If any man say ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall no more trouble thee." Then said she, "Let the king remember his LORD God, that the next of the blood gather not on heaps together to destroy, and that they slay not my son." And he said, "As sure as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son's head fall to the earth."
Moreover thou knowest how Joab the son of Zeruiah hath served me, and what he hath done to the two captains of the hosts of Israel - unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether - how he slew them and shed the blood of war in time of peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins and in his shoes that were on his feet. Deal with him therefore according to thy wisdom and see that thou bring not his hoar head down to the grave in peace.
And the king said, "Do even as he hath said: smite him and bury him, and take away the blood which Joab shed, causeless, from me and from the house of my father.
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and smote him and slew him and buried him in his own house in the wilderness.
But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Thou hast shed much blood, and hast made many battles. Thou shalt not build a house for my name, for thou hast shed much blood to the earth in my sight.
And why? For when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them, and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father, ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning; And abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, then speaketh he of his own. For he is a liar, and the father thereof.
and not be as Cain, which was of the devil and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? For his own deeds were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Whosoever hateth his brother, is a man slayer. And ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Hastings
Morish
The first death was caused by murder when Cain slew his brother Abel, and the second recorded is when Lamech said, "I have slain a man to my wounding," or "for my wound;" which may mean that he did it in self-defence. Ge 4:23. God set a mark upon Cain that none should kill him; and Lamech said, "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." After the flood God made a definite law concerning murder. God would require expiation for the blood of man, whether it was shed by beast or by man; at the hand of every man's brother, or kinsman, God would require the life of man. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Ge 9:5-6. This injunction was repeated in the law, and has never been rescinded or modified. Neither does the N.T. in any way alter it: indeed it incidentally confirms it by declaring that the magistrate does not bear the sword in vain. Ro 13:4. God claims the life of man, and none can set aside His rights.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then said Lamech unto his wives Adah and Zillah, "Hear my voice ye wives of Lamech, and hearken unto my words, for I have slain a man and wounded myself, and have slain a young man, and got myself stripes.
For verily the blood of you, wherein your lives are, will I require: Even of the hand of all beasts will I require it, and of the hand of man and of the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man: so that he which sheddeth man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man again: for God made man after his own likeness.
For he is the minister of God, for thy wealth. But and if thou do evil, then fear: for he beareth not a sword for nought; but is the minister of God, to take vengeance on them that do evil.
Smith
Murder.
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.
Ex 21:12,14; Le 24:17,21; 1Ki 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.
It was lawful to kill a burglar taken at night in the act, but unlawful to do so after sunrise.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
"He that smiteth a man that he die, shall be slain for it.
If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor and slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he die.
If a thief be found breaking up and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him: except the su be up when he is found, then there shall be blood shed for him. A thief shall make restitution: If he have not wherewith, he shall be sold for his theft.
"He that killeth any man, shall die for it,
So now he that killeth a beast shall pay for it: but he that killeth a man, shall die for it.
And by that time, the king turned his mind from pursuing Absalom. For he had left mourning for the death of Amnon.
And behold, the whole kindred arose against thy handmaid and said, 'Deliver us him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soul of his brother whom he slew: for he will destroy the heir also.' And so they shall quench my sparkle which is left that he shall stir up neither name or issue upon the earth unto my husband."
Then said she, "Let the king remember his LORD God, that the next of the blood gather not on heaps together to destroy, and that they slay not my son." And he said, "As sure as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son's head fall to the earth."
Watsons
MURDER. Among the Hebrews murder was always punished with death; but involuntary homicide, only by banishment. Cities of refuge were appointed for involuntary manslaughter, whither the slayer might retire and continue in safety till the death of the high priest, Nu 35:28. Then the offender was at liberty to return to his own house, if he pleased. A murderer was put to death without remission, and the kinsman of the murdered person might kill him with impunity. Money could not redeem his life: he was dragged away from the altar, if he had there taken refuge. When a dead body was found in the fields of a person slain by a murderer unknown, Moses commanded that the elders and judges of the neighbouring places should resort to the spot, De 21:1-8. The elders of the city nearest to it were to take a heifer which had never yet borne the yoke, and were to lead it into some rude and uncultivated place, which had not been ploughed or sowed, where they were to cut its throat. The priests of the Lord, with the elders and magistrates of the city, were to come near the dead body, and, washing their hands over the heifer that had been slain, were to say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it shed. Lord, be favourable to thy people Israel, and impute not to us this blood, which has been shed in the midst of our country." This ceremony may inform us how much horror they conceived at the crime of murder; and it shows their fear that God might avenge it on the whole country; which was supposed to contract pollution by the blood spilt in it, unless it were expiated, and avenged on him who had occasioned it, if he could be discovered.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession.
If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, and lieth in the fields, and not known who hath slain him: Then let thine elders and thy judges come forth and meet unto the cities that are round about the slain. read more. And let the elders of that city which is next unto the slain man, take a heifer that is not laboured with nor hath drawn in the yoke, and let them bring her unto a valley where is neither earing nor sowing, and strike off her head there in the valley. Then let the priests the sons of Levi come forth - for the LORD thy God hath chosen them to minister and to bless in the name of the LORD and therefore at their mouth shall all strife and plague be tried. And all the elders of the city that is next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the plain, and shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful LORD unto thy people Israel which thou hast delivered and put not innocent blood unto thy people Israel: and the blood shall be forgiven them.'