Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, a murderer is one who unlawfully takes the life of another human being. The act of murder is explicitly condemned throughout Scripture, beginning with the earliest narratives in the Old Testament and continuing through the teachings of the New Testament.
Old Testament ReferencesThe prohibition against murder is first articulated in the Ten Commandments, where God commands, "You shall not murder" (
Exodus 20:13). This commandment underscores the sanctity of human life, which is created in the image of God (
Genesis 1:27). The first recorded murder in the Bible is that of Abel by his brother Cain, an act that brought divine judgment upon Cain (
Genesis 4:8-12). This narrative highlights the gravity of murder and its consequences.
The Mosaic Law further elaborates on the crime of murder, distinguishing it from manslaughter and prescribing capital punishment for those found guilty of intentional killing (
Numbers 35:16-21). The law also provides cities of refuge for those who commit unintentional manslaughter, emphasizing the importance of justice and due process (
Numbers 35:9-15).
New Testament TeachingsIn the New Testament, Jesus expands on the commandment against murder by addressing the heart's intentions. In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Do not murder,' and 'Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment" (
Matthew 5:21-22). Here, Jesus equates harboring anger and hatred with the act of murder, emphasizing the moral and spiritual dimensions of the commandment.
The apostle John further reinforces this teaching by stating, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer" (1
John 3:15). This underscores the belief that murder is not only a physical act but also a condition of the heart that separates one from God.
Theological ImplicationsThe biblical view of murder is deeply rooted in the understanding of human life as sacred and inviolable. The act of murder is seen as a direct affront to God, the Creator of life. Throughout Scripture, murder is consistently portrayed as a sin that demands justice and repentance. The Bible also emphasizes the need for forgiveness and reconciliation, as exemplified in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.
Murderers in Biblical NarrativesSeveral biblical figures are noted for committing murder, each serving as a cautionary tale of the consequences of such actions. King David, for example, orchestrated the death of Uriah the Hittite to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba, an act that brought severe repercussions upon his household (2 Samuel 11-12). Similarly, the account of Cain and Abel serves as a foundational narrative illustrating the destructive power of sin and the need for divine grace.
ConclusionThe biblical perspective on murder is clear and unequivocal: it is a grave sin that violates the divine order and the inherent dignity of human life. The Scriptures call for justice, repentance, and transformation of the heart, urging believers to uphold the sanctity of life in all its forms.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) One guilty of murder; a person who, in possession of his reason, unlawfully kills a human being with premeditated malice.
2. (n.) A small cannon, formerly used for clearing a ship's decks of boarders; -- called also murdering piece.
Greek
5406. phoneus -- amurderer... a
murderer. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: phoneus Phonetic Spelling:
(fon-yooce') Short Definition: a
murderer Definition: a
murderer.
...3964. patraloas --murderer of fathers.
... 3963, 3964. patraloas. 3965 .murderer of fathers. Part... father. Word Origin
variant reading for patroloas, qv.murderer of fathers....
443. anthropoktonos -- a manslayer
... a manslayer. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: anthropoktonos Phonetic
Spelling: (anth-ro-pok-ton'-os) Short Definition: amurderer Definition: a...
409. androphonos -- a manslayer
... a manslayer. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: androphonos Phonetic
Spelling: (an-drof-on'-os) Short Definition: amurderer Definition: amurderer...
4607. sikarios -- an assassin
... an assassin. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: sikarios Phonetic
Spelling: (sik-ar'-ee-os) Short Definition: an assassin,murderer Definition: an...
3389. metroloas -- a matricide
...murderer of mothers. From meter and the base of halon; a mother-thresher, ie Matricide
--murderer of mothers. see GREEK meter. see GREEK halon....
5407. phoneuo -- to kill, murder
... kill, slay. From phoneus; to be amurderer (of) -- kill, do murder, slay. see GREEK
phoneus. (ephoneusate) -- 2 Occurrences. (phoneueis) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
3108. Yozakar -- "the LORD has remembered,"murderer of King Joash... Yozakar. 3109 . "the LORD has remembered,"
murderer of King Joash. Transliteration:
Yozakar Phonetic Spelling: (yo-zaw-kawr') Short Definition: Jozacar.
...7523. ratsach -- to murder, slay
... root Definition to murder, slay NASB Word Usage killed (1), kills the manslayer
(1), manslayer (18), murder (7), murdered (2),murderer (12),murderer shall be...
2026. harag -- to kill, slay
... Word Usage destroyed (1), kill (44), kill me as you killed (1), kill me at once
(1), killed (58), killing (3), kills (2), murdered (2),murderer (1), murderers...
5221. nakah -- to smite
... or severely, literally or figuratively) -- beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds),
X go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter),murderer, punish, slaughter...
Library
Petilianus Said: "For Neither Has the Lord God at any Time...
... Petilianus said: "For neither has the Lord God at any time rejoiced in human blood,
seeing that He was even willing that Cain, themurderer of his brother...
March the Twenty-Eighth the Choice of Barabbas
... For revenge is amurderer, while forgiveness is a healer and saviour of
men.... For is there anymurderer so destructive as carnality?...
Sixth Commandment
... I need not kill a person to be amurderer. If I get so angry that I wish
a man dead, I am amurderer in God's sight. God looks at...
The Dilemma in which I am Placed is of Your Making: it is Brought...
... placed is of your making: it is brought out, not from the resources of dialectics,
of which you are ignorant, but from among the tools of themurderer and with...
Chapter 20.
... Book V. Chapter 20. "How does amurderer cleanse and sanctify the water?
[1525] How can darkness bless the oil? But if God is...
Since These Things are So, Because it were Too Long to Treat...
... that luminous Good in which is no darkness of a lie, that, when we refuse to lie,
and men through hearing of a truth do die, truth is called amurderer....
1 John iii. 12-15
... Whoso hateth his brother is amurderer: and ye know that nomurderer bath eternal
life abiding in him." To John, the love of God alone appears as life...
A Savage Duel.
... be cheated of their prey. And now they are before Herod. This is themurderer
of John. He is glad to see Jesus. There has been an...
Petilianus Said: Over and Over Again He Reproaches the False...
... Augustin answered: We are not wont to say, "He was a slanderer," but "He was a
murderer." [1999] But we ask how it was that the devil was amurderer from the...
The Third Epistle of the Same to the Same.
... The involuntarymurderer for two years shall be a mourner, for three years a hearer,
four years a prostrator, one year a co-stander, and then communicate....
Thesaurus
Murderer (17 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Murderer (17 Occurrences).
... He was a
murderer from the
beginning, and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
...Goel
... In both cases themurderer could find refuge at the altar of the sanctuary; if,
however, the investigation revealed presumptuous manslaughter, he was taken...
Avenger (18 Occurrences)
... murdered person. It was his right and duty to slay themurderer (2 Samuel
14:7, 11) if he found him outside of a city of refuge. In...
Dies (71 Occurrences)
... (WEB NAS RSV NIV). Numbers 35:16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron,
so that he died, he is amurderer; themurderer shall surely be put to death....
Smitten (215 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:16 And if he have smitten him with an instrument of iron, so that he
die, he is amurderer: themurderer shall certainly be put to death. (DBY YLT)....
Smote (281 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he
is amurderer: themurderer shall surely be put to death. (See JPS ASV)....
Murder (41 Occurrences)
... The Mosiac law prohibited any compensation for murder or the reprieve of themurderer
(Exodus 21:12, 14; Deuteronomy 19:11, 13; 2 Samuel 17:25; 20:10)....
Strikes (39 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Numbers 35:16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he
died, he is amurderer; themurderer shall surely be put to death. (See NIV)....
Hits (6 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:18 Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a
man may die, and he died, he is amurderer: themurderer shall surely be put to...
Dieth (192 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:16 And if with an instrument of iron he hath smitten him, and he dieth,
he 'is' amurderer: themurderer is certainly put to death. (YLT)....
Resources
Does God killing people make Him a murderer? | GotQuestions.orgDoes God forgive big sins? Will God forgive a murderer? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the law of retribution? | GotQuestions.orgMurderer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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