6th Commandment: Do Not Kill
BibleProject
60.33
18 May 2026
24 May 2026
The 10 Commandments E9 — We’re now entering the second half of the 10 Commandments, where God guides Israel in how to relate to one another. The 6th Commandment is often translated “Do not murder.” However, the Hebrew word translated as "murder" can also be translated as "kill," which refers to both the premeditated and the unintentional taking of human life. So is this command saying not to kill at all? In this episode, Jon and Tim unpack the sixth command, highlighting the Bible’s ideal of valuing and protecting all life, even as things get increasingly complicated outside of Eden.
Full Show Notes:
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.
Timestamps:
• The 6th Commandment and the Broad Meaning of Ratsakh (0:00-25:52)
• The Cosmic Value of Life (25:52-36:29)
• Accountability for Taking Life (36:29-1:00:32)
The 10 Commandments BibleProject Translation: https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/10commandments/the-10-commandments-bibleproject-scholarship-9vrb4o9.pdf
Referenced Resources:
• Find the related animated video for this episode here: https://bibleproject.com/videos/6th-commandment-do-not-kill/
• The Ten Commandments: Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church by Patrick D. Miller
• Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books: https://www.librarycat.org/lib/BibleProject
Show Music:
• “Pure Joy ft. John Lee” by Lofi Sunday
• “Gentle Lamb” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS
Show Credits:
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
