Thou shalt not kill/murder commandment !

[Talker]

In going through some old notes from years ago and my notations in my bibles, I found this still bothersome question.There are two versions of the sixth commandment. One version uses "kill" and the other version uses "murder" in it.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not murder.
Supposedly the word "murder"is the original word used. The version I had been taught used the word "kill". Now superficially, it appears a matter of semantics, but on deep consideration, there is a tremendous difference between the words. Now, I'm not so much concerned which of the words is the original one, as is my thoughts about the implications involved. On the one hand, we must all become vegetarians and on the other hand, meat would be allowed. The bible records numerous instances of killing. This is immediately in conflict with that commandment. So it appears that commandment should be reworded. Like "Thou shalt not kill unless its necessary". But that makes no sense, because the person doing the killing must think its necessary or they wouldn't be killing some one. Crazy. OK, what about moral reasons, justifiable or not, to murder some one. Crazy as that seems, Hitler, Saddam and others, that some wanted to assassinate. So it appears that kill and murder are highly interchangeable words, that moderate with the involved intent. Seems a stretch of the imagination, that how used in the bible, would have a hidden or secret meaning. Yet based on the theme of this forum, I can see, in some instances how there could be a hidden meaning. Roughly as I recall, a number of bible verses, using the words in question, and applied to ones thinking process, would have a totally different meaning intended.

[DH]

"Murder" seems to be the older Hebrew tradition.  Killing was ok for warriors or for self-defense or for punishing those who broke certain laws (like adulterers, homosexuals, children who sass their parents!). 

DH

[juliainkc]

Hi Talker and DH and All ~

Just wandering around in here and saw this one too. Seems to go along with the questioning of motives and this relates to what is being defined as death. I agree that there 'seems to be' a hidden meaning.

"Murder" seems to be the older Hebrew tradition.  Killing was ok for warriors or for self-defense or for punishing those who broke certain laws (like adulterers, homosexuals, children who sass their parents!). 

DH

Well there you go you Salty Sea Captain with a Heart of Gold!! I see you've had teenagers too!!

The wonder of IT ALL,

Love to you both and All,

Julia

[zensunni7]

Greetings All,

Murder I feel requires premeditation, to sit down and think it out and the execute it. Kill is to self preserve ones life. But this is a matter for the individual heart and mind to satisfy with an actual answer.
It states in the Cabala that to take ones life is to take responsibility for the Universe within that person. Where as Buddhism says to not kill anything at all, guess there were no flies where they lived.
It is interesting to note that the ten commandments are contained in other cultures long before the Jewish story of Moses receiving them. The earliest known is in the Nubian culture, finding all ten almost word for word in the 210 commandments of the Nubian, written by a man called simply '' The Prince " 

Love to All
Darrell