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Exodus 20.13
“You shall not murder.”
Deuteronomy 5.17
“‘You shall not murder.’”
This commandment which prohibits the taking of life also obligates men to do whatever is necessary to preserve and defend it. Cain’s question, “Am I my brother’s keeper,” (Gen. 4.9) is, in this commandment, answered in the affirmative. Human beings are charged with taking measures to protect the lives of their neighbors, and to protect their communities against those who do not regard the lives of men as they should.
Protecting and honoring life begins in the heart, as we shall see. We must guard our own hearts against anything which might put the wellbeing of our neighbors in jeopardy. Guarding against murder, therefore, begins in the heart of each one of us.
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