In Exodus chapter twenty, verse thirteen, the sixth commandment forbids willful murder, the unauthorized or unlawful taking of life. God prescribes the death penalty for violating this commandment. In Genesis chapter nine, verse six of the Old Testament states, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed. For in the image of God made He man.”
The New Testament condemns not only murder but also hate, which prompts the desire for the death of another, and any other ungodly action or influence that causes the spiritual death of another. Why would someone want to take away the life of another? There could be a few reasons. Whatever it may be, Jesus condemns this vindictive anger in Matthew chapter five, verse twenty-two of the New Testament. The state of being mad or annoyed begins in stages, with dislike as the first.
The sixth commandment of “Thou shalt not kill” starts with the perpetrator seeing something they either like or dislike from the person. Does that make sense? Yes and no. Why? First, the instigator may like what they see and eventually turns envious if they focus on it over time. However, if they dislike, that feeling may change to hate during that period.
Thou shalt not kill: The sixth commandment is in that spot for a good reason. To recap, the first four are about God, of course. The fifth is about parents who are the pioneers of the future generation, which makes sense. However, the sixth one here is the first of five that deals with personal conduct in the eyes of God and parents, who are the significant others. This commandment of shall not kill is the first of the remaining five because it stops the life of what God made, while the others only damage life but do not end it.