Do not Murder vs give cause to die

Ratsak – Murder

No murder – pause and think about that.

(One of the 10 commandments in Exo 20:13, Deut 5: 17).

Intention to murder with a sentence of death  is defined as

1. Cause to strike (Nakah) with an iron, stone, wood which could kill (Num 35: 16-18)
2. Pushing or lying in wait (Deut 19: 11) and cause to hurl something with hatred at the person (Num 35: 20, Deut 19: 18)
3. Cause to strike with hand in enemity (Num 35: 21)

 

Cities of refuge were instructed for those who causes murder unintentionally (manslaughter) Num 35:15.

Unintentional murder with a sentence of life (life of the Anointed high priest who sentenced him – not the accused!  (Num 35: 25) in a refuge city is defined as:

1. Instantaneous, without enemity pushing  (Num 35: 22a, Deut 4: 42, 19:4, Josh 20:5– past hatred also)
2. Throwing without lying in wait (Num 35: 22b)
3. Causing to throw a stone instrument without seeing the  person (Num 35: 23a)
4. And without him being an enemy (Num 35: 23b)
5. And without seeking trouble / evil on him (Num 35: 23c)
6. Without knowing (Deut 4: 42, 19:4, Josh 20:5)
7. Work place accident (axe head slips off and kills neighbour)

Other words for killing:  

Karag (slay) and naka (strike) both appear together in  Gen 4:15, kalal (slay by piercing) and naka in Judg 20:39, thus indicating that naka does not mean either kill or murder on their own.

Muth (Strong’s 4191) is used 897  times – most often with death happening as a result of natural process or disobeying God except the Hifil –hamit –  cause to die – around 62 times in variant suffixes.

Amalekites attacked Israel at Rephidim and were defeated as folk held Moses’ arms up. God said He would wipe out their memory from under the skies and there would be war between them in every generation (Ex 17:15,19).  They attacked the feeble and stragglers and so their memory was wiped out (Deut 25:17-19).  

Saul was specifically asked to strike (Hifil of naka), flatten nose (Hifil of karam) and not have pity (kamal) on Amalek but cause death (Hifil of muth – die) from man to woman, infant to child, ox to sheep, camel to donkey (1Sam 15:3).  

So, nit-picky as it may seem, God is careful in His Instructions to Saul: not murder, not killing but striking and flattening nose and thus giving cause to die (as the wage of sin?).

 

Prayer:

Lord, distanced as we are from violent death, help us understand Your Instructions to Saul in order to defend Your Name when critics call you a god of Amalekite infant-killing.  Amen.  

PS Incidentally Saul was rejected as king by God because he disobediently kept the spoils of war –  sheep, oxen and lambs (1 Sam 15:19).  Samuel says he was obedient in karam-ing (nose flattening) the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:18).