The Complexity of Killing

(Proverbs 28:17 KJV)  A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

Some people who don’t want to think or deal with complexity try to put things into simple boxes.  One such box is the KJV translation from the Ten Commandments that says, “Thou shall not kill.”  Unfortunately that is not an accurate translation.  The actual meaning is that you should not “murder”.  That is a difference that some don’t want to think about.  It would mean that there are things worth killing for.  It would do away with their rejection of the death penalty.  It would make life more complex.

That is the thinking behind this verse.  It you follow the law you will find that in some cases a person who kills is to be offered sanctuary.  In other cases, what we would call first degree murder, the offender is to be handed over to justice.

So?  God is not simple minded.  God expects us to reject naive thinking.  Being righteous means engaging your entire being, including your mind.