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by Rich Deem
INTRODUCTION
The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill."1 Atheists claim that God violated His own commandment in ordering the destruction of entire cities, just to allow the Jews to have a homeland in the Middle East. The Bible confirms that God ordered the killing of thousands of people. Isn't this an open and shut case for the hypocrisy of the God of the Bible?
The flood
According to the Bible, God killed every human except Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives in the flood. Were any of these people killed unjustly? The Bible says specifically that all people (except Noah and his family) had become corrupted.12 Not only had all people become corrupted, but they were continually plotting evil!13 Is it possible that an entire culture can become corrupted? You bet! Recent history proves the point rather well. When the Nazis took over Germany before
WWII, opposition was crushed and removed. When they began their purging of the undesirables (e.g., the Jews), virtually the entire society went along with the plan. Further examples are given on another page. So, the Bible indicates that no innocent people were killed in the flood.
CONCLUSION
The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is really not as general as the King James version would indicate. The commandment actually refers to premeditated, unjustified killing murder. Although God ordered the extermination of entire cities, He did so in righteous judgment on a people whose corruption had led to extreme wickedness, including child sacrifice. Did God destroy the righteous along with the wicked? In an exchange with Abraham, God indicated that He would spare the wicked to save the righteous. He demonstrated this principle by saving righteous people from Sodom and Jericho prior to their destruction. The charge that God indiscriminately murdered people does not hold to to critical evaluation of the biblical texts.
RELATED PAGES
Did God Commit Atrocities by Ordering the Killing of Entire
Cities of People? The Mercy of God as Found in the Old Testament There is Too Much Evil and Suffering For God to Exist? Is it Possible for God to Provide 'Partial Free Will' and Eliminate All Evil? Did God Create Evil - Does the Bible Say So? What About Atrocities That Have Been Done in the Name of Religion A Loving God Would Not Send Billions of People to Hell, Would He? If God is Jealous Doesn't That Make Him the Divine Hypocrite? Why Are So Many Christians Hypocrites? God's Chosen People, the Jews: Isn't God Unfair in Showing Such Preference? Does the Bible Say God Repents From Doing Evil?
REFERENCES
1.Thou shalt not kill. (Deuteronomy 5:17, KJV)
2. Modern translations: o You shall not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17, NIV) o You shall not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17, NASB) o Do not put anyone to death without cause. (Deuteronomy 5:17, BBE) o Do not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17, CEV) o "'You shall not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 ESV) o "'Do not commit murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 GNB) o "Never murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 GW) o "You shall not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 HNV) o No murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 MSG) o "You shall not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 WEB) o 'Thou dost not murder. (Deuteronomy 5:17 YLT) 3.Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions: rasach t (Strong's H7523)
a. (Qal) to murder, slay 1. premeditated 2. accidental 3. as avenger 4. slayer (intentional) (participle) b. (Niphal) to be slain c. (Piel) 1. to murder, assassinate 2. murderer, assassin (participle) (substantive) d. (Pual) to be killed
Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by BDB/Strongs Number: a primitive root Same Word by TWOT Number: 220
a. beast for food b. sacrifice c. person in human sacrifice d. beaten, hammered (of shekels) b.(Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice) 2. (BDB) slaughtering (noun feminine) a. word doubtful Part of Speech: see above in Definition A Related Word by BDB/Strongs Number: a primitive root Same Word by TWOT Number: 2362
died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (Numbers 35:16) 'If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (Numbers 35:17) 'Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (Numbers 35:18) 'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. (Numbers 35:19) 'If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died, (Numbers 35:20) or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. (Numbers 35:21) 8."On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. (Deuteronomy 17:6) "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of
any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. (Deuteronomy 19:15) 9.When King Ahasuerus (King of Persia) was tricked into signing a decree by the evil Haman to allow for the killing of all Jews in Persia, he reversed the decree, allowing the Jews to defend themselves against such attacks: He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. In them the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entire army of any people or province which might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their spoil, (Esther 8:10-11) 10. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5) 11. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. (Genesis 6:11-12) 12. Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. (Joshua 10:40) 13. "It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 9:5) 14. "You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:31) And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. (2 Kings 17:31) 15. "When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?' (Deuteronomy 12:29-30) 16. Are Palestinian Leaders Preaching Nazi-like Hatred of Jews? Puppet masters twist young minds to hate 17. Why Palestinian children die Occupied Territories: Stop Use of Children in Suicide Bombings 18. Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis 18:23)
19.
So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account." (Genesis 18:26) 20. "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." (Genesis 18:28) He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty." (Genesis 18:29) Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." (Genesis 18:30) And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty." (Genesis 18:31) Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." (Genesis 18:32) 21. When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city." (Genesis 19:15) 22. However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (Joshua 6:25)