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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCharles Buck Theological Dictionary: MURDER
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The act of wilfully and feloniously killing a person upon malice or forethought. Heart murder is the secret wishing or designing the death of any man; yea, the Scripture saith, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, " 1Jn_3:15. We have instances of this kind of murder in Ahab, 1Ki_22:9. Jezebel, 2Ki_19:2. the Jews, Mar_11:18. David, 1Sa_25:21-22. Jon_4:1; Jon_4:4. Murder is contrary to the authority of God, the sovereign disposer of life, Deu_32:39; to the goodness of God, who gives it, Job_10:12; to the law of nature, Act_16:28; to the love a man owes to himself, his neighbour, and society at large. Not but that life may be taken away, as in lawful war, 1Ch_5:22; by the hands of the civil magistrate for capital crimes, Deu_17:8; Deu_17:10; and in self-defence.
See SELF- DEFENCE. According to the divine law, murder is to be punished with death, Deu_19:11-12. 1Ki_2:28-29. It is remarkable that God often gives up murderers to the terrors of a guilty conscience, Gen_4:13; Gen_4:15; Gen_4:23-24. Such are followed with many instances of divine vengeance, 2Sa_12:9-10; their lives are often shortened, Psa_55:23; and judgments of their sin are oftentimes transmitted to posterity, Gen_49:7. 2Sa_21:1.