The translation is fine, people just don’t bother to read the rest of the Law where this commandment is expounded upon in greater detail. Lethal force in self defense is permitted in Exodus 22:2. Capital punishment is commanded for a number of crimes including rape, kidnapping, idolatry, murder, and working on the Sabbath. Distinctions are made between murder and manslaughter, with different procedures and punishments for each.
If the 10 Commandments said “thou shalt not murder” instead of “thou shalt not kill” the Israelites would start sacrificing their children to Molech and say, “this isn’t murder, it’s an offering!” That’s why the abridged rule in the 10 Commandments is so broad, with the exceptions detailed later in the Law.
The translation is fine, people just don’t bother to read the rest of the Law where this commandment is expounded upon in greater detail. Lethal force in self defense is permitted in Exodus 22:2. Capital punishment is commanded for a number of crimes including rape, kidnapping, idolatry, murder, and working on the Sabbath. Distinctions are made between murder and manslaughter, with different procedures and punishments for each.
If the 10 Commandments said “thou shalt not murder” instead of “thou shalt not kill” the Israelites would start sacrificing their children to Molech and say, “this isn’t murder, it’s an offering!” That’s why the abridged rule in the 10 Commandments is so broad, with the exceptions detailed later in the Law.