H7523 H7523
to murder, kill unlawfully; the manslayer; used in the Decalogue prohibition against illicit killing
The verb behind the sixth commandment — 'You shall not murder' (Exod 20:13) — and the most morally loaded killing-word in Hebrew. Unlike the broader verb harag or the judicial hemit, this root focuses on unauthorized, illicit taking of human life, whether intentional or accidental. Its participial form becomes virtually a legal technical term in Numbers 35 for the 'manslayer' who flees to a city of refuge. Across its stems the word intensifies from accidental killing to habitual murder (Piel) and the passive experience of being slain (Nifal, Pual), mapping the full moral landscape of unlawful bloodshed.
1. murderer, manslayer (Qal ptc.) — The Qal active participle functioning as an agent noun — 'murderer' or 'manslayer' — a legal technical term in the cities-of-refuge legislation. Spanish el homicida and German Totschläger both capture the legal agent sense. Numbers 35:6–34 uses this participle over twenty times to define the manslayer's rights and the blood-avenger's jurisdiction, making it the central term for homicide law in the Torah. 31×
AR["الْقَاتِلَ","الْقَاتِلُ","قَاتِلٌ","قَاتِلٍ"]·ben["খুনী","সেই-হত্যাকারী","সেই-হত্যাকারী।","হত্যাকারী"]·DE["Totschlaeger","der-Totschlaeger","der-murderer","ein-Totschlaeger","murderer"]·EN["a-manslayer","manslayer","murderer","the-manslayer","the-murderer"]·FR["le-meurtrier","meurtrier","un-meurtrier"]·heb["ה-רצח","רוצח","רצח"]·HI["हत्यारा","हत्यारे","हत्यारे-के","हत्यारे-को"]·ID["pembunuh"]·IT["il-murderer","il-omicida","murderer","omicida","un-omicida"]·jav["ingkang-mejahi","tiyang-ingkang-mejahi","tukang-mejahi"]·KO["그-살인자가","그-살인자는","그-살인자를","살인자","살인자가","살인자의"]·PT["assassino","homicida","o-assassino"]·RU["убийца","убийце","убийцу","убийцы"]·ES["el-homicida","homicida"]·SW["muuaji"]·TR["-katil","-katili","katil","katilin"]·urd["قاتل","قاتل-کے"]
Num 35:6, Num 35:11, Num 35:12, Num 35:16, Num 35:16, Num 35:17, Num 35:17, Num 35:18, Num 35:18, Num 35:19, Num 35:21, Num 35:21 (+19 more)
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
2. to murder, kill (Qal) — Qal finite verb forms meaning to murder or kill unlawfully. Spanish asesinarás and German du sollst morden reflect the moral weight. Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 enshrine the prohibition in the Decalogue. Deuteronomy 4:42 extends the verb to unintentional killing — one who slays 'without knowledge' — while 1 Kings 21:19 uses it for Ahab's judicial murder of Naboth. 7×
AR["تَقْتُلْ","هَلْ-قَتَلْتَ","وَقَتَلَ","وَيَقْتُلُهُ","يَقْتُلُ","يُقْتَلُ"]·ben["এবং-হত্যা-করে","এবং-হত্যা-করে-তাকে","তুমি-কি-খুন-করেছ","তুমি-হত্যা-করবে","হত্যা-করবে।","হত্যা-করে","হত্যা-হবে"]·DE["du-soll-murder","er-soll-toeten","habe-du-murdered","kills","und-kills","und-murders-ihn"]·EN["and-kills","and-murders-him","have-you-murdered","he-shall-kill","kills","you-shall-murder"]·FR["ai-tu-murdered","et-kills","et-murders-lui","il-devra-tuer","kills","tu---meurtre","tu-devra-murder"]·heb["ה-רצחת","ו-רצח","ו-רצחו","ירצח","תרצח"]·HI["और-मारेगा","और-हत्या-करेगा-उसे","क्या-हत्या-की","मारेगा","हत्या-करेगा"]·ID["apakah-kamu-membunuh","dan-membunuh","dan-membunuhnya","dibunuh","membunuh"]·IT["avere-tu-murdered","e-kills","e-murders-lui","egli-dovra-uccidere","kills","tu-dovra-murder","tu-shall-murder"]·jav["dipunpatèni","lan-mejahi","lan-mejahi-piyambakipun","mejahi","mejahi.","panjenengan-mejahi","punapa-panjenengan-sampun-mejàhi"]·KO["그리고-좽이면-그를","그리고-좽인다","살인하라","살인하지","살인했느냐","좽일-것이다","죽이리라"]·PT["assassinarás","assassinaste","e-matar","e-o-matou","matarás","matasse","será-morto"]·RU["и-убивает-его","и-убьёт","убивай","убил","убьют","убьёт"]·ES["asesinarás","matare","matará","y-lo-asesina","y-mata","¿Asesinaste"]·SW["atamuua","atauawa","je-umeua","na-akamuua","na-akimuua","usiue"]·TR["ve-öldürürse","ve-öldürürse-onu","öldürdün-mü","öldüreceksin","öldürülecek","öldürür"]·urd["اور-قتل-کرے","قتل-کر","قتل-کرے","قتل-کیا-جائے","کیا-تو-نے-قتل-کیا-ہے"]
3. murdering (Qal inf. abs.) — The Qal infinitive absolute used as a verbal noun naming the act of murdering, typically in prophetic lists of covenant violations. Spanish matar and French tuer render the bare action. Hosea 4:2 catalogues Israel's sins — 'swearing, lying, murdering' — and Jeremiah 7:9 asks, 'Will you steal, murder, commit adultery?' — the infinitive absolute placing murder alongside other cardinal transgressions. 2×
AR["تَقْتُلُونَ","وَقَتلٌ"]·ben["এবং-হত্যা","খুন-করতে"]·DE["[ורצח]","[רצח]"]·EN["and-murdering","murder"]·FR["[רצח]","et-tuer"]·heb["ו-רצח","רצוח"]·HI["और-हत्या","हत्या"]·ID["dan-membunuh","membunuh"]·IT["[ורצח]","[רצח]"]·jav["lan-mejahi","mejahi"]·KO["그리고-살인하고","살인하며"]·PT["e-matar","matar"]·RU["и-убийство","убивать"]·ES["matar","y-matar"]·SW["kuua","na-kuua"]·TR["ve-öldürme","öldürmek"]·urd["اور-قتل","قتل"]
4. to be killed (Nifal passive) — The Nifal passive — to be murdered or killed — expressing the victim's experience. Spanish seré asesinado and French le murdered indicate the passive voice. Judges 20:4 recounts the Levite's concubine who 'was murdered,' and Proverbs 22:13 features the sluggard's absurd excuse: 'I will be killed in the streets' — the passive lending the claim its dramatic (and ironic) force. 2×
AR["أُقْتَلُ","الْ-مَقْتُولَةِ"]·ben["মারা-পড়ব","যার-খুন-হয়েছে"]·DE["[ארצח]","der-murdered"]·EN["I-will-be-killed","the-murdered"]·FR["le-murdered","ארצח"]·heb["ארצח","ה-נרצחה"]·HI["मारा-जाऊंगा-मैं","हत्या-की-गई"]·ID["aku-akan-dibunuh","yang-dibunuh"]·IT["Io-will-essere-killed","il-murdered"]·jav["ingkang-dipun-pejahi","kawula-badhé-dipunpejahi"]·KO["살해당한","죽임을-당하리라-내가"]·PT["a-assassinada","serei-morto"]·RU["буду-убит","убитой"]·ES["la-asesinada","seré-asesinado"]·SW["aliyeuawa","nitauawa"]·TR["öldürüleceğim","öldürülenin"]·urd["مارا-جاؤں-گا","مقتولہ-"]
5. murderer (Piel ptc.) — The Piel participle as an intensive agent noun — the habitual or characterizing murderer. Spanish asesinos and French meurtriers convey the intensified agency. In 2 Kings 6:32, Elisha calls the king 'this son of a murderer,' and Isaiah 1:21 laments that the faithful city has become a harlot: 'murderers' now dwell where righteousness once lodged — the Piel marking murder as a defining trait. 2×
AR["القَاتِلُونَ","الْقاتِلِ"]·ben["খুনীরা","হত্যাকারী"]·DE["[מרצחים]","der-murderer"]·EN["murderers","the-murderer"]·FR["[מרצחים]","le-murderer"]·heb["ה-מרצח","מרצחים"]·HI["हत्यारे","हमरच्चेअख"]·ID["-pembunuh","para-pembunuh"]·IT["[מרצחים]","il-murderer"]·jav["juru-pejah","pembunuh"]·KO["살인자-의","살인자들이라"]·PT["assassinos","o-assassino"]·RU["убийцы"]·ES["asesinos","el-asesino"]·SW["muuaji","wauaji"]·TR["katil","katiller"]·urd["قاتل"]
6. to murder (Piel intensive) — Piel finite verb forms expressing intensive or repeated murder — habitual, wholesale killing. Spanish asesinan and French tuer confirm the iterative force. Psalm 94:6 denounces those who 'murder the widow and sojourner,' and Hosea 6:9 accuses the priests of banding together to 'murder on the road to Shechem' — the Piel intensifying the verb into systematic violence. 2×
AR["يَذْبَحُونَ","يَقتُلونَ-"]·ben["তারা-খুন-করে","হত্যা-করে-"]·DE["[ירצחו]","sie-murder"]·EN["they-murder","they-murder-"]·FR["tuer"]·heb["ירצחו","ירצחו-"]·HI["वे-हत्या-करते-हैं","हत्या-करते-हैं-"]·ID["mereka-membunuh"]·IT["[ירצחו]"]·jav["Syèkhèm","sami-dipun-pejahi"]·KO["그들-이-살해하리라","살해하는도다-"]·PT["assassinam","matam"]·RU["убивают-","умерщвляют"]·ES["asesinan"]·SW["wanaua","wanawaua"]·TR["katlediyorlar","öldürüyorlar-"]·urd["قتل-کرتے-ہیں-","وہ-قتل-کرتے-ہیں"]
7. to be murdered (Pual passive) — The Pual passive (intensive passive) — to be murdered or slaughtered en masse. Spanish seréis matados shifts to the passive of intensive killing. Psalm 62:3 asks 'How long will you assault a man? All of you will be murdered' — the Pual conveying the violent fate awaiting those who plot against the righteous, the passive intensive signaling not mere death but brutal, collective slaughter. 1×
AR["تَقتُلونَ"]·ben["তোমরা-হত্যা-করবে"]·DE["wird-du-murder"]·EN["will-you-murder"]·FR["tuer"]·heb["תרצחו"]·HI["तुम-हत्या-किए-जाओगे"]·ID["kamu-akan-membunuh"]·IT["[תרצחו]"]·jav["panjenengan-mejahi"]·KO["죽이리이까"]·PT["assassinareis"]·RU["убивать-будете"]·ES["seréis-matados"]·SW["ili-kumuua"]·TR["öldürecek-misiniz"]·urd["قَتل-کَروگے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רָצַח vb. murder, slay (NH (rare, also in deriv.) = BH; cf. Arabic رَضَحَ, رَضَخَ break, bruise, crush);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. consec. זְר׳ Nu 35:27, וּרְצָחוֹ Dt 22:26; 2 ms. (הֲ)רָצַחְתָּ 1 K 21:19; Impf. 3 ms. יִרְצַח Nu 35:30; Dt 4:42; 2 ms. (-צַח) תִּרְצָ֑ח Ex 20:13 = Dt 5:17; inf. abs. רָצֹחַ Ho 4:2; Je 7:9; Pt. act. רֹצֵחַ Dt 19:3 +, רוֹ׳ 4:42 +;—murder, slay, with premeditation, Ex 20:13 (E) =…