MURDER
The designed and malevolent taking of human life, was by the original appointment of God, a crime to be punished by death. Cain, the first murderer, recognized it as such, Genesis 4:14. The ground for the death penalty for murder is the eminent dignity and sacredness of man as a child of God, Genesis 1:9-6. Like the Sabbath and marriage, it is a primeval and universal institution for mankind, and all nations have so recognized it, Acts 28:4. The Mosaic code reenacted it, Leviticus 24:17; and while providing for the unintentional homicide a safe retreat, declares that deliberate murder must be punished by death, from which neither the city of refuge nor the altar of God could shield the criminal, Exodus 1:21-14 Numbers 1:35-34 Deuteronomy 1:19-13 1 Kings 1:2-6, 1 Kings 1:2. Death was usually inflicted by stoning, upon the testimony of at least two witnesses, Numbers 35:30. If a corpse were found in the open fields, and the murderer could not be discovered, the town nearest to the spot was obliged to purge itself by a solemn ceremony, lest it should become liable to the judgments of God, Deuteronomy 1:21-9.
In various ways God is represented as specially abhorring this crime, and securing its punishment, Deuteronomy 32:43 2 Samuel 21:1 Psalms 9:12; Psalms 1:55 Hosea 1:4 Revelation 22:15. Our Savior instructs us that one may be guilty, in the sight of God, of murder in the heart, without any overt act, Matthew 1:5-22 1 John 3:15. Nothing is said especially in the law respecting selfmurder, and only the cases of Saul, Ahithophel, and Judas are described in the Bible, 1 Samuel 31:4 2 Samuel 17:23 Acts 1:18. Of all murders, that of the soul is incomparably the most awful, John 8:44, and many plunge not only themselves but also others into the second death.