Overview

The sixth commandment guards the sanctity of human life. This brief section (Q67–69) gives the command, what it requires (the preservation of life), and what it forbids (the taking of life and whatever tends toward it). As Christ taught, its reach extends to the heart.

The Questions & Answers

Q67. Which is the sixth commandment? A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“You shall not murder.” (Exod. 20:13, ESV)

Q68. What is required in the sixth commandment? A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life, and the life of others.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:39, ESV)

Further proofs: Eph. 5:28–29; 1 Kings 18:4; Prov. 24:11–12; Matt. 25:35–36.

Q69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment? A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder’… But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” (Matt. 5:21–22, ESV)

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15, ESV)

Further proofs: Gen. 9:6; Acts 16:28; Prov. 6:16–17; Rom. 12:19.

Exposition: The commandment forbids murder — the unjust taking of human life — not all killing (it does not, for example, forbid lawful capital justice or just war or self-defense; the catechism specifies “unjustly”). But its scope is far wider than the act itself. Q68 frames it positively: we are to preserve life, our own and others’ — which makes neglect, indifference to the endangered (Prov. 24:11–12), and failure to help (the priest and Levite of Luke 10) violations too. And Q69’s phrase “whatsoever tendeth thereunto” reaches, as Christ taught, to the heart: sinful anger, hatred, and contempt are murder in seed (Matt. 5:21–22; 1 John 3:15). The commandment also forbids the taking of our own life. Human life is sacred because humanity bears God’s image (Gen. 9:6).

Connections

• WLC Q134–136 — the sixth commandment; the duties required; the sins forbidden (including all that tends to the unjust taking of life, and the neglect of means to preserve it).
• WCF 23.2 (the lawfulness of just war and the magistrate’s sword — not contradicting this command).
• Loci: The sixth commandment; the sanctity of life; the image of God; anger and reconciliation.

Pastoral & Practical Significance

This commandment is far closer to home than we like to think. Few of us will commit literal murder, but Jesus exposes the murderous root in ordinary hearts: the simmering anger, the contempt that wishes another diminished, the words that wound, the grudge nursed for years. “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). So the sixth commandment calls not merely to refrain from killing but to root out hatred and to actively preserve life and seek others’ good — to be peacemakers, reconcilers, protectors of the vulnerable. Its positive demand (Q68) presses us toward mercy: feeding the hungry, defending the weak, caring for our own bodies as God’s gift. For the believer struggling with anger or bitterness, the gospel both convicts and heals: the One we crucified by our sin prayed, “Father, forgive them,” and that forgiving love, poured into our hearts, is the only power strong enough to turn murderers-at-heart into peacemakers. If life is sacred because God’s image rests on every person, then how I treat my neighbor — in deed, word, and the secret thoughts of anger — is finally how I honor my neighbor’s Maker.

(Note: this commandment touches on suicide and the value of life. These can be heavy topics; if you or someone you know is struggling, it is worth reaching out to a pastor, a trusted person, or appropriate support.)

For Memory & Reflection

• Memorize Q68 and Q69; anchor verse: Matthew 5:21–22. Note how Christ extends the command to anger and hatred.
• Where does sinful anger or contempt — “murder in seed” — live in my heart toward someone?
• The commandment requires me to preserve life and seek others’ good. Whom am I called to protect, help, or reconcile with?