Exodus 20:13 & The American Civil War: The Etymological Importance of ‘Kill’

Translating the Bible from Hebrew into the living English language has allowed word choice in translations to impact historical events. The American Civil War serves as a case study where the word choice of biblical translation led to questions of faith and duty among Christians. The etymological debate during the Civil War over ‘kill’ in Exodus 20:13 directly affected Civil War-era Americans, causing documented crises of faith among soldiers. The King James Version was carried into war by Civil War soldiers with the Hebrew word ratsach, translated as kill instead of the more accurate English translation of murder, allowing for confusion among soldiers and non-theologians. Investigation into the etymology of kill reveals a Biblical connection through Swiss German and Hebrew that established the usage of kill as a synonym for murder in English. This study also reveals that the timeframe in which kill as a synonym for murder fell out of primary usage in English corresponds with the timing of the Civil War. Understanding the etymological root of ‘kill’ in Exodus 20:13 through the Civil War establishes the necessity of English Biblical translations to reflect the current English of the reader due to English’s status as a living and evolving language.