King James Bible Dictionary

Wilful murder was distinguished from accidental homicide, and was invariably visited with capital punishment (Numbers 35:16, 18, 21, 31; Leviticus 24:17). This law in its principle is founded on the fact of man's having been made in the likeness of God (Genesis 9:5, 6; John 8:44; 1 John 3:12, 15). The Mosiac law prohibited any compensation for murder or the reprieve of the murderer (Exodus 21:12, 14; Deuteronomy 19:11, 13; 2 Samuel 17:25; 20:10). Two witnesses were required in any capital case (Numbers 35:19-30; Deuteronomy 17:6-12). If the murderer could not be discovered, the city nearest the scene of the murder was required to make expiation for the crime committed (Deuteronomy 21:1-9). These offences also were to be punished with death, (1) striking a parent; (2) cursing a parent; (3) kidnapping (Exodus 21:15-17; Deuteronomy 27:16).

See Homicide
Homicide

The law of Moses, while it protected the accidental homicide, defined with additional strictness the crime of murder. It prohibited compensation or reprieve of the murderer, or his protection if he took refuge in the refuge city, or even at the altar of Jehovah. (Exodus 21:12,14; Leviticus 24:17,21; 1 Kings 2:5,6,31) The duty of executing punishment on the murderer is in the law expressly laid on the "revenger of blood;" but the question of guilt was to be previously decided by the Levitical tribunal. In regal times the duty of execution of justice on a murderer seems to have been assumed to some extent by the sovereign, as was also the privilege of pardon. (2 Samuel 13:39; 14:7,11; 1 Kings 2:34) It was lawful to kill a burglar taken at night in the act, but unlawful to do so after sunrise. (Exodus 22:2,3)

MUR'DER, noun [Latin mors.]

1. The act of unlawfully killing a human being with premeditated malice, by a person of sound mind. To constitute murder in law, the person killing another must be of sound mind or in possession of his reason, and the act must be done with malice prepense, aforethought or premeditated; but malice may be implied, as well as express.

2. An outcry, when life is in danger.

MUR'DER, verb transitive

1. To kill a human being with premeditated malice. [See the Noun.]

2. To destroy; to put an end to.

Canst thou murder thy breath in middle of a word?

MUR'DERED, participle passive Slain with malice prepense.

MUR'DERER, noun A person who in possession of his reason, unlawfully kills a human being with premeditated malice.

1. A small piece of ordnance.

MUR'DERESS, noun A female who commits murder.

MUR'DERING, participle present tense Killing a human being with malice premeditated.

MUR'DEROUS, adjective Guilty of murder; as the murderous king.

1. Consisting in murder; done with murder; bloody; cruel; as murderous rapine.

2. Bloody; sanguinary; committing murder; as murderous tyranny.

3. Premeditating murder; as murderous intent or design.

MUR'DEROUSLY, adverb In a murderous or cruel manner.