Which commandment forbids killing?

Which commandment forbids killing?

• A. You shall not steal.
• B. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
• C. You shall not covet thy neighbor's wife.
• D. You shall not kill.

Answer: (D)

This question targets understanding of a commandment that protects life and tells us not to take another person’s life. The line that says “You shall not kill” directly addresses the action of taking a life, which is exactly what the question asks about. The other statements relate to different moral rules—stealing concerns property, bearing false witness concerns honesty, and coveting concerns desire for someone else’s spouse. None of those address the act of killing, so they don’t fit what’s being asked. In many traditions this commandment is understood as not murdering, emphasizing the sacred value of every life.

This question targets understanding of a commandment that protects life and tells us not to take another person’s life. The line that says “You shall not kill” directly addresses the action of taking a life, which is exactly what the question asks about. The other statements relate to different moral rules—stealing concerns property, bearing false witness concerns honesty, and coveting concerns desire for someone else’s spouse. None of those address the act of killing, so they don’t fit what’s being asked. In many traditions this commandment is understood as not murdering, emphasizing the sacred value of every life.