ו שֹׁפֵךְ דַּם הָאָדָם, בָּאָדָם דָּמוֹ יִשָּׁפֵךְ: כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, עָשָׂה אֶת-הָאָדָם. ז וְאַתֶּם, פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ; שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ, וּרְבוּ-בָהּ.
6. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man. 7. And you, be fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. This source from the book of Genesis connects the severity of murder with the image of God. What might you imagine is the relationship between applying the death penalty for murder and the image of God reference that follows?
2. Might one justify, "not killing the murderer" for the same reason?
3. The verse that follows connects the contexts of murder and God's image to the blessing or command to be fruitful and multiply. What might be the relationship between murder, the capital crimes court and reproduction?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)