רָצַח
𐤓𐤑𐤇
râtsach
H7523 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To kill a human being illicitly; to commit homicide, especially murder, in deliberate or unlawful contexts. The word frequently designates an act of slaying that is socially or legally condemned rather than sanctioned, distinguishing unpermitted violence from judicial or divinely mandated execution. In certain contexts, it can also refer to manslaughter—unintentional killing—depending on narrative or legal material.
Semantic Range
to deliberately murder, to unlawfully kill, to commit manslaughter (in certain legal contexts), to attack lethally outside societal sanction
Root / Etymology
The root רָצַח (ר-צ-ח) in Hebrew conveys an idea of striking or slaying but is contextually narrowed to unlawful violence against another person. Its precise etymological development is uncertain, as cognates do not appear widely outside of Biblical Hebrew. The lexical sense in Hebrew is more specific than the broader root meaning "to strike, kill."
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָצַח is used in legal and narrative texts to specify homicide that contravenes Israelite law or social norms. It distinguishes between intentional murder (as in the Decalogue, Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17) and unintended killing, where the latter is addressed by laws relating to asylum cities (Numbers 35, Deuteronomy 19). Unlike broader Hebrew terms for killing (e.g., הָרַג harag, to kill/generally slay; הָמִית hamit, to cause death), רָצַח is seldom used of sanctioned or judicial killing. In English translation, it is most often rendered "murder" or "slay"; modern usage sometimes conflates it with all killing, but the Hebrew is contextually more restricted. In later Jewish and Christian tradition, the verb became emblematic of prohibited, illicit homicide, shaping later legal and theological discussion on murder and manslaughter.
Translation Consistency
רָצַח primarily denotes unlawful or deliberate killing rather than lawful execution. "Murder" is the natural, specific English verb that captures the illicit/condemned sense (while allowing context to handle manslaughter or accidental cases), and is preferable to the broader "kill" or the legal noun "manslaughter."
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder; put to death, kill, (man-) slay(-er), murder(-er).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
רצח (râtsach) — to kill, to murder, to slay illicitly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7524 | רֶצַח | in homicide |
Word Forms
15 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7523-05 |
הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one | 21 |
H7523-08 |
רוֹצֵ֗חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
murderer | murdering one | murdering one | 10 |
H7523-10 |
תִּרְצָֽח | tiretsach | HVqi2ms |
murder | you will murder | you will murder | 2 |
H7523-14 |
יְרַצְּחוּ | yeratsechu | HVpi3mp |
they murder | they will murder | they will murder | 2 |
H7523-15 |
יִרְצַ֤ח | yiretsach | HVqi3ms |
kills | he will murder | he will murder | 2 |
H7523-01 |
אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ | eratsecha | HVNi1cs |
I will be killed | I will be murdered | I will be murdered | 1 |
H7523-02 |
הַֽ/מְרַצֵּ֤חַ | hameratsecha | HTd/Vprmsa |
of a murderer | the unlawful killer | the murderer | 1 |
H7523-03 |
הַ/נִּרְצָחָ֖ה | haniretsachah | HTd/VNrfsa |
who was murdered | the murdered woman | the murdered | 1 |
H7523-04 |
הֲ/רָצַ֖חְתָּ | haratsacheta | HTi/Vqp2ms |
Have-you-murdered? | you have murdered | have you murdered | 1 |
H7523-06 |
מְרַצְּחִֽים | meratsechim | HVprmpa |
murderers | murdering ones | murderers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
47 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7523-10 |
Exodus 20:13 | תִּרְצָֽח | tiretsach | HVqi2ms |
murder | you will murder | you will murder |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:6 | הָ/רֹצֵ֑חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:11 | רֹצֵ֔חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
the manslayer | murdering one | the manslayer |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:12 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:16 | רֹצֵ֣חַֽ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
murderer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:16 | הָ/רֹצֵֽחַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:17 | רֹצֵ֣חַֽ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
murderer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:17 | הָ/רֹצֵֽחַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:18 | רֹצֵ֣חַֽ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
a murderer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:18 | הָ/רֹצֵֽחַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:19 | הָ/רֹצֵ֑חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the-murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:21 | רֹצֵ֣חַֽ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
murderer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:21 | הָ/רֹצֵ֖חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:25 | הָ/רֹצֵ֗חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:26 | הָ/רֹצֵ֑חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-12 |
Numbers 35:27 | וְ/רָצַ֞ח | veratsach | HC/Vqq3ms |
and kills | and he murdered | and he killed |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:27 | הָ֣/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:28 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-15 |
Numbers 35:30 | יִרְצַ֖ח | yiretsach | HVqi3ms |
shall be put to death | he will murder | he will murder |
H7523-05 |
Numbers 35:30 | הָ/רֹצֵ֑חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the murderer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Numbers 35:31 | רֹצֵ֔חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
of a murderer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-08 |
Deuteronomy 4:42 | רוֹצֵ֗חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
the manslayer | murdering one | the manslayer |
H7523-15 |
Deuteronomy 4:42 | יִרְצַ֤ח | yiretsach | HVqi3ms |
kills | he will murder | kills |
H7523-10 |
Deuteronomy 5:17 | תִּרְצָֽח | tiretsach | HVqi2ms |
murder | you will murder | you will murder |
H7523-08 |
Deuteronomy 19:3 | רֹצֵֽחַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
manslayer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Deuteronomy 19:4 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
of the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Deuteronomy 19:6 | הָ/רֹצֵ֗חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-11 |
Deuteronomy 22:26 | וּ/רְצָח֣/וֹ | uretsacho | HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3ms |
and murders him | and he murders him | and murders him |
H7523-08 |
Joshua 20:3 | רוֹצֵ֔חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
manslayer | murdering one | murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 20:5 | הָ/רֹצֵ֖חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 20:6 | הָ/רוֹצֵ֗חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 21:13 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
for the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 21:21 | הָ/רֹצֵ֛חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
for the slayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 21:27 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
for the manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 21:32 | הָֽ/רֹצֵ֗חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
for the slayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-05 |
Joshua 21:38 | הָ/רֹצֵ֔חַ | harotsecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the-manslayer | the unlawful killer | the murdering one |
H7523-03 |
Judges 20:4 | הַ/נִּרְצָחָ֖ה | haniretsachah | HTd/VNrfsa |
who was murdered | the murdered woman | the murdered |
H7523-04 |
1 Kings 21:19 | הֲ/רָצַ֖חְתָּ | haratsacheta | HTi/Vqp2ms |
Have-you-murdered? | you have murdered | have you murdered |
H7523-02 |
2 Kings 6:32 | הַֽ/מְרַצֵּ֤חַ | hameratsecha | HTd/Vprmsa |
of a murderer | the unlawful killer | the murderer |
H7523-06 |
Isaiah 1:21 | מְרַצְּחִֽים | meratsechim | HVprmpa |
murderers | murdering ones | murderers |
H7523-07 |
Jeremiah 7:9 | רָצֹ֨חַ֙ | ratsocha | HVqa |
murder | to murder | to murder |
H7523-13 |
Hosea 4:2 | וְ/רָצֹ֥חַ | veratsocha | HC/Vqa |
and murder | and murdering | and murdering |
H7523-14 |
Hosea 6:9 | יְרַצְּחוּ | yeratsechu | HVpi3mp |
they murder | they will murder | they will murder |
H7523-09 |
Psalms 62:4 | תְּרָצְּח֪וּ | teratsechu | HVpi2mp |
murder | you will murder | you will murder |
H7523-14 |
Psalms 94:6 | יְרַצֵּֽחוּ | yeratsechu | HVpi3mp |
they-murder | they will murder | they will murder |
H7523-01 |
Proverbs 22:13 | אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ | eratsecha | HVNi1cs |
I will be killed | I will be murdered | I will be murdered |
H7523-08 |
Job 24:14 | רוֹצֵ֗חַ | rotsecha | HVqrmsa |
the murderer | murdering one | murdering one |