There are various places in Old Testament Scripture where the punishment for murder is specified. The first instance is Genesis 9:5–6. Further regulations are also given in Deuteronomy 21:1–9 and Numbers 35:6–34. In the time when Jesus ministered on earth, a local Jewish court composed of twenty-three men would typically adjudicate on crimes like murder. 1
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’