Deuteronomy 19:1 ¶ When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. 4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. 7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. 8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn untothy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; 9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: 10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. 11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
Let’s review previous comments in Deuteronomy and in Numbers on
this subject;
“Deuteronomy 4:41 ¶ Then
Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising; 42 That the slayer might flee thither, which
should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that
fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: 43 Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in
the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and
Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.
Moses denotes the cities of refuge for those to escape who had
accidentally killed someone lest revenge take their lives also.
Exodus 21:13
And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I
will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
Numbers 35:6 And among the
cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for
refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee
thither…13 And of these cities which ye
shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities on this side
Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be
cities of refuge.
See the previously written passage and brief comments;
‘Numbers 35:9 ¶ And the
LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10 Speak
unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan
into the land of Canaan; 11 Then ye
shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may
flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge
from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the
congregation in judgment. 13 And of
these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities on this side
Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which
shall be cities of refuge. 15 These six
cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the
stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any
person unawares may flee thither. 16 And
if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a
murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone,
wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall
surely be put to death. 18 Or if
he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is
a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the
murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at
him by laying of wait, that he die; 21
Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him
shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger
of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity,
or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die,
seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was
not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 24
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of
blood according to these judgments: 25
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the
revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his
refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the
high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come
without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 27 And the revenger of blood find him without
the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the
slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 28
Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the
death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer
shall return into the land of his possession. 29 So these things shall be for a statute
of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall
be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify
against any person to cause him to die. 31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for
the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely
put to death. 32 And ye shall take no
satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should
come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are:
for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood
that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall
inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
I think this is really clear. These cities where a person guilty
of manslaughter or accidental killing could flee would not provide protection
for an intentional murderer. It appears that this is a remedy to keep blood
feuds from developing because of unintentional killings. A kinsman who wants
revenge will not be permitted to take the life of someone who is judged to have
committed the offense unintentionally.’”
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