Joshua 20:2

2 "Tell the people of Israel, 'Now choose for yourselves the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moses.

Joshua 20:2 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 20:2

Speak to the children of Israel, saying
Whom the affair concerned the Lord spake to Joshua about, they having now the whole land divided among them:

appoint out for you cities of refuge;
of the name, nature, use, and number of these cities, (See Gill on Numbers 35:6);

whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
( Numbers 35:1-34 ) ( Deuteronomy 19:1-21 ) .

Joshua 20:2 In-Context

1 The LORD said to Joshua,

2 "Tell the people of Israel, 'Now choose for yourselves the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moses.

3 Choose them so that anyone who unintentionally kills someone may run to them. They will be a place of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death.

4 "'A person who kills someone accidentally can run to one of these cities. There he will stand at the entrance to the city, where court is held, and present his case to the leaders of that city. Then they will take him into their city and give him a place to live with them.

5 "'If the relative who can avenge the death pursues him, the leaders must not hand him over to the relative because he didn't intend to kill the other person. He didn't even hate the person he killed.