Numbers 35:19

19 The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.

Numbers 35:19 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 35:19

The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer
Not only shall have power to do it, but, as it seems, should be obliged to do it; be the executioner of the murderer; but not before his case has been heard, examined, tried, and judged; wherefore the Targum of Jonathan adds,

``in judgment,''

that is, as Onkelos explains it,

``when he is condemned by judgment,''

the court of judicature:

when he meeteth him he shall slay him;
the first opportunity he has, even though, as Jarchi says, if he meets him in the midst of one of the cities of refuge, and no judgment is passed on him.

Numbers 35:19 In-Context

17 And if he should smite him with a stone from his hand, whereby a man may die, and he die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.

18 And if he should smite him with an instrument of wood from his hand, whereby he may die, and he die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.

19 The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.

20 And if he should thrust him through enmity, or cast any thing upon him from an ambuscade, and the man should die,

21 or if he have smitten him with his hand through anger, and the man should die, let the man that smote him be put to death by all means, he is a murderer: let the murderer by all means be put to death: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.