Devarim 19

1 9 When Hashem Eloheicha hath cut off the Goyim, whose land Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee, and thou dispossess them, and dwellest in their towns, and in their batim (houses),

2 Thou shalt separate shalosh arim (three towns) for thee in the midst of thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to possess it.

3 Thou shalt prepare yourselves roads, and divide the territory of thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there.

4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee there, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor without da’as, whom he hated not in time past;

5 As when an ish goeth into the wood with his neighbor to cut wood, his hand swings a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, the head slippeth from the handle, and strikes upon his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those towns, and live;

6 Lest the Go’el HaDahm pursue the slayer, while his lev 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 Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate shalosh arim for thee.

8 And if Hashem Eloheicha enlarge thy territory, as He hath sworn unto Avoteicha, and give thee kol ha’aretz which He promised to give unto Avoteicha;

9 If thou shalt be shomer over all these mitzvot to do them, which I command thee today, to love Hashem Eloheicha, and to walk ever in His ways; then shalt thou add three towns more for thee, beside these three;

10 That dahm naki (innocent blood) be not shed in thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee for a nachalah, and so dahmim be upon thee.

11 But if any ish hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and strike him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these towns;

12 Then the zekenim of his town shall send and have him taken from there, and deliver him into the yad of the Goel HaDahm, that he may die.

13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of dahm naki from Yisroel, that it may go well with thee.

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine nachalah, which thou shalt inherit in the eretz that Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee to possess it.

15 Ed echad shall not rise up against an ish for any avon (iniquity), or for any chattat (sin), in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of shney edim, or at the mouth of shloshah edim, shall the matter be established.

16 If an ed chamas (malicious, false witness) rise up against any ish to testify against him that which is wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Hashem, before the kohanim and the shofetim, which shall be in those days;

18 And the shofetim shall make diligent inquiry; and, hinei, if the witness be an ed sheker (false witness), and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put harah away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such rah among you.

21 And thine eye shall not pity; but nefesh shall go for nefesh, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, yad for yad, regel for regel.

Devarim 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

The cities of refuge, The man-slayer, The murderer. (1-13) Landmarks not to be removed. (14) The punishment of false witnesses. (15-21)

Verses 1-13 Here is the law settled between the blood of the murdered, and the blood of the murderer; provision is made, that the cities of refuge should be a protection, so that a man should not die for that as a crime, which was not his willing act. In Christ, the Lord our Righteousness, refuge is provided for those who by faith flee unto him. But there is no refuge in Jesus Christ for presumptuous sinners, who go on still in their trespasses. Those who flee to Christ from their sins, shall be safe in him, but not those who expect to be sheltered by him in their sins.

Verse 14 Direction is given to fix landmarks in Canaan. It is the will of God that every one should know his own; and that means should be used to hinder the doing and suffering of wrong. This, without doubt, is a moral precept, and still binding. Let every man be content with his own lot, and be just to his neighbours in all things.

Verses 15-21 Sentence should never be passed upon the testimony of one witness alone. A false witness should suffer the same punishment which he sought to have inflicted upon the person he accused. Nor could any law be more just. Let all Christians not only be cautious in bearing witness in public, but be careful not to join in private slanders; and let all whose consciences accuse them of crime, without delay flee for refuge to the hope set before them in Jesus Christ.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 19

This chapter contains an order to separate three cities of refuge in the land of Canaan, for such that killed a man unawares to flee to, of which those who were guilty of murder purposely were to have no benefit, De 19:1-13, a law is given against removing landmarks, De 19:14, and others concerning witnesses, that they should be more than one; be two, or three, De 19:15, and that a false witness, on conviction, should be punished, De 19:16-21.