Numbers 35:10-20

10 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye are to cross over Jordan into the land of Chanaan.
11 And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.
12 And the cities shall be to you places of refuge from the avenger of blood, and the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
13 And the cities which ye shall assign, the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.
14 Ye shall assign three cities on the other side of Jordan, and ye shall assign three cities in the land of Chanaan.
15 It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.
16 And if he should smite him with an iron instrument, and the man should die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
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,

Numbers 35:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 35

Though the tribe of Levi had no part in the division of the land, yet cities out of the several tribes are here ordered to be given them to dwell in, to the number of forty eight, Nu 35:1-8, six of which were to be cities of refuge, Nu 35:9-15, but not for wilful murderers, in whatsoever way they might kill a man, Nu 35:16-21, but for such who had killed a man unawares, Nu 35:22-24, and several rules are given relating to such persons, Nu 35:25-29, but no satisfaction was to be taken in case of murder, nor to excuse a person's return to his own house before the death of the high priest, who had fled to a city of refuge, that so the land might not be defiled, Nu 35:30-34.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. smitten a life.
  • [b]. him that as kinsman represents the blood.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.