Numbers 35:22-32

22 "'But a person might suddenly shove someone, and not from hatred. Or a person might accidentally throw something and hit someone.

23 Or a person might drop a rock on someone he couldn't see and kill that person. There was no plan to hurt anyone and no hatred for the one who was killed.

24 If that happens, the community must judge between the relative of the dead person and the killer, according to these rules.

25 They must protect the killer from the dead person's relative, sending the killer back to the original city of safety, to stay there until the high priest dies (the high priest had the holy oil poured on him).

26 "'Such a person must never go outside the limits of the city of safety.

27 If a relative of the dead person finds the killer outside the city, the relative may kill that person and not be guilty of murder.

28 The killer must stay in the city of safety until the high priest dies. After the high priest dies, the killer may go home.

29 "'These laws are for you from now on, wherever you live.

30 "'If anyone kills a person, the murderer may be put to death only if there are witnesses. No one may be put to death with only one witness.

31 "'Don't take money to spare the life of a murderer who should be put to death. A murderer must be put to death.

32 "'If someone has run to a city of safety, don't take money to let the person go back home before the high priest dies.

Numbers 35:22-32 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.