Deuteronomy 19:9

9 if nevertheless thou keepest his commandments, and doest those things which I command to thee today, that thou love thy Lord God, and go in his ways in all time (so that thou love the Lord thy God, and go in his ways at all times), (then) thou shalt add to thee three other cities, and (so) thou shalt double the number of the foresaid cities,

Deuteronomy 19:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:9

If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I
command thee this day
A phrase often met with before, and signifies the putting in practice the several laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, which Moses was now making a repetition of, and enjoining the observance of them by a divine authority:

to love the Lord thy God;
which is the source and spring of genuine obedience to the commands of God:

and to walk ever in his ways;
noting constancy and perseverance in them; now all this is mentioned as the condition of the enlargement of their coast, which would be the case if a due and constant regard was had to the laws of God:

and then shall thou add three cities more besides these three;
three more in the land of Canaan, besides the three now ordered to be separated in it, and besides the three on the other side of Jordan; so that there would have been nine in all, if these had been ever added; but that time never came: the Jews expect the addition of these three cities in the days of the Messiah F25 but the Messiah is already come, and all those cities, as they were typical of him, have had their accomplishment in him the antitype of them, of which (See Gill on Numbers 35:29).


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Maimon. Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 4.

Deuteronomy 19:9 In-Context

7 Therefore I command to thee, that thou separate three cities of even space betwixt themselves. (And so I command thee to set apart three cities with even space between them.)
8 Forsooth when thy Lord God hath alarged thy terms, as he swore to thy fathers, and hath given to thee all the land which he promised to them;
9 if nevertheless thou keepest his commandments, and doest those things which I command to thee today, that thou love thy Lord God, and go in his ways in all time (so that thou love the Lord thy God, and go in his ways at all times), (then) thou shalt add to thee three other cities, and (so) thou shalt double the number of the foresaid cities,
10 that guiltless blood be not shed out in the midst of the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee to have in possession, lest thou be guilty of blood. (so that innocent blood be not shed out in the midst of the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee to have for a possession, and that thou be guilty of shedding that innocent blood.)
11 Forsooth if any man hateth his neighbour, and setteth ambushes to his life, and riseth up against him privily, and smiteth him, and he is dead (and he dieth), and the manslayer fleeth to one of the foresaid cities,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.