Joshua 20:6

6 And he shall dwell in that city, till he stand before the doom, and yield, or show, the cause of his deed. And he that killed a man, dwell in that city, till the great priest die, which is in that time; then the manslayer shall turn again, and he shall enter into his city, and house, from which he fled. (And he shall remain in that city, until he stand before the judge, and show the reason for his deed. And he who killed someone, shall stay in that city, until the High Priest die, who is in office at that time; then the man-killer shall return, and he shall enter into his city, and into his house, from which he fled.)

Joshua 20:6 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 20:6

And he shall dwell in that city until he shall stand before
the congregation for judgment
That is, until his cause was heard in the court of judicature in his own city, or in any other to which the avenger of blood should appeal: see ( Numbers 35:24 Numbers 35:25 ) ; who if they found him guilty of death, they put him to death; but if only guilty of accidental manslaughter, then they delivered him up to his city of refuge for safety, where he was to abide

until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days;
see ( Numbers 35:25 ) ;

then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his
own house, unto the city from whence he fled;
and live with his family in the enjoyment of his possessions and estates, honours, and privileges belonging to him, as before; see ( Numbers 35:28 ) .

Joshua 20:6 In-Context

4 And he shall stand before the gates of the city, and he shall speak to the elder men of that city those things that shall prove him(self) innocent; and so they shall receive him, and they shall give to him a place to dwell in.
5 And when the venger of blood pursueth him, they of that city shall not betake him into the hands of the venger; for unwittingly he killed his neighbour (for he killed his neighbour unwittingly, or unintentionally), and he is not proved (to be) his enemy before the second day either the third day.
6 And he shall dwell in that city, till he stand before the doom, and yield, or show, the cause of his deed. And he that killed a man, dwell in that city, till the great priest die, which is in that time; then the manslayer shall turn again, and he shall enter into his city, and house, from which he fled. (And he shall remain in that city, until he stand before the judge, and show the reason for his deed. And he who killed someone, shall stay in that city, until the High Priest die, who is in office at that time; then the man-killer shall return, and he shall enter into his city, and into his house, from which he fled.)
7 And they ordained Kedesh in Galilee, of the hill of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill of Ephraim, and Kiriatharba, that is Hebron, in the hill of Judah. (And they ordained Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriatharba, that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah.)
8 And beyond (the) Jordan, against the east coast of Jericho (And on the eastern side of the Jordan River, east of Jericho), they ordained Bezer, that is set in the field wilderness of the lineage of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, of the lineage of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, of the lineage of Manasseh.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.