Joshua 20 Footnotes

20:1-9 Six cities of refuge were established to provide asylum for people who had committed manslaughter (unintentional killing, see Ex 21:13; Dt 4:41-43). The Lord issued detailed instructions to Moses about how these cities were to function (see note on Nm 35:9-34). The offender could seek refuge in them from the “avenger of blood” (i.e., the near relative who would take the perpetrator’s life in reprisal) until his case could be decided by an equitable trial (Jos 20:6). The system of cities of refuge allowed justice to prevail in the land while preventing blood vengeance of a “vigilante” sort.

20:3,5,9 The “avenger of blood” was, typically, a near relative of the murder victim (or some other designated person) who was responsible for exacting legal vengeance against the murderer (see Gn 9:5-6; Ex 21:23-24). While vengeance was the domain of God alone (Dt 32:35; Ps 94:23; Pr 20:22), he also recognized it as part of ancient Israel’s justice system. Vengeance was never to be a private or personal matter but was strictly regulated by the law of Moses. For further discussion of the system of blood vengeance and the cities of refuge, see Nm 35:9-34; Dt 19:1-13.