Numbers 35:17

17 Anyone who takes a rock and kills a person with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 35:17

And if he smite him with throwing a stone
"Or with a stone of the hand" ^F17, which the Jews interpret of a stone so big as to fill a man's hand, and so

wherewith he may die;
at whom it is thrown; is sufficient to cause his death, if struck with it; so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it of a

``stone of fulness of hands, which is sufficient that a man may die with it,''

or be killed by it:

and he die;
by the blow he receives from it, either immediately or in a short time after:

he is a murderer, and the murderer shall surely be put to death;
as in the above case.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (dy Nbab) .

Numbers 35:17 In-Context

15 These six cities will be places of safety for citizens of Israel, as well as for foreigners and other people living with you. Any of these people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of these cities.

16 "'Anyone who uses an iron weapon to kill someone is a murderer. He must be put to death.

17 Anyone who takes a rock and kills a person with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

18 Anyone who picks up a piece of wood and kills someone with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

19 A relative of the dead person must put the murderer to death; when they meet, the relative must kill the murderer.