Numbers 35:22

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

Numbers 35:22 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 35:22

But if he thrust him suddenly, without enmity
Push him from a precipice, before he is aware, without any malicious design against his life, but merely through accident:

or have cast upon him anything;
from the top of a house, or from a building he is pulling down, or pushes a bowing wall upon him, not knowing that he is passing by it:

and without lying of wait:
or having contrived to do it, just as he goes along, or in any other similar way.

Numbers 35:22 In-Context

20 A person might shove someone or throw something at someone and cause death.

21 Or a person might hit someone with his hand and cause death. If it were done from hate, the person is a murderer and must be put to death. A relative of the dead person must kill the murderer when they meet.

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.