Joshua 20:6

6 "He must stay in that city until his case has been brought to the community court. He must stay there until the high priest who is serving at that time dies. Then he can go back to his own home. He can return to the town he ran away from."

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 "Suppose the one who is charged runs for safety to one of those cities. Then he must stand in the entrance of the city gate. He must state his case in front of the elders of that city. They must let him come into their city. They must give him a place to live there.

5 "Suppose the nearest male relative of the person who was killed comes after him. Then the elders must not hand him over to that relative. That's because he didn't mean to kill his neighbor. He didn't make evil plans to do it.

6 "He must stay in that city until his case has been brought to the community court. He must stay there until the high priest who is serving at that time dies. Then he can go back to his own home. He can return to the town he ran away from."

7 So the people of Israel set apart Kedesh in Galilee. It's in the hill country of Naphtali. They set apart Shechem. It's in the hill country of Ephraim. They set apart Kiriath Arba. It's in the hill country of Judah. Kiriath Arba is also called Hebron.

8 On the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho they chose Bezer. It's in the desert on the high flatlands. It's in the territory of the tribe of Reuben. They chose Ramoth in Gilead. It's in the territory of the tribe of Gad. They chose Golan in the land of Bashan. It's in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh.