Bamidbar 35:31

31 Moreover ye shall take no kofer (ransom payment, satisfaction) for the nefesh of a rotze’ach, which is guilty of death; but he shall be surely put to death.

Bamidbar 35:31 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 35:31

Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a
murderer
Though he would give all his wealth and substance, all his estates and possessions, and whatever he is worth in the world; for all that a man has he will give for his life; but these are not to be taken, nor anything, and everything his friends may offer for him; all is to be rejected, the life of such a man is not to be saved on any consideration:

which is guilty of death;
as he is who kills a man willingly and purposely; but one may be guilty of killing another, and yet not be deserving of death, when it is done ignorantly and accidentally with respect to him, for which reason this clause is added: but he shall be surely put to death; by the order of the civil magistrate; and if this is not done either through want of evidence, or the fault of the judge, or the criminal clemency of the chief governor, God sooner or later will take vengeance on such a person.

Bamidbar 35:31 In-Context

29 So these things shall be for a chukkat mishpat unto you throughout your dorot in all your dwellings.

30 Whosoever killeth any nefesh, the rotze’ach shall be put to death by the mouth of edim (witnesses); but ed echad (one witness) shall not testify against any nefesh to cause him to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no kofer (ransom payment, satisfaction) for the nefesh of a rotze’ach, which is guilty of death; but he shall be surely put to death.

32 And ye shall take no kofer for him that is fled to his ir miklat that he should come again to dwell in HaAretz until the mot HaKohen.

33 So ye shall not pollute HaAretz wherein ye are; for dahm pollutes HaAretz; and kapporah cannot be made for HaAretz for the shefach dahm therein, except by the dahm of him that committed shefach dahm (shedding of blood).