Deuteronomy 19:1-6

1 When the Lorde thy Gad hath destroyed the nacyons whose londe the Lorde thy God geueth the, and thou hast conquered the and dwellest in their cities and in their housses:

2 thou shalt appoynte .iij. cities in the lande whiche the Lorde thy God geueth the to possesse it:

3 thou shalt prepare the waye and deuyde the costes of thy lande whiche the Lorde thy God geueth the to enheret, in to .iij. partes that whosoeuer committeth murthur may flee thither.

4 And this is the cause of the sleyer that shal flee thither and be saued: Yf he smyte his neghboure ignorantly and hated him not in tyme passed:

5 As when a man goeth vnto the wodd with his neghboure to hew wod, and as his hade fetcheth a stroke with the axe, the head slippeth from the helue and smyteth his neghboure that he dye: the same shall flee vnto one off the same cities ad be saued.

6 Lest the executer of bloude folowe after the sleyer while his hert is whote and ouertake him, because the waye is longe, and slee him, and yet there is no cause worthy of deeth in him, in as moch as he hated not his neghbour in tyme passed.

Deuteronomy 19:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 19

This chapter contains an order to separate three cities of refuge in the land of Canaan, for such that killed a man unawares to flee to, of which those who were guilty of murder purposely were to have no benefit, De 19:1-13, a law is given against removing landmarks, De 19:14, and others concerning witnesses, that they should be more than one; be two, or three, De 19:15, and that a false witness, on conviction, should be punished, De 19:16-21.