Deuteronomy 19:1-8

1 "When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses,

2 thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4 "And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past--

5 as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he die -- he shall flee unto one of those cities and live,

6 lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer while his heart is hot and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

7 Therefore I command thee, saying, `Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.'

8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers,

Deuteronomy 19:1-8 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.