Deuteronomy 19:3-13

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.
7 Wherfore I commaunde the sayeng: se that thou appoynte out .iij. cities.
8 And yf the Lorde thy God enlarge thy costes as he hath sworne vnto thy fathers and geue the all the londe which he sayed he wold geue vnto thy fathers
9 (so that thou kepe all these commaundmentes to doo them, which I commaunde the this daye, that thou loue the Lord thy god ad walke in his wayes euer) then thou shalt adde .iij. cities moo vnto those .iij.
10 that innocent bloude be not shed in thi lande which the Lorde thy God geueth the to enheret, and so bloude come vppon the,
11 But and yf there be any man that hateth his neyghboure and layeth awayte for him and ryseth agenst him and smyteth him that he dye, and fleeth vnto any of these cities.
12 Then let the elders of his citie sende and fetche him thence and delyuer him in to the hondes of the iustice of bloude, and he shall dye,
13 Let thyne eye haue no pitie on him, and so thou shalt put awaye innocent bloude from Israel, and happie arte thou.

Deuteronomy 19:3-13 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.

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