Deuteronomy 19:8-18

8 And if the LORD thy God enlarges thy borders, as he has sworn unto thy fathers, and gives thee all the land which he was to give unto thy fathers,
9 when thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day: to love the LORD thy God, and to walk all the days in his ways, then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three,
10 that innocent blood not be shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, and the blood shall not be upon thee.
11 But when any man hates his neighbour and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and smites him mortally that he dies and flees into one of these cities,
12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood, and he shall die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with thee.
14 Thou shalt not reduce thy neighbour’s border, which those of old time have marked in thine inheritance, which thou shalt possess in the land that the LORD thy God gives thee to inherit.
15 One witness shall not be valid against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin which he should commit. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 When a false witness rises up against any man to testify rebellion against him,
17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, who shall be in those days;
18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and, behold, if the witness is a false witness and has testified falsely against his brother,

Deuteronomy 19:8-18 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010