Numbers 35:11-21

11 deem ye which cities ought to be into the helps of fugitives which not willfully have shed blood. (decide ye which cities ought to be for the help of those who flee, who have not intentionally shed blood.)
12 In which cities when the fleer hath fled, the kinsman of him that is slain, shall not be able to slay him, till he stand in the sight of the multitude, and the cause of him be deemed. (In which cities to where a fleer hath fled, the next-of-kin of him who is killed, shall not be able to kill the one who fleeth, until he standeth before the multitude, and his case is tried.)
13 Forsooth of those cities that be separated to the helps of fugitives, (And of those cities that shall be set apart for the help of fleeing men,)
14 three shall be beyond (the) Jordan, (that is, on the eastern side of the river,) and three in the land of Canaan;
15 as well to the sons of Israel as to comelings, and pilgrims; that he flee to those cities, that shedded blood not willfully. (for the Israelites, as well as for newcomers, and foreigners, or strangers; so that anyone, who did not intentionally shed blood, can flee to one of those cities.)
16 If any man smiteth a man with (a thing of) iron, and he that is smitten is dead, the smiter shall be guilty of manslaying, and he shall die. (If anyone striketh someone with a thing of iron, and he who is struck dieth, the striker shall be guilty of manslaughter, and he must be put to death.)
17 If he casteth a stone, and a man is dead by the stroke thereof, the caster shall be punished in like manner. (If anyone throweth a stone, and someone dieth by the stroke of it, the stone-thrower must be put to death.)
18 If a man smitten with a staff dieth, he shall be venged by the blood of the smiter. (If someone struck with a staff dieth, he shall be avenged by the death of the person who struck him.)
19 The nigh kinsman of him that is slain shall slay the manslayer; anon as he taketh (hold of) the manslayer, he shall slay him. (The next-of-kin of him who is killed, shall kill the man-killer; as soon as he catcheth the man-killer, he shall kill him.)
20 If by hatred a man hurtleth, either shoveth, a man, either casteth anything into him by ambushings, (If in hatred anyone hurtleth, or pusheth, someone, or intentionally throweth something into him,)
21 either when he was enemy to him, smite him with his hand, and he is dead, the smiter shall be guilty of manslaying. The kinsman of him that is slain, anon as he findeth him, that is, the slayer, shall slay him. (or when he was an enemy to him, he striketh him with his hand, and he dieth, the striker shall be guilty of manslaughter. The next-of-kin of him who is killed, as soon as he findeth the killer, shall kill him.)

Numbers 35:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 35

Though the tribe of Levi had no part in the division of the land, yet cities out of the several tribes are here ordered to be given them to dwell in, to the number of forty eight, Nu 35:1-8, six of which were to be cities of refuge, Nu 35:9-15, but not for wilful murderers, in whatsoever way they might kill a man, Nu 35:16-21, but for such who had killed a man unawares, Nu 35:22-24, and several rules are given relating to such persons, Nu 35:25-29, but no satisfaction was to be taken in case of murder, nor to excuse a person's return to his own house before the death of the high priest, who had fled to a city of refuge, that so the land might not be defiled, Nu 35:30-34.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.