Numbers 35:17-27

17 And if he smites him by throwing a stone with which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
18 Or if he smites him with a hand weapon of wood with which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 The kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood shall slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him.
20 But if he thrusts him out of hatred or hurls at him by laying in wait, so that he dies
21 or out of enmity smites him with his hand so that he dies, he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer; the kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.
22 But if he thrusts him suddenly without enmity, or has cast upon him any thing without laying in wait,
23 or with any stone, with which a man may die, seeing him not and casts it upon him that he dies, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm,
24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood according to these laws.
25 And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, where he has fled, and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 But if the manslayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge where he has fled,
27 and the kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the kinsman avenger {Heb. redeemer} of blood slays the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of his blood.

Numbers 35:17-27 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.

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