Numbers 35:18-28

18 Or [if] he shall smite him with a hand-weapon of wood, with which he may die, and he shall die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
20 But if he shall thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying in wait, that he die.
21 Or in enmity shall smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
22 But if he shall thrust him suddenly without enmity, or shall have cast upon him any thing without laying in wait,
23 Or with any stone, by which a man may die, seeing [him] not, and shall cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments:
25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he had fled: and he shall abide in it to the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he had fled;
27 And the avenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood shall kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:
28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

Numbers 35:18-28 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.

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