Numbers 35:24-34

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 unto the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26 But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge whither he had fled,

27 and the avenger of blood find him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood 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.

29 "`So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no payment for the life of a murderer who is deserving of death, but he shall be surely put to death.

32 And ye shall take no payment for him that has fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land until the death of the priest.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood defileth the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit wherein I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.'"

Numbers 35:24-34 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.