Numbers 35:9-19

9 Then the Lord said to Moses,

10 "Tell the Israelites these things: 'When you cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan,

11 you must choose cities to be cities of safety, so that a person who accidentally kills someone may run to them for safety.

12 There the person will be safe from the dead person's relative who has the duty of punishing the killer. He will not die before he receives a fair trial in court.

13 The six cities you give will be cities of safety.

14 Give three cities east of the Jordan River and three cities in Canaan as cities of safety.

15 These six cities will be places of safety for citizens of Israel, as well as for foreigners and other people living with you. Any of these people who accidentally kills someone may run to one of these cities.

16 "'Anyone who uses an iron weapon to kill someone is a murderer. He must be put to death.

17 Anyone who takes a rock and kills a person with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

18 Anyone who picks up a piece of wood and kills someone with it is a murderer. He must be put to death.

19 A relative of the dead person must put the murderer to death; when they meet, the relative must kill the murderer.

Numbers 35:9-19 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.