Numbers 35:11

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.)

Numbers 35:11 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 35:11

Then ye shall appoint your cities to be cities of refuge for
you
And, according to the Jewish writers ^F9, these were neither to be made large nor little, but middling; and they appointed them where there were markets and fairs, at which goods were to be sold; and where there was plenty of water, and a multitude of people; and where there were but few, they fetched others from other places; and they neither made nets for hunting, nor twisted ropes in them, nor sold any warlike instruments, lest the avenger of blood should use himself to come thither, under pretence of buying such things, and kill the manslayer:

that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares;
or through error
^F11, or mistake, not on purpose, with design, or through malice and enmity, as is afterwards more largely explained.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Maimon. Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 8. Vid. T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 10. 1.
F11 (hggvb) "per errorem", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "per imprudentiam", Tigurine version: Vatablus; "in ignorantia", Montanus.

Numbers 35:11 In-Context

9 (And) The Lord said to Moses,

10 Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, When ye have passed [over] Jordan (When we have crossed over the Jordan River), in[to] the land of Canaan,

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,)