1The cities of refuge. 4The privilege thereof allowed to the manslayer; 11but not to him that is guilty of wilful murder. 14The landmark not to be removed. 15Two witnesses at the least are required to prove a criminal fact. 16The punishment of a false witness.
1WHEN the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest 1them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;
1 Namely, those nations, that is, their land, see Deut. 9:1, etc.
2Thoua shalt separate 2three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
a Exod. 21:13; Num. 35:9, etc.; Joshua 20:2.
2 Compare Num. 35:14; Deut. 4:41.
3Thou shalt prepare thee a 3way, and divide the 4coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into 5three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.
3 Toward those cities.
4 That is, divide thy land.
5 In order that in every third part of the land, a city might be appointed in a suitable and convenient place, unto which the slayer in that quarter might flee with the greatest speed. See verse 6.
4¶And this is the 6case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whosob killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not 7in time past;
6 That is, this shall be the right or manner of this thing, thus shall they deal therewith. Also Deut. 15:2.
b Exod. 21:13; Deut. 4:41, 42.
7 That is, as before, Deut. 4:42 and verse 6 below.
5As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand 8fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, 9and the head slippeth 10from the helve,c and 11lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
8 Or, having swung itself, having brought it to the front.
9 Other, then he casteth.
10 Hebr. out of, or, from the wood.
c axe-handle
11 Hebr. findeth.
6Lest the 12avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and 13slay him; whereas he was 14not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not 15in time past.
12 One of the nearest kinsmen of the dead.
13 Hebr. smite him on the soul, that is, that his soul departs from him, or, that he takes away his life. See Gen. 37:21. Also below in verse 11: Jer. 40:14, 15.
14 That is, whereas he has not deserved to be condemned to die, or to be punished with death, as Deut. 21:22; Jer. 26:11, 16; Luke 24:20.
15 As verse 4.
7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
8And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promisedd to give unto thy fathers;
d Gen. 28:13; Deut. 12:20.
9If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities moree for thee, beside these three:
e Joshua 20:7.
10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so 16blood be upon thee.
16 Hebr. bloods.
11¶But iff any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him 17mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
f Gen. 9:6; Exod. 21:12, 14; Lev. 24:17; Num. 35:16.
17 Hebr. in life, or, on the soul, as verses 6, 21.
12Then the elders 18of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
18 That is, the elders of the place where the slayer dwells, or unto which he belongs.
13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14¶Thoug shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they 19of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
g Prov. 22:28.
19 Hebr. the first.
15¶Oneh witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in 20any sin that he sinneth: ati the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the 21matter be established.
h Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; Mat. 18:16.
20 That is, all manner of sin.
i Deut. 17:6; John 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1; Heb. 10:28.
21 Or, the word.
16¶If 22a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
22 Hebr. a witness of rashness, or, of willfulness; that is, who, either out of his own willfulness or being prompted by others, seeks to ruin and destroy his neighbor to offer wrong and violence unto him.
17Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before 23the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
23 Or thus, of the priests or of the judges. See Deut. 17:9, 12.
18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition:j and, behold, if the witness be 24a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
j search, investigation
24 Hebr. a witness of falsehood or of lying.
19Thenk shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: 25so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
k Prov. 19:5.
25 See Deut. 13 on verse 5.
20And those 26which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such 27evil among you.
26 That is, others, all the people. See Deut. 13:11; 17:13.
27 Hebr. word, thing, matter.
21And thine eye shall not pity; but 28lifelshall go for life, 29eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
28 Or, soul shall go for soul.
l Exod. 21:23; Lev. 24:20; Mat. 5:38.
29 See Lev. 24 on verse 20.