THE BOOK OF
JOSHUA.

Joshua 20

1God commandeth, 7and the children of Israel appoint the six cities of refuge.


1THE LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you 1cities of refuge, whereofa I spake unto you 2by the hand of Moses:

1 Hebr. cities of retreat, or contraction. The Hebrew word signifies to draw together, or to contract. These cities are so called, because those, who fled for slaying a man, are to take refuge there, and to keep within the same.

a Exod. 21:13; Num. 35:6; Deut. 19:1, 2.

2 Or, by the ministry of Moses. Hebr. by the hand of Moses.

3That the slayer that killeth any 3person unawares and 4unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge 5from the avenger of blood.

3 That is, a man, yea, the body of a man, for the soul of man cannot be killed; for soul, in verse 5 it is said, his neighbour.

4 They, who willfully or on purpose had slain any man, were nowhere free, not so much as in the temple, nor at the altar, Exod. 21:14.

5 That is, before him, who being of kin to or of the blood of him that was slain, had right or reason to take or demand vengeance for the same.

4And whenb he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand 6at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare 7his cause in the ears of the 8elders of that city, 9they shall 10take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

b Num. 35:22, 23; Deut. 19:4, 5.

6 That is, at the town-hall or place of judicature. This was formerly wont to be in the city gates.

7 That is, he shall give notice why he came there, how and what he has done.

8 That is, of the magistrate.

9 Namely, after it is found that he is no willful murderer.

10 Hebr. gather.

5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not 11beforetime.

11 That is, in the past.

6And he shall dwell in that city, 12until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and 13until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: 14then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

12 Other, from having stood, etc. intimating, that he might not have been admitted into the city, without having past a solemn trial.

13 The meaning of these words is that the refugee, after he was heard and acquitted, was nevertheless to continue in the city of refuge, until the death of the high priest, who lived at that time when the murder was committed.

14 That is, after his trial and acquittal.

7¶And they 15appointed 16Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, 17in the mountain of Judah.

15 That is, they appointed and ordained for cities of refuge.

16 Kedesh, Shechem and Kirjath-arba, these three cities were situated on this side Jordan, as may be gathered from verse 8.

17 That is, the mountainous country of Judah, as Luke 1:39, 65.

8And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned 18Bezerc in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

18 That this city was situated in the wilderness, appears by 1 Maccabees 5; that it was in the low grounds (namely, of the Moabites’ country) appears by Jer. 48:24.

c Deut. 4:43.

9These were the 19cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawaresd might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, 20until he stood before the congregation.

19 Hebr. the cities of appointment, or ordaining, that is, which were ordained and appointed for cities of refuge. Other, of coming together.

d unexpectedly*

20 That is, until his case shall be heard in judgment: And understand herewith: and he shall be acquitted.