1The Levites are to have eight and forty cities (six of them to be cities of refuge) with their suburbs of a certain measure. 9The laws of murder and manslaughter. 31No satisfaction to be taken for either of them.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
2Commanda the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the 1inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites 2suburbs for the cities round about them.
a Joshua 21:2.
1 Though God had appointed no peculiar inheritance for the Levites in the land of Canaan, as He had done to the rest of the tribes, yet His pleasure was that they would have their proper places of abode all over the land for the more convenient dispensing of the Word of God among the people, and have better supervision to the preservation of the pure worship of God throughout the land.
2 Hereby is understood the near bordering lands or fields about those cities, serving the Levites, not only for barns and stables for corn and cattle, etc., but likewise, as some perceive, for arable land and pastures. See Jer. 32:7.
3And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side 3two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the 4west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
3 Over and above the thousand cubits, mentioned in the previous verse, another thousand, or, as some conjecture, still two thousand others, serving for pastures and agriculture, according to some opinion. Some understand it as if in this verse there is only declaration made of the manner of measuring those aforementioned thousand cubits from one quarter to another, as well straight outward as in the circumference; or, that now here is understood the civil cubits were of two thousand make but one thousand holy ones; as the shekel of the sanctuary was double to the civil or common shekel. We remit the judgment to the judicious reader.
4 Hebr. from the sea.
6And among theb cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six 5cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the 6manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
b Joshua 21:21.
5 Or, cities of recourse. See Joshua 20 on verse 2.
6 Understand him who comes to kill a man unknowingly and unwillingly, as verses 11, 15, 22, 23.
7So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have 7many ye shall give 8many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
7 Compare Num. 33:54 and see Joshua 21:9, 16.
8 Hebr. multiply, that is, shall take many cities, or, give many to the Levites.
9¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 9Whenc ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
9 Or, when ye go over Jordan, etc.
c Deut. 19:2; Joshua 20:2.
11Then ye shall 10appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any 11person at 12unawares.
10 Hebr. ye shall make or cause your cities to meet, that is, ye shall so dispose your cities of refuge that they may be near at hand and not far remote to the end that the guiltless manslayer may with all possible speed escape hither, and may not fall into the hands of the avenger of blood. Compare Deut. 19:3 and the annotation there.
11 Or, soul.
12 Hebr. by error, that is, ignorantly, as Deut. 19:4, 5. Also verses 15, 22, 23.
12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the 13avenger; that the manslayer 14die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
13 See verses 19, 21, 24, 27, where he is called the revenger of blood.
14 By the hand of the revenger of blood. See Deut. 19:6.
13And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14Ye shall give threed cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of 15Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
d Deut. 4:41; Joshua 20:8.
15 Beyond Jordan. Compare Deut. 19:8, 9, 10.
15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
16And if he 16smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall 17surely be 18put to death.
16 Understand, not unawares or ignorantly, but willingly and knowingly.
17 Hebr. shall dying be, etc., or, with death shall be put to death, and so verses 17, 18, 21.
18 Although he were fled into one of these cities of refuge. See Deut. 19:11, 12.
17And if he smite him with throwing a 19stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 Hebr. stone of the hand, that is, thrown by the hand.
18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19The revenger of blood himself shall 20slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
20 Compare Deut. 19:12 and here, verses 12, 30.
20Bute if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
e Deut. 19:11.
21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall 21slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
21 Other, may put to death.
22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, 22seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his 23harm:
22 Hebr. without seeing. Other, without seeing him.
23 That is, his hurt, damage, wounding, much less his life to destroy it.
24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
25And the congregation shall deliver the 24slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the 25death of the high priest, which was anointed with the 26holy oil.
24 Understand him who slew his neighbor unwillingly and unknowingly, as verse 23.
25 Or, the dying, and so in the sequel.
26 Being therein always a type of the Messiah, our High Priest and Savior Jesus Christ, Who by His death has blotted out the hand writing of our sins and reconciled us with God. See likewise Lev. 21:10 and compare Psalm 45:7; Eph. 2:16, 17; Col. 2:14; Heb. 1:9.
26But if the slayer shall 27at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
27 Hebr. shall going forth go forth.
27And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be 28guilty of blood:
28 Hebr. blood-guiltiness, that is, not guilty of blood or murder. The sense is: Murder shall not be imputed to him by the judges. See Gen. 37 on verse 26.
28Because 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 29return into the land of his possession.
29 That is, may return to his former own dwelling place.
29So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
30Whoso killeth 30any person, the murderer 31shall be put to death byf the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person 32to cause him to die.
30 That is, to take away the life of any man or person, which some understand here of the punishing of the murderer.
31 This has regard to the judge, or revenger of blood, who might not put a murderer to death without precedent lawful conviction.
f Deut. 17:6; 19:15.
32 That is, no man shall be put to death upon a single testimony of one man or person alone.
31Moreover ye shall take no 33satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is 34guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
33 That is, no redemption-money, nor any bribe or present to extenuate the murder’s life or to grant him a pardon, as they call it.
34 Who is found guilty of death. The Hebrew word signifies one who is unrighteous, or one who is in the wrong and has guilt; and consequently is also a criminal; and is opposed to one who is righteous, just or guiltless in matters of judgment. Compare Deut. 25 on verse 1. Otherwise, the word is taken generally for a wicked, ungodly, evil, impious one, who is continually restless and stirring in evil, as is written in Isa. 57:20. Compare Job 9:20.
32And ye shall take no satisfaction 35for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the 36land, until the death of the priest.
35 Other, for the fleeing. Namely, by granting him a permission that he shall not need to flee to a city of refuge, or having fled into it, (and) would have liberty to return to the place of his habitation before the death of the high priest.
36 Of his possession, as verse 28, that is, into his previous own place of abode.
33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it 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.
34Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I 37the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.
37 Or, I am the LORD, dwelling, etc.