“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,
Parallel translations
- KJV Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
- BSB “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
- NKJV “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
- NASB “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
- NLT “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God tells Joshua to appoint the cities of refuge that He had earlier commanded through Moses. The long-promised provision is now to be put in place.
Overview
The instruction fulfills the law given in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19, showing the continuity of God's word from Moses to Joshua. These cities provided a sanctuary where one who killed accidentally could be safe from vengeance until a fair trial. The arrangement upholds both the value of human life and the need for justice, and points to Christ as the true refuge for sinners who flee to Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Deut 19:2–13you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.
- Num 35:11–24then you shall appoint for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the man slayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
- Deut 4:41–43Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;
- Num 35:6“The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the man slayer to flee to. Besides them you shall give forty-two cities.
- Rom 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
- Exod 21:13–14but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee.
- Rom 8:33–34Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.
- Heb 6:18–19that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 20:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.