And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
Parallel translations
- WEB The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
- BSB You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
- NKJV They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.
- NASB The cities shall serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who commits manslaughter does not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.
- NLT These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put to death before being tried by the community.
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
The cities are to be a refuge from the avenger so the manslayer does not die before standing trial before the congregation. They guarantee a fair hearing rather than hasty vengeance.
Overview
By providing time for due process, the law restrained the avenger of blood and ensured guilt or innocence was rightly determined. This protected the accused from being killed before justice could be done. The provision reveals God's commitment to fair judgment, upholding both the value of life and the rule of law.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Josh 20:3–6That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
- Deut 19:6Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
- Josh 20:9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
- 2 Sam 14:7And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
- Deut 19:11–12But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
- Num 35:19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
- Num 35:24–27Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 35:12 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
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