The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he himself shall put him to death when he meets him.
Parallel translations
- WEB The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death.
- KJV The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
- BSB The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
- NKJV The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
- NLT The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.
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 avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death upon meeting him. The near kinsman carries out the just sentence against a convicted murderer.
Overview
The avenger of blood, a kinsman responsible for justice, executed the lawful penalty after guilt was established, not in unchecked vengeance. This role functioned within the system of trial and refuge to ensure justice without lawlessness. The seriousness of bloodguilt here points to the ultimate justice of God, satisfied for sinners through the blood of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Josh 20:5If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.
- Josh 20:3that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
- Num 35:21or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meets him.
- Deut 19:12then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
- Deut 19:6Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.
- Num 35:27and the avenger of blood finds him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the man slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,
- Num 35:12The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the man slayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
- Num 35:24then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
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 35:19 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.