But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait,
- KJV But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
- NKJV ‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,
- NASB ‘But if he pushed him suddenly, without hostility, or threw any object at him without malicious intent,
- NLT “But suppose someone pushes another person without having shown previous hostility, or throws something that unintentionally hits another person,
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
If a death happens suddenly, without hostility or ambush, it is treated differently from murder. Lack of malice changes the case.
Overview
Here the law turns to unintentional killing, where a person causes death without enmity or premeditation. By carefully separating accident from intent, God's law protects the genuinely innocent from blood vengeance while still upholding the gravity of a life lost. Such measured justice reflects the character of a God who judges righteously and distinguishes between the guilty and the unfortunate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Exod 21:13If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
- Num 35:11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
- Deut 19:5If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
- Josh 20:3so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
- Josh 20:5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.
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 35:22 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.