or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;
Parallel translations
- KJV Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
- BSB or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,
- NKJV or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,
- NASB or had any deadly stone, and without looking he dropped it on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor was he seeking to harm him,
- NLT or accidentally drops a huge stone on someone, though they were not enemies, and the person dies.
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
A deadly stone dropped on someone unseen, with no enmity, counts as accidental killing. Circumstances reveal the absence of intent.
Overview
This verse gives a concrete example of manslaughter: a fatal object cast without seeing the victim and without prior hostility. The detailed criteria ('not seeing him,' 'not his enemy') show God's law carefully establishing whether malice was present. By providing the city of refuge for such cases, the law mingles justice with mercy, foreshadowing the refuge believers find in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
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Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 35:23 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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