And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
Parallel translations
- WEB “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.
- BSB Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities.
- NKJV “Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.
- NASB The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall provide for the one who commits manslaughter to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
- NLT “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
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
Six of the Levites' cities are to be cities of refuge for the manslayer, with forty-two others besides. The Levitical cities include places of asylum for those who kill unintentionally.
Overview
Joining the cities of refuge to the Levitical cities placed administration of justice and mercy in the hands of those who taught God's law. The cities of refuge protected the unintentional killer from premature vengeance until a fair hearing. This provision reveals God's concern for justice tempered by mercy, a foreshadowing of the refuge sinners find in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Josh 21:3And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.
- Josh 21:13Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,
- Josh 21:36And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,
- Josh 21:32And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.
- Josh 21:21For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,
- Josh 21:38And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,
- Ps 9:9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
- Josh 21:27And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs; two cities.
- Matt 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- Deut 4:41–43Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;
- Josh 20:2–9Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
- Isa 4:6And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
- Heb 6:18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
- Ps 142:4–5I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
- Ps 62:7–8In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
- Num 35:13–14And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
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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 35:6 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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