1.
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
2.
Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.
3.
And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
4.
And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5.
And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
6.
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.
7.
So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8.
And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
9.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
11.
Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.
12.
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.
13.
And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14.
Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
15.
These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
16.
And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
17.
And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
18.
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19.
The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
Numbers 35:19. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer— The Jews understand this as an absolute order for the avenger of blood to kill the murderer; but others suppose, that it is only a permission to the avenger, and after actual and legal condemnation of the murderer: an opinion which seems much confirmed by Deuteronomy 19:12-13. Le Clerc translates it, eum interficere licebit; it shall be lawful for him to kill him.
20.
But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
21.
Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
22.
But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
23.
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:
24.
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
25.
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
Numbers 35:25. The congregation shall deliver the slayer—unto the death of the high priest— By this punishment inflicted on the man-slayer, others were taught to be very watchful over themselves, lest by negligence they should chance to kill any body, and so be forced into banishment. It would be endless to relate the different conjectures of the learned concerning the return of the homicide upon the death of the high priest. Many of the Jews affirm, that the death of so eminent a person, being lamented with the greatest concern by the whole nation, was one of the best means possible to put an end to all private resentments, and to unite men in friendship and affection: but the greater part of Christians consider this circumstance as a type of our deliverance through the death of Jesus Christ, by which mankind obtained entire and spiritual freedom, and a privilege of returning to their own country; namely, heaven. There were some footsteps of this custom among the Gentiles; for Servius, upon the 6th AEneid, ver. 143 has observed, that, upon the death of the high priest at Aricinum, those who had taken refuge in that temple were at liberty to return. We find in Philostratus a law of the citizens of Memphis: that, in the case of manslaughter, the party was obliged to fly, and put himself into the hands of the Gymnosophists, or Indian divines, who were to absolve him by water of lustration, and then he became, as we say, rectus in curia, or, an acquitted man, after he had first offered a sacrifice of inconsiderable value at the grave of the person whom he had unfortunately killed. De Vita Apollon. lib. vi. sect. 2. c. 5.
26.
But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
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And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:
28.
Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
29.
So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
30.
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
Numbers 35:30. One witness shall not testify against any person— This is a wise precaution to prevent the shedding of innocent blood. The Jews tell us, that where there was but one witness, though he who was accused of the murder could not be put to death, yet he was thrown into a very strait prison, and there fed with bread and water.
31.
Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
Numbers 35:31. Ye shall take no satisfaction, &c.— See Gen 9:6 and Leviticus 24:20. Lord Clarendon, upon this and the 33rd verse, observes, that there is no established government in Christendom where the pardon of murder is not against the law.
32.
And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.
33.
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
34.
Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.