Cities of Refuge

Numbers 35

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, y When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 z then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities that you give shall be your a six cities of refuge. 14 b You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and c for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

16 d "But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19 e The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, f lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. e The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 "But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him g without lying in wait 23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24 then h the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and e the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it i until the death of the high priest j who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27 and e the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28 For he must remain in his city of refuge i until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be for k a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30 "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the l evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not m pollute the land in which you live, for blood m pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except n by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 o You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, p for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel."

  1. Cross References
    Numbers 35:10 - 12
    Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan.
    Deuteronomy 19:2 - 4
    You shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
    Joshua 20:2 - 6
    Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 21:13
    But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 35:6
    The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
  4. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:41
    Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan.
    Joshua 20:8
    And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
  5. Cross References
    Numbers 15:16
    One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 21:12
    Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
    Exodus 21:14
    But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
    Leviticus 24:17
    Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.
    Deuteronomy 19:11 - 12
    But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 19:6
    Lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.
    Deuteronomy 19:12
    Then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
    Joshua 20:3
    That the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
    Joshua 20:5
    And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.
  8. Cross References
    Exodus 21:14
    But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
    Deuteronomy 19:11
    But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities.
  9. Cross References
    Numbers 35:19
    The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 21:13
    But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 35:12
    The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
    Joshua 20:6
    And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 35:19
    The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 20:6
    And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 29:7
    You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.
    Leviticus 4:3
    If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.
    Leviticus 21:10
    The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 35:19
    The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
  16. Cross References
    Numbers 35:25
    And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
  17. Cross References
    Numbers 27:11
    And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses.'
  18. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:6
    On the evidence of two witnesses or of three wi...
    Deuteronomy 19:15
    A single witness shall not suffice against a pe...
    Hebrews 10:28
    Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies ...
    Matthew 18:16
    But if he does not listen, take one or two othe...
    John 8:17
    In your Law it is written that the testimony of...
    2 Corinthians 13:1
    This is the third time I am coming to you. Ever...
    1 Timothy 5:19
    Do not admit a charge against an elder except o...
  19. Cross References
    Psalms 106:38
    They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
    Jeremiah 3:1 - 2
    If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 3:9
    Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
    Micah 4:11
    Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, "Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.
  20. Cross References
    Psalms 106:38
    They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
    Jeremiah 3:1 - 2
    If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the Lord.
    Jeremiah 3:9
    Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
    Micah 4:11
    Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, "Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 9:6
    Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
  22. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:25
    And the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
    Deuteronomy 21:23
    His body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
  23. Cross References
    Exodus 29:45
    I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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