The Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20

1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2 "Say to the people of Israel, j 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 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. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand k at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 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. 6 And he shall remain in that city l 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.'"

7 So they set apart m Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and n Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and o Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) p in the hill country of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed q Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and r Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and s Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and t for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

  1. 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.
    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.
    Numbers 35:11 - 14
    Then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.
    Deuteronomy 4:41 - 43
    Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan.
    Deuteronomy 19:2 - 9
    You shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 21:19
    Then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives.
    Ruth 4:1 - 2
    Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
    Psalms 127:5
    Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
  3. 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.
    Numbers 35:24 - 25
    Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.
  4. Cross References
    Joshua 21:32
    And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands - three cities.
    1 Chronicles 6:76
    And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands.
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 21:21
    To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 21:11
    They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it.
    Joshua 21:13
    And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands.
    Joshua 14:13 - 15
    Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 21:11
    They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it.
    Luke 1:39
    In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 21:36
    And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands.
    1 Chronicles 6:78
    And beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands.
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 21:38
    And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands.
    1 Kings 22:3
    And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 21:27
    And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands - two cities.
    1 Chronicles 6:71
    To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 35:15
    These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
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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