Cities of Refuge

Numbers 35

9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: h 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 'then i you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. 12 j 'They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. 13 'And of the cities which you give, you shall have k six cities of refuge. 14 l 'You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. 15 'These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, m for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

16 n 'But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 'And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 'Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 o 'The 1 avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 p 'If he pushes him out of hatred or, q while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, 21 'or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 'However, if he pushes him suddenly r without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, 23 '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, 24 'then s the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 'So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and t he shall remain there until the death of the high priest u who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 'But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 'and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of 2 blood, 28 'because he should have remained in his city of refuge 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 v a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 'Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the w testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. 31 'Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 'And you shall take 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 priest. 33 'So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood x defiles the land, and no 3 atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except y by the blood of him who shed it. 34 'Therefore z do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for a I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.' "

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 19:2
    You shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
    Joshua 20:1 - 9
    The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 21:13
    However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
    Numbers 35:22 - 25
    However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait.
    Deuteronomy 19:1 - 13
    When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land the LORD your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 19:6
    Lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.
    Joshua 20:3
    That the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
    Joshua 20:5
    Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.
    Joshua 20:6
    'And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
  4. Cross References
    Numbers 35:6
    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.
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:41
    Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.
    Joshua 20:8
    And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 15:16
    'One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.'"
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 21:12
    He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.
    Exodus 21:14
    But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
    Leviticus 24:17
    Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.
    Deuteronomy 19:11
    But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities.
    Deuteronomy 19:12
    Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
  8. Cross References
    Numbers 35:21
    Or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
    Numbers 35:24
    Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.
    Numbers 35:27
    And the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.
    Deuteronomy 19:6
    Lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.
    Deuteronomy 19:12
    Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 4:8
    Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
    2 Samuel 3:27
    Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
    2 Samuel 20:10
    But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
    1 Kings 2:31
    Then the king said to him, "Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed.
    1 Kings 2:32
    So the LORD will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword - Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah - though my father David did not know it.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 21:14
    But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
    Deuteronomy 19:11
    But if anyone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises against him and strikes him mortally, so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities.
    Deuteronomy 19:12
    Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 21:13
    However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 35:12
    They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.
    Joshua 20:6
    'And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 20:6
    'And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 29:7
    And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
    Leviticus 4:3
    If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
    Leviticus 21:10
    He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes.
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 27:11
    And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.' " And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:6
    Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to d...
    Deuteronomy 19:15
    One witness shall not rise against a man concer...
    Matthew 18:16
    "But if he will not hear, take with you one or ...
    John 7:51
    "Does our law judge a man before it hears him a...
    John 8:17
    It is also written in your law that the testimo...
    John 8:18
    "I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the ...
    2 Corinthians 13:1
    This will be the third time I am coming to you....
    Hebrews 10:28
    Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without...
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 21:7
    Then they shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it.
    Deuteronomy 21:8
    Provide atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.' And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood.
    Psalms 106:38
    And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.
  18. Cross References
    Genesis 9:6
    Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
  19. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:24
    Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.
    Leviticus 18:25
    For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.
    Deuteronomy 21:23
    His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.
  20. Cross References
    Exodus 29:45
    I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.
    Exodus 29:46
    And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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