Deuteronomy 19:6
in Deuteronomy 19Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
KJV
Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 19
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When the LORD your God has cut off the nations
on Deuteronomy 19:1-7
Numbers 35:9-15 had already set these cities apart. This chapter adds the roads, with the land divided in three so that distance never decides a case. Verse 6 gives the reason, that the avenger might overtake the manslayer “if the distance is great”.
This site's exposition
the avenger of blood might pursue
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown call the avenger's duty the customary law of that age. Numbers 35:19 gives the avenger of blood the right to strike the murderer dead. The danger here is his rage falling on the wrong man.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Lest the avenger of blood pursue the slayer,....
(3.) It is provided that, if an avenger of blood should be so unreasonable as to demand satisfaction for blood shed by accident only, then the city of refuge should protect the slayer. Sins of ignorance indeed do expose us to the wrath of God, but there is relief provided, if by faith and repentance we make use of it.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יִרְדֹּף֩ | yirdof | he should pursue | H7291 → | 143 times |
| גֹּאֵ֨ל | goel | [the] avenger of | H1350 → | |
| הַדָּ֜ם | hadam | <the> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| הָרֹצֵ֗חַ | harotzeach | the killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יֵחַם֮ | yecham | it will be hot | H2552 → | |
| לְבָבוֹ֒ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹ | vehisigo | and he will overtake him | H5381 → | 50 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִרְבֶּ֥ה | yirbeh | it will be great | H7235 → | 227 times |
| הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ | haderekh | the journey | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְהִכָּ֣הוּ | vehikahu | and he will strike him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| נָ֑פֶשׁ | nafesh | life | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְלוֹ֙ | velo | and [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מִשְׁפַּט־ | mishpat- | a sentence of | H4941 → | 422 times |
| מָ֔וֶת | mavet | death | H4194 → | 156 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שֹׂנֵ֥א | sone' | [was] hating | H8130 → | 146 times |
| ה֛וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | <to> <the> him | ||
| מִתְּמ֥וֹל | mitemol | from yesterday | H8543 → | 23 times |
| שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃ | shilshom | [the] third day | H8032 → | 24 times |
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
יִרְדֹּף֩he should pursue
yirdofH7291 →143 times
גֹּאֵ֨ל[the] avenger of
goelH1350 →
הַדָּ֜ם<the> blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
הָרֹצֵ֗חַthe killer
harotzeachH7523 →47 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יֵחַם֮it will be hot
yechamH2552 →
לְבָבוֹ֒heart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹand he will overtake him
vehisigoH5381 →50 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִרְבֶּ֥הit will be great
yirbehH7235 →227 times
הַדֶּ֖רֶךְthe journey
haderekhH1870 →707 times
וְהִכָּ֣הוּand he will strike him
vehikahuH5221 →499 times
נָ֑פֶשׁlife
nafeshH5315 →754 times
וְלוֹ֙and [belonged] to <the> him
velo
אֵ֣יןnot
ʾeinH369 →789 times
מִשְׁפַּט־a sentence of
mishpat-H4941 →422 times
מָ֔וֶתdeath
mavetH4194 →156 times
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שֹׂנֵ֥א[was] hating
sone'H8130 →146 times
ה֛וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
ל֖וֹ<to> <the> him
lo
מִתְּמ֥וֹלfrom yesterday
mitemolH8543 →23 times
שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃[the] third day
shilshomH8032 →24 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 14:7Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother…
it leads to
- Numbers 35:19
The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 35:19
Through
Deuteronomy 21:22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,
it leads to
- Acts 26:31
On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
- John 19:31–38
It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have…
- Matthew 26:66
What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered.
- Luke 23:33
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.
- Acts 23:29
I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Acts 26:31
Through
Joshua 20:5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.
it leads to
- Numbers 35:12
You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
- Numbers 35:12
Through
Numbers 35:12You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
it leads to
- Joshua 20:3–6
so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
- Joshua 20:3–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
