Joshua 20:3
in Joshua 20so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
KJV
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
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This verse in Joshua 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe same thing twice repeated to cut off all the expectations that wilful murderers might have of protection here; God having declared, that such should be taken even from his altar, that they might be killed. It is strange that any Christians should make their sanctuaries give protection to such persons whom God hath so expressly excepted from it!
This site's exposition
The Lord also spake unto
on Joshua 20:1-3
Verse 2 says outright that this carries out an older command, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses, and the law it executes is Numbers 35:9-34 with Deuteronomy 19:1-13 behind it. The order comes after the allotment of chapters 13 to 19, so the six towns exist with borders and owners before they are named as refuges. The phrase cities of refuge is first used at Numbers 35:11 and the avenger of blood at Deuteronomy 19:12, which places this chapter at the end of a chain rather than the head of one. The avenger is the goel, the same kinsman word that redeems land at Leviticus 25:25 and a man at Leviticus 25:48, turned here toward blood.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares, and unwittingly, may flee thither,.... Who through mere accident, and without design, killed a person, friend or foe, one of his own kindred, or a stranger, without any malice against him, or intention to take away his life: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood; from any of the relations of the deceased, who might be stirred up to avenge the blood of his kinsman on the slayer; see Num 35:12.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The institution of the cities of refuge, together with the rules prescribed for the guidance of those who sought an asylum within their walls, was an important provision, tending to secure the ends of justice as well as of mercy.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָנ֥וּס | lanus | to flee | H5127 → | 159 times |
| שָׁ֙מָּה֙ | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| רוֹצֵ֔חַ | rotzeach | a killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| מַכֵּה־ | makeh- | [who] strikes down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| נֶ֥פֶשׁ | nefesh | <of> a person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה | bishgagah | by inadvertence | H7684 → | |
| בִּבְלִי־ | bivli- | with not | H1097 → | |
| דָ֑עַת | daat | knowledge | H1847 → | |
| וְהָי֤וּ | vehayu | and they will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | for <the> you | ||
| לְמִקְלָ֔ט | lemiklat | <into> a refuge | H4733 → | 20 times |
| מִגֹּאֵ֖ל | migoel | from [the] avenger of | H1350 → | 104 times |
| הַדָּֽם׃ | hadam | <the> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
לָנ֥וּסto flee
lanusH5127 →159 times
שָׁ֙מָּה֙there towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
רוֹצֵ֔חַa killer
rotzeachH7523 →47 times
מַכֵּה־[who] strikes down
makeh-H5221 →499 times
נֶ֥פֶשׁ<of> a person
nefeshH5315 →754 times
בִּשְׁגָגָ֖הby inadvertence
bishgagahH7684 →
בִּבְלִי־with not
bivli-H1097 →
דָ֑עַתknowledge
daatH1847 →
וְהָי֤וּand they will become
vehayuH1961 →3559 times
לָכֶם֙for <the> you
lakhem
לְמִקְלָ֔ט<into> a refuge
lemiklatH4733 →20 times
מִגֹּאֵ֖לfrom [the] avenger of
migoelH1350 →104 times
הַדָּֽם׃<the> blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.