Joshua 20:5
in Joshua 20Now 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unawares, and hated him not beforetime.
KJV
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
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This verse in Joshua 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
stands at the entrance of the city gate
on Joshua 20:4-6
The elders sat at the gate to hear cases, so the man pleads before a court and his protection turns on a hearing. Verse 4 has the elders receive him and verse 6 sends him to stand trial before the assembly, which Barnes reads as a provisional reception followed by the full trial. Release comes only at the high priest's death, so one man's life fixes the length of exile.
This site's exposition
without prior malice
The test is the killer's state of mind before the act. Deuteronomy 19:5 gives the standard case, an axe blade flying off the handle and killing a neighbor. Matthew Henry notes that the avenger stood on the older law of Genesis 9:6, that whoever sheds man's blood will have his own blood shed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); for the way of man is not in himself. What reason have we to thank God who has kept us both from slaying and from being slain by accident! In this case, it is supposed that the relations of the person slain would demand the life of the slayer, as a satisfaction to that ancient law that whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him,.... To the city of refuge, whither he is fled, and demand him: then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hands; to be slain by him, but shall protect him: because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime; See Gill on Num 35:22; see Gill on Num 35:23, and See Gill on Deu 19:6.
By this law he was entitled to a dwelling in that city, was taken into the care of the government of it, but was confined to it, as prisoner at large; only, if he survived the high priest, then, and not till then, he might return to his own city.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Until he stands, etc. for judgement. If he is acquited from exile, he is discharged. If he is sentanced to exile, he is returned to the city of his refuge, and he must reside there until the death of the Kohein-godol.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִ֨י | vekhi | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִרְדֹּ֜ף | yirdof | he will pursue | H7291 → | 143 times |
| גֹּאֵ֤ל | goel | [the] avenger of | H1350 → | 104 times |
| הַדָּם֙ | hadam | <the> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| אַֽחֲרָ֔יו | ʾacharav | after him | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַסְגִּ֥רוּ | yasgiru | they will deliver up | H5462 → | 91 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָרֹצֵ֖חַ | harotzeach | the killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| בְּיָד֑וֹ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בִבְלִי־ | vivli- | with not | H1097 → | |
| דַ֙עַת֙ | daat | knowledge | H1847 → | |
| הִכָּ֣ה | hikah | he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֵעֵ֔הוּ | reehu | neighbor his | H7453 → | |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שֹׂנֵ֥א | sone' | [was] hating | H8130 → | |
| 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 |
וְכִ֨יand if
vekhiH3588 →4482 times
יִרְדֹּ֜ףhe will pursue
yirdofH7291 →143 times
גֹּאֵ֤ל[the] avenger of
goelH1350 →104 times
הַדָּם֙<the> blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
אַֽחֲרָ֔יוafter him
ʾacharavH310 →715 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַסְגִּ֥רוּthey will deliver up
yasgiruH5462 →91 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָרֹצֵ֖חַthe killer
harotzeachH7523 →47 times
בְּיָד֑וֹin hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בִבְלִי־with not
vivli-H1097 →
דַ֙עַת֙knowledge
daatH1847 →
הִכָּ֣הhe struck
hikahH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רֵעֵ֔הוּneighbor his
reehuH7453 →
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
שֹׂנֵ֥א[was] hating
sone'H8130 →
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
Numbers 35:25The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live…
it leads to
- Exodus 29:7
Then take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.
- Leviticus 4:3
If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
- Romans 3:24–26
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
- Joshua 20:6
He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own…
- Exodus 29:7
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
- Deuteronomy 19:6
Otherwise, 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…
- 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.
- 2 Samuel 14:7
Now 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…
- Joshua 20:9
These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of…
- Deuteronomy 19:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Joshua
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and The Berean Standard Bible, Joshua 20, with the verses cited in the note.