Numbers 35:25
in Numbers 35The 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 there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
KJV
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
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This verse in Numbers 35
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe man who renounces the vices and rejects the way of life of his countrymen is in flight like Lot. Such a one does not look behind himself but enters that city which is above by the passageway of his thoughts, and he does not withdraw from it until the death of the chief priest who bore the sin of the world. He indeed died once, but he dies for each person who is baptized in Christ's death, that we may be buried together with him and rise with him and walk in the newness of his life.
This site's exposition
he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest
The term is fixed to one event, the death of the high priest which was anointed with the holy oil. No fine shortens it, no span of years completes it and no conduct earns it, so another man's death is the only key that opens the city. Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry both read that of Christ, Clarke writing at verse 32 that no sinner recovers his forfeited inheritance until the great high priest has died for his offences. The New Testament nowhere states the link, and Hebrews, which works through the priesthood at length, does not use this law.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood,....
There he was to remain in banishment from his own house and patrimony till the death of the high priest; and, if at any time he went out of that city or the suburbs of it, he put himself out of the protection of the law, and the avenger of blood, if he met him, might slay him,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But he had to "abide in it." His confinement within its walls was a wise and salutary rule, designed to show the sanctity of human blood in God's sight, as well as to protect the manslayer himself, whose presence and intercourse in society might have provoked the passions of the deceased's relatives.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ | vehitzilu | and they will deliver | H5337 → | |
| הָעֵדָ֜ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָרֹצֵ֗חַ | harotzeach | the killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| מִיַּד֮ | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| גֹּאֵ֣ל | goel | [the] avenger of | H1350 → | 104 times |
| הַדָּם֒ | hadam | <the> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּ | veheshivu | and they will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֹתוֹ֙ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָֽעֵדָ֔ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עִ֥יר | ʾir | [the] city of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| מִקְלָט֖וֹ | miklato | refuge his | H4733 → | 20 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָ֣ס | nas | he had fled | H5127 → | 159 times |
| שָׁ֑מָּה | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וְיָ֣שַׁב | veyashav | and he will dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּ֗הּ | bah | in <the> it | ||
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מוֹת֙ | mot | [the] death of | H4194 → | 156 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֣ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הַגָּדֹ֔ל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מָשַׁ֥ח | mashach | someone had anointed | H4886 → | 70 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּשֶׁ֥מֶן | beshemen | with [the] oil of | H8081 → | 193 times |
| הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ | hakodesh | <the> holiness | H6944 → | 469 times |
וְהִצִּ֨ילוּand they will deliver
vehitziluH5337 →
הָעֵדָ֜הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָרֹצֵ֗חַthe killer
harotzeachH7523 →47 times
מִיַּד֮from [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
גֹּאֵ֣ל[the] avenger of
goelH1350 →104 times
הַדָּם֒<the> blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּand they will return
veheshivuH7725 →1056 times
אֹתוֹ֙<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
הָֽעֵדָ֔הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עִ֥יר[the] city of
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
מִקְלָט֖וֹrefuge his
miklatoH4733 →20 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נָ֣סhe had fled
nasH5127 →159 times
שָׁ֑מָּהthere towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
וְיָ֣שַׁבand he will dwell
veyashavH3427 →1079 times
בָּ֗הּin <the> it
bah
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
מוֹת֙[the] death of
motH4194 →156 times
הַכֹּהֵ֣ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
הַגָּדֹ֔ל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
מָשַׁ֥חsomeone had anointed
mashachH4886 →70 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בְּשֶׁ֥מֶןwith [the] oil of
beshemenH8081 →193 times
הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃<the> holiness
hakodeshH6944 →469 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
Joshua 20:6He 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…
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.
- Hebrews 9:26
Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by…
- Numbers 35:12
Through
Leviticus 4:3If 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.
it leads to
- Leviticus 9:2
He said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the LORD.
- Hebrews 7:27–28
Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when…
- Leviticus 4:14
when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.
- Leviticus 9:2
Through
Exodus 29:7Then take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.
it leads to
- Leviticus 21:10
The priest who is highest among his brothers, who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair hang loose…
- Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- John 3:34
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
- Leviticus 21:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, FLIGHT FROM THE WORLD 9.55; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.