Numbers 35:26
in Numbers 35But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth,
KJV
But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
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This verse in Numbers 35
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBut if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge,.... Which seems to be the three thousand cubits assigned to every city of the Levites, and so to the cities of refuge; and which, according to the Jewish writers, were a refuge, as the city itself; and it is said (x),"he, that kills a man there, is killed for him, but though the border is a refuge, the slayer does not dwell in it, as it is said.
This site's exposition
come without the border of the city
on Numbers 35:26-28
Protection has a boundary and the manslayer keeps inside it or loses it, and John Gill reports the Jewish writers counting the measured suburbs as part of the refuge. Verse 28 states the term a second time within four verses, which is where the weight of the passage sits. What the death of the high priest gives back is named as well, the land of his possession, so the release restores property and not only liberty.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If the offender was ever caught struggling out of the borders of his city of refuge, or stealing home to his house again, he lost the benefit of his protection, and lay exposed to the avenger of blood; so those that are in Christ must abide in Christ, for it is at their peril if they forsake him and wander from him.
How can we expect to be saved if we neglect the salvation, which is indeed a great salvation! Here is a great deal of good gospel couched under the type and figure of the cities of refuge; and to them the apostle seems to allude when he speaks of our fleeing for refuge to the hope set before is ( Heb. vi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The death of the high- priest - Perhaps to shew that the death of Christ (the true High- priest, whom the others represented) is the only means whereby sins are pardoned and sinners set at liberty.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יָצֹ֥א | yatzo' | ever <to go out> | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| יֵצֵ֖א | yetze' | he will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הָרֹצֵ֑חַ | harotzeach | the killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גְּבוּל֙ | gevul | [the] border of | H1366 → | 240 times |
| עִ֣יר | ʾir | [the] city of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| מִקְלָט֔וֹ | miklato | refuge his | H4733 → | 20 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָנ֖וּס | yanus | he will flee | H5127 → | 159 times |
| שָֽׁמָּה׃ | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
יָצֹ֥אever <to go out>
yatzo'H3318 →1067 times
יֵצֵ֖אhe will go out
yetze'H3318 →1067 times
הָרֹצֵ֑חַthe killer
harotzeachH7523 →47 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
גְּבוּל֙[the] border of
gevulH1366 →240 times
עִ֣יר[the] city of
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
מִקְלָט֔וֹrefuge his
miklatoH4733 →20 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָנ֖וּסhe will flee
yanusH5127 →159 times
שָֽׁמָּה׃there towards
shamahH8033 →834 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 Numbers
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.