Numbers 35:18
in Numbers 35If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
KJV
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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This verse in Numbers 35
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, &c.--Various cases are here enumerated in which the Goel or avenger was at liberty to take the life of the murderer; and every one of them proves a premeditated purpose.
This site's exposition
strikes a person with an iron object
on Numbers 35:16-18
Three instruments are named, iron, stone and wood, and only the iron object carries no qualifier. The stone must be "of deadly size" and the wood "a deadly object". A stone or stick may be in hand for harmless reasons, and a blade may not.
This site's exposition
a deadly object of wood
John Gill names a stick, staff or club and explains deadly as heavy enough to kill a man, as the Targum reads it. Such a killer is denied the city of refuge. Deuteronomy 19:11-12 has the elders of his own city fetch him back from it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Or if he smote him with an hand weapon of wood,.... A stick, or staff, or club: wherewith he may die, and he die; which is sufficient to kill a man, as the same Targum explains it; and a man dies with the blow that is given him by it: he is a murderer, and the murderer shall surely be put to death; no pardon given him, or the benefit of the city of refuge allowed him.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
באבן יד [AND IF HE SMOTE HIM] WITH A STONE IN THE HAND (more lit., with a stone of the hand) — one which has the size of a full hand (i.e., large enough to fill a hand).
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. 5 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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| א֡וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בִּכְלִ֣י | bikhli | with an instrument of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| עֵֽץ־ | ʾetz- | wood of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| יָד֩ | yad | hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָמ֨וּת | yamut | someone will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בּ֥וֹ | bo | by <the> it | ||
| הִכָּ֛הוּ | hikahu | he struck down him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| וַיָּמֹ֖ת | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| רֹצֵ֣חַֽ | rotzeach | [is] a killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
| ה֑וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מ֥וֹת | mot | certainly <to die> | H4191 → | 839 times |
| יוּמַ֖ת | yumat | he will be put to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃ | harotzeach | the killer | H7523 → | 47 times |
א֡וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בִּכְלִ֣יwith an instrument of
bikhliH3627 →325 times
עֵֽץ־wood of
ʾetz-H6086 →328 times
יָד֩hand
yadH3027 →1618 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יָמ֨וּתsomeone will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
בּ֥וֹby <the> it
bo
הִכָּ֛הוּhe struck down him
hikahuH5221 →499 times
וַיָּמֹ֖תand he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
רֹצֵ֣חַֽ[is] a killer
rotzeachH7523 →47 times
ה֑וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מ֥וֹתcertainly <to die>
motH4191 →839 times
יוּמַ֖תhe will be put to death
yumatH4191 →839 times
הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃the killer
harotzeachH7523 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and MannaFest exposition, Berean Standard Bible, Numbers 35 read with Deuteronomy 19.