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Numbers 35:21

in Numbers 35

or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

or in enmity smote him with his hand, so that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him.

KJV

Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

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This verse in Numbers 35

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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

is to put the murderer to death

on Numbers 35:19-21

The law turns to the mind, and verses 20 and 21 call a blow given "maliciously", "intentionally" or "in hostility" murder. Verse 19 gives the killing to the "avenger of blood" himself.

This site's exposition

or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand

A bare hand makes a murderer when the blow is struck in hostility, so the purpose weighs more than the instrument. The avenger's duty is repeated from verse 19. Matthew Henry ties it to verse 33, where the land is cleansed only by the blood of the murderer.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

15 ), but also the land in which it is shed; so very offensive is it to God and all good men, and the worst of nuisances. And it is added that the land cannot be cleansed from the blood of the murdered, but by the blood of the murderer,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens

Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die,....

The words behind it

17 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • א֣וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • בְאֵיבָ֞הin enmity

    veeivahH342 →

  • הִכָּ֤הוּhe struck down him

    hikahuH5221 →499 times

  • בְיָדוֹ֙with hand his

    veyadoH3027 →1618 times

  • וַיָּמֹ֔תand he died

    vaiyamotH4191 →839 times

  • מֽוֹת־certainly <to to die>

    mot-H4191 →839 times

  • יוּמַ֥תhe will be put to death

    yumatH4191 →839 times

  • הַמַּכֶּ֖הthe [one who] struck

    hamakehH5221 →499 times

  • רֹצֵ֣חַֽ[is] a killer

    rotzeachH7523 →47 times

  • ה֑וּאhe

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • גֹּאֵ֣ל[the] avenger of

    goelH1350 →104 times

  • הַדָּ֗ם<the> blood

    hadamH1818 →360 times

  • יָמִ֛יתhe will put to death

    yamitH4191 →839 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הָרֹצֵ֖חַthe killer

    harotzeachH7523 →47 times

  • בְּפִגְעוֹ־when meets he

    befigov-H6293 →

  • בֽוֹ׃<in> <the> him

    vo

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

3 in all, six open

Where this verse is studied

About Numbers

The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
The Brazen Serpent, Anthony van Dyck, 1618 to 1620. Public domain.
Numbers: the study guide →Read Numbers 35 →

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 Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Numbers 35 →