Numbers 35:23
in Numbers 35or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;
KJV
Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
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This verse in Numbers 35
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
pushes a person suddenly, without hostility
on Numbers 35:22-24
Verse 24 has the congregation "judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood", so the bereaved family does not weigh its own case. In Joshua 20:4 the fugitive states "his case before its elders".
This site's exposition
without looking drops a heavy stone
The verse describes the accident, a stone falling on someone the thrower never saw. John Gill reports a Jewish dispute over the words seeing him not, some freeing a blind man, others sending him to a city of refuge. The closing words, he was not an enemy, settle the motive.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Or with any stone wherewith a man may die,.... Which is sufficient to kill a man, if thrown at him: seeing him not; and so without intention: the Jews (s) from hence gather, that a blind man is to be acquitted and dismissed, and not banished and so stands in no need of a city of refuge; though others say he is to be banished, and needs it, and ought to have the privilege of it: and cast it upon him that he die; casting, it upon another account, and with another view, but yet falling upon a man, it kills him: and was not his enemy, neither sought him harm; it was never known that they were at variance, or that the slayer had ever by any overt act discovered any malice and enmity against the deceased, by word or deed, or ever sought to do him any injury, either to his person or property. (s) Misn. Maccot, c. 2. sect. 3.
If he neglected thus to surrender himself, it was at his peril; if the avenger of blood met him elsewhere, or overtook him loitering in his way to the city of refuge, and slew him, his blood was upon his own head, because he did not make use of the security which God had provided for him.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְכָל־ | vekhol- | with any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶ֜בֶן | ʾeven | stone | H68 → | 273 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָמ֥וּת | yamut | someone will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בָּהּ֙ | bah | by <the> it | ||
| בְּלֹ֣א | belo' | with not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רְא֔וֹת | reot | seeing [him] | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וַיַּפֵּ֥ל | vaiyapel | and he made [it] fall | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיָּמֹ֑ת | vaiyamot | and he died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וְהוּא֙ | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אוֹיֵ֣ב | ʾoyev | [was] an enemy | H341 → | 282 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ | mevakesh | [was] seeking | H1245 → | |
| רָעָתֽוֹ׃ | raato | harm his | H7451 → | 662 times |
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְכָל־with any
vekhol-H3605 →5413 times
אֶ֜בֶןstone
ʾevenH68 →273 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יָמ֥וּתsomeone will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
בָּהּ֙by <the> it
bah
בְּלֹ֣אwith not
belo'H3808 →5168 times
רְא֔וֹתseeing [him]
reotH7200 →1300 times
וַיַּפֵּ֥לand he made [it] fall
vaiyapelH5307 →435 times
עָלָ֖יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וַיָּמֹ֑תand he died
vaiyamotH4191 →839 times
וְהוּא֙and he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אוֹיֵ֣ב[was] an enemy
ʾoyevH341 →282 times
ל֔וֹof him
lo
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ[was] seeking
mevakeshH1245 →
רָעָתֽוֹ׃harm his
raatoH7451 →662 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 Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
