Six cities of refuge are designated — three west of the Jordan and three east — where those who kill unintentionally can flee from the blood avenger and receive a fair trial before the congregation.
The cities of refuge institutionalize the distinction between murder and manslaughter. The manslayer must 'stand at the entrance of the city gate and state his case' (v. 4) — he must explain himself publicly, not simply claim asylum. The congregation judges (v. 6), not the blood avenger and not the accused. The killer remains in the city until the death of the high priest (v. 6) — a curious provision that ties individual atonement to the priestly office, as if the high priest's death provides some form of release.
The phrase bivli da'at (v. 3, 'without knowledge') is the legal standard for unintentional killing — identical to Deuteronomy 19:4. The connection between the manslayer's release and the high priest's death (v. 6) is theologically suggestive but unexplained by the text — we noted the interpretive traditions without endorsing a specific reading.
This chapter implements Numbers 35:9-34 and Deuteronomy 19:1-13. The go'el haddam ('blood avenger') institution connects to the go'el theology in Ruth and to the broader kinship-redemption framework. The high priest's death as a release mechanism is explored in Hebrews 9:11-15. The six cities are distributed across all tribal territories, ensuring accessibility.
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ לֵאמֹֽר׃
The LORD spoke to Joshua:
KJV The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר תְּנ֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּיַ֥ד מֹשֶֽׁה׃
"Tell the Israelites: Designate the cities of refuge that I instructed you about through Moses,
KJV Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
לָנ֣וּס שָׁ֗מָּה רוֹצֵ֛חַ מַכֵּה נֶ֥פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה בִּבְלִי דָ֑עַת וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְמִקְלָ֔ט מִגֹּאֵ֖ל הַדָּֽם׃
so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and without intent may flee there. These cities will serve as your refuge from the blood avenger.
KJV That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
וְנָ֗ס אֶל אַחַ֨ת מִן הֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵלֶּה֮ וְעָמַ֣ד פֶּ֣תַח ׀ שַׁ֣עַר הָעִ֗יר וְדִבֶּ֛ר בְּאׇזְנֵ֛י זִקְנֵ֥י הָעִ֥יר הַהִ֖יא אֶת דְּבָרָ֑יו וְאָסְפ֨וּ אֹת֤וֹ הָעִ֙ירָה֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְנָתְנ֥וּ ל֛וֹ מָק֖וֹם וְיָשַׁ֥ב עִמָּֽם׃
He must flee to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the elders of that city. They must take him into the city, give him a place, and let him live among them.
KJV And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
וְכִ֨י יִרְדֹּ֜ף גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְלֹ֨א יַסְגִּ֥רוּ אֶת הָרֹצֵ֖חַ בְּיָד֑וֹ כִּ֤י בִבְלִי דַ֙עַת֙ הִכָּ֣ה אֶת רֵעֵ֔הוּ וְלֹ֥א שֹׂנֵ֛א ה֖וּא ל֥וֹ מִתְּמ֖וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃
If the blood avenger pursues him, the elders must not surrender the killer to him, because he struck his neighbor without intent and bore him no prior hatred.
KJV And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
וְיָשַׁ֣ב ׀ בָּעִ֣יר הַהִ֗יא עַד עׇמְד֞וֹ לִפְנֵ֤י הָעֵדָה֙ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט עַד מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם אָ֣ז ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב הָרוֹצֵ֗חַ וּבָ֤א אֶל עִירוֹ֙ וְאֶל בֵּית֔וֹ אֶל הָעִ֖יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָ֥ס מִשָּֽׁם׃
He must remain in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the killer may return to his own city and his own home — to the city from which he fled.
KJV And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
וַיַּקְדִּ֜שׁוּ אֶת קֶ֤דֶשׁ בַּגָּלִיל֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְאֶת שְׁכֶ֖ם בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת קִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥יא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּהַ֥ר יְהוּדָֽה׃
They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
KJV And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
וּמֵעֵ֜בֶר לְיַרְדֵּ֣ן יְרִיחוֹ֮ מִזְרָחָה֒ נָתְנ֗וּ אֶת בֶּ֤צֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ בַּמִּישֹׁ֔ר מִמַּטֵּ֖ה רְאוּבֵ֑ן וְאֶת רָאמֹ֤ת בַּגִּלְעָד֙ מִמַּטֵּ֣ה גָ֔ד וְאֶת גֹּלָ֥ן בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן מִמַּטֵּ֥ה מְנַשֶֽׁה׃
East of the Jordan, near Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.
KJV And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
אֵ֣לֶּה הָיוּ֩ עָרֵ֨י הַמּוּעָדָ֜ה לְכֹ֣ל ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְלַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם לָנ֣וּס שָׁ֔מָּה כׇּל מַכֵּ֥ה נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֑ה וְלֹ֣א יָמ֗וּת בְּיַד֙ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּ֔ם עַד עׇמְד֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י הָעֵדָֽה׃
These were the designated cities for all the Israelites and for the resident alien living among them, so that anyone who killed a person accidentally could flee there and not die by the hand of the blood avenger before standing trial before the assembly.
KJV These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.