Numbers 35:9-15

E. REGULATIONS REGARDING THE CITIES OF REFUGE vv. 9-15
TEXT

Numbers 35:9. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 10. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11. Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 12. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. 13. And of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge. 14. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. 15. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 35:9. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, 10. Speak unto the children of Israel and tell them, -When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11. you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, in order that the man-killer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee unto them.-' 12. And the cities shall be as a refuge unto you from the avenger, so that the man-killer may not die until he appears before the congregation in judgment. 13. And the cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14. You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan: they are to be cities of refuge. 15. These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, and for the alien and for the traveler among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee unto them.

COMMENTARY

The first thing to be noticed in the appointment of the six cities of refuge is that they were not intended to protect that individual who had committed deliberate, willful murder. Only where some reasonable doubt existed in reference to the circumstances might that man expect to be permitted sanctuary; otherwise, the sentence of the law was clear and emphatic: he must be stoned to death.
The perspective of the account is clearly that of Israel's being yet on the east side of the Jordan: the cities were not even to be selected until they lived in Canaan. At that time, three cities on each side of the river should be appointed. In the event of any homicide in which the killer believed himself not to have been guilty of murder, he was obliged to scurry rapidly to the nearest city of refuge. Hence, the location of the six cities was to be a matter of careful concern. As the manslayer fled to the sanctuary, the avenger of blood, or the male next of kin to the deceased was obliged to make pursuit and, if he overtook the manslayer, he might put him to death without guilt of blood upon his hands.
The import of this law has been much discussed. The emerging value of the law is its emphasis upon the value of human lifeeven a careless act which results in the death of another is no light matter, and preventable homicide imposes a punishment upon that one who is careless, negligent or unconcerned about another human being. The law was to be enforced not upon the Israelites only, but upon any strangers, and even sojourners in their land. By this method all people who came within the scope of the law's force came under the instruction of those who saw its value and the rationale for the law itself. The basic concept was a gigantic stride forward from any law to be found in pagan contemporary society. The inherent value of each individual's life, and the awesome nature of divine justice are well established.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

638.

What were the cities of refuge specifically not designed to do?

639.

Why should any distinction be made among the manners by which homicide was committed?

640.

Describe the conduct expected of the manslayer and of the avenger of blood?

641.

Who was the avenger of blood?

642.

Why would the avenger of blood be permitted to slay the manslayer outside the city of refuge, or before he reached the city?

643.

Show what primary principles were established by this law.

644.

For what reasons were strangers and sojourners included under the law?

645.

How does this law compare with attitudes and laws of other countries relative to treatment of killers?