Joshua — Chapter 20
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1The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
3That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4And 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.
5And 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.
6And 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.
7And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8And 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.
9These 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.
1And Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by Moses,
3that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly [and] unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
4And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unawares, and hated him not beforetime.
6And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
7And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill-country of Judah.
8And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in 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.
9These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person unwittingly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
1The Lord instructed Joshua:
2“Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses.
3Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood.
4The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.
5When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.
6He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly, and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”
7So they selected 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.
8Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the cities of refuge appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.
1Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,
3that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
4He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.
5If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.
6He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’”
7They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
8Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.
Summary
Six cities of refuge are designated—three on each side of the Jordan—where those who kill accidentally may flee from the avenger of blood. These cities reflect God's justice tempered with mercy.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik develops the typology of Christ as our city of refuge: (1) The manslayer had to flee — there was urgency; (2) The city was accessible — no one was too far away; (3) The gates were always open; (4) The protection was complete — the avenger could not reach him inside; (5) The high priest's death brought full release. Every element points to Christ's saving work.
- Charles Spurgeon: "The cities of refuge are Christ. The manslayer fled — he did not saunter, he ran for his life. So must the sinner flee to Christ. There is an avenger behind you — the justice of God, the penalty of the law. Run! The gates stand open. Christ receives all who come. And once inside, no avenger can touch you. You are safe — not because of your innocence, but because of your refuge. And when the High Priest dies? Our High Priest has died — and risen! We are free forever."
Reflection
- 1. Christ is our city of refuge. As the manslayer fled to the city for protection from the avenger, so we flee to Christ for protection from God's just wrath against sin (Hebrews 6:18). The gates are always open. The refuge is always accessible. No one who enters is turned away.
- 2. The urgency of fleeing (vv.3-4). The manslayer ran — his life depended on reaching the city before the avenger caught him. There is urgency in coming to Christ. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. The avenger of justice pursues. Flee now.
- 3. The death of the High Priest sets free (v.6). The manslayer's exile ended when the high priest died. Christ our High Priest has died — and risen. We are not merely paroled but fully free. His death is our release. His resurrection is our guarantee.
- 4. Accessible to all (v.9). The cities were for Israelite AND stranger. God's mercy knows no ethnic boundary. Christ receives all who come — Jew and Gentile, insider and outsider. "Whosoever will may come."
- 5. Justice tempered with mercy. God does not ignore the shedding of blood — even accidental death has consequences (exile until the high priest's death). But He distinguishes between intent and accident, between murder and misfortune. God's justice is precise, not indiscriminate.
- 6. Strategic placement (vv.7-8). The six cities were distributed so no one was far from refuge. God ensures His mercy is always within reach. No matter where you are — north, south, east, west — refuge is near. "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him" (Psalm 145:18).