Numbers 35
35
The Levitical Cities
1#sn This section has two main parts, the Levitical cities (vv. 1-8) and the Cities of Refuge (vv. 9-34). Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Moabite plains by the Jordan near Jericho.#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. He said: 2 “Instruct the Israelites to give#tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive: “command…and they will give,” or “that they give.” the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. will possess. You must also give the Levites grazing land around the towns. 3 Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals. 4 The grazing lands around the towns that you will give to the Levites must extend to a distance of 500 yards#tn Heb “one thousand cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) in length, so this would be a distance of 1,500 feet or 500 yards (675 meters). from the town wall.
5 “You must measure#tn The verb is the Qal perfect of מָדַד (madad, “to measure”). With its vav (ו) consecutive it carries the same instructional force as the imperfect. from outside the wall of the town on the east 1,000 yards,#tn Heb “two thousand cubits” (also three more times in this verse). This would be a distance of 3,000 feet or 1,000 yards (1,350 meters). and on the south side 1,000 yards, and on the west side 1,000 yards, and on the north side 1,000 yards, with the town in the middle.#sn The precise nature of the layout described here is not altogether clear. V. 4 speaks of the distance from the wall as being 500 yards; v. 5, however, describes measurements of 1,000 yards. Various proposals have been made in order to harmonize vv. 4 and 5. P. J. Budd, Numbers (WBC), 376, makes the following suggestion: “It may be best to assume that the cubits of the Levitical pasture lands are cubit frontages of land – in other words on each side of the city there was a block of land with a frontage of two thousand cubits (v 5), and a depth of 1000 cubits (v 4).” This territory must belong to them as grazing land for the towns. 6 Now from these towns that you will give to the Levites you must select six towns of refuge to which a person who has killed someone may flee.#tn The “manslayer” is the verb “to kill” in a participial form, providing the subject of the clause. The verb means “to kill”; it can mean accidental killing, premeditated killing, or capital punishment. The clause uses the infinitive to express purpose or result: “to flee there the manslayer,” means “so that the manslayer may flee there.” And you must give them forty-two other towns.
7 “So the total of the towns you will give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these together with their grazing lands. 8 The towns you will give must be from the possession of the Israelites. From the larger tribes you must give more; and from the smaller tribes fewer. Each must contribute some of its own towns to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance allocated to each.
The Cities of Refuge
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River#tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. into the land of Canaan, 11 you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee. 12 And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community. 13 These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.
14 “You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge. 15 These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
16 “But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies,#tn the verb is the preterite of “die.” The sentence has :“if…he strikes him and he dies.” The vav (ו) consecutive is showing the natural result of the blow. he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 17 If he strikes him by throwing a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death. 19 The avenger#tn The participle גֹּאֵל (go’el) is the one who protects the family by seeking vengeance for a crime. This is the same verb used for levirate marriages and other related customs. of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.
20 “But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally#tn The Hebrew text is more vivid: “by lying in wait.” so that he dies, 21 or with enmity he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood must kill the murderer when he meets him.
22 “But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally, 23 or with any stone large enough that a man could die, without seeing him, and throws it at him, and he dies, even though he was not his enemy nor sought his harm, 24 then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions. 25 The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there#tn Heb “in it.” until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil. 26 But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood, 28 because the slayer#tn Heb “he.” should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions. 29 So these things must be a statutory ordinance#tn Heb “a statute of judgment” (so KJV). for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.
30 “Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony#tn Heb “ at the mouth of”; the metonymy stresses it is at their report. of witnesses; but one witness cannot#tn The verb should be given the nuance of imperfect of potentiality. testify against any person to cause him to be put to death. 31 Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death. 32 And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.#tn Heb “the priest.” The Greek and the Syriac have “high priest.” The present translation, along with many English versions, uses “high priest” as a clarification.
33 “You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.”
Currently Selected:
Numbers 35: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Numbers 35
35
1And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the plaine of Moab by Iorden, toward Iericho, saying, 2Commande ye children of Israel, that they giue vnto the Leuites of the inheritace of their possession, cities to dwell in: yee shall giue also vnto the Leuites the suburbes of the cities round about them. 3So they shall haue the cities to dwell in, and their suburbes shall be for their cattell, and for their substance, and for all their beasts. 4And the suburbes of the cities, which ye shall giue vnto the Leuites, from the wall of the citie outward, shalbe a thousand cubites round about. 5And yee shall measure without the citie of the Eastside, two thousand cubites: and of the Southside, two thousand cubites: and of the Westside, two thousand cubites: and of ye Northside, two thousand cubites: and the citie shalbe in ye middes. this shalbe the measure of the suburbes of their cities. 6And of the cities which yee shall giue vnto the Leuites, there shalbe sixe cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint, that he which killeth, may flee thither: and to them yee shall adde two and fourtie cities more. 7All the cities which yee shall giue to the Leuites, shalbe eight and fourtie cities: them shall ye giue with their suburbes. 8And concerning the cities which yee shall giue, of the possession of the children of Israel: of many ye shall take more, and of few ye shall take lesse: euery one shall giue of his cities vnto the Leuites, according to his inheritance, which hee inheriteth. 9And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 10Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them, When ye be come ouer Iorden into the land of Canaan, 11Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 12And these cities shalbe for you a refuge from the auenger, that he which killeth, die not, vntill he stand before the Congregation in iudgement. 13And of the cities which ye shall giue, sixe cities shall ye haue for refuge. 14Ye shall appoint three on this side Iorden, and ye shall appoint three cities in the lande of Canaan which shalbe cities of refuge. 15These six cities shalbe a refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that dwelleth among you, that euery one which killeth any person vnwares, may flee thither. 16And if one smite another with an instrument of yron that hee die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 17Also if hee smite him by casting a stone, wherewith hee may be slaine, and he die, hee is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may be slaine, if he die, he is a murtherer, and the murtherer shall die the death. 19The reuenger of the blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20But if hee thrust him of hate, or hurle at him by laying of wait, that he die, 21Or smite him through enimitie with his hand, that he die, he that smote him shall die ye death: for hee is a murtherer: the reuenger of the blood shall slay the murtherer when he meeteth him. 22But if he pusshed him vnaduisedly, and not of hatred, or cast vpon him any thing, without laying of waite, 23Or any stone (whereby he might be slaine) and sawe him not, or caused it to fall vpon him, and he die, and was not his enemie, neither sought him any harme, 24Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes. 25And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hande of the auenger of blood, and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the citie of his refuge, whither hee was fled: and hee shall abide there vnto the death of the hie Priest, which is anointed with the holy oyle. 26But if the slayer come without the borders of the citie of his refuge, whither he was fled, 27And the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the citie of his refuge, and the reueger of blood slay ye murtherer, he shalbe giltles, 28Because he should haue remained in the citie of his refuge, vntill the death of the hie Priest: and after the death of the hie Priest, the slayer shall returne vnto the land of his possession. 29So these thinges shall be a lawe of iudgement vnto you, throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30Whosoeuer killeth any person, the Iudge shall slay the murtherer, through witnesses: but one witnesse shall not testifie against a person to cause him to die. 31Moreouer ye shall take no recompense for the life of the murtherer, which is worthy to die: but he shalbe put to death. 32Also ye shall take no recompense for him that is fled to the citie of his refuge, that he should come againe, and dwell in the lande, before the death of the hie Priest. 33So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye shall dwell: for blood defileth the land: and the land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34Defile not therefore the lande which yee shall inhabite, For I dwell in the middes thereof: for I the Lord dwel among the children of Israel.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN