Numbers 35

1 Again the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] spoke [to communicate, to declare] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] on the plains [the Arabah, a desert plain] of Moab [the land and descendants of the son of Lot] by the Jordan [the key location, a river running from Lebanon to the Dead Sea] across from [toward, near] Jericho [the city, meaning ‘its moon’]: word study 2 “Command [to give orders, instruct] the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] to give [to provide, assign], from the inheritance [possession, heritage] they will possess [own, inherit], cities [towns, urban areas] for the Levites [descendants of Levi, priestly tribe] to live in [dwell, reside] and pasturelands [suburbs, open fields] around [surrounding, encircling] the cities. word study 3 The cities [places to dwell, towns] will be for them to live in [to dwell, reside], and the pasturelands [open lands, suburbs] will be for their herds [livestock, cattle], their flocks [sheep, goats], and all [everything, every kind] their other livestock [animals, beasts]. word study 4 The pasturelands [or suburbs, open land] around the cities [towns, settlements] you are to give [assign, provide] the Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] will extend [stretch, reach] a thousand [large number, multitude] cubits [units of measurement, about the length of a forearm] from the wall [barrier, boundary] on every side [around, surrounding]. word study 5 You are also to measure [stretch out, extend] two thousand cubits [a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm] outside [beyond the wall or boundary] the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] on the east [front, the direction of the rising sun], two thousand on the south [Negeb, the southern district], two thousand on the west [the direction of the sea], and two thousand on the north [Zaphon, the northern direction], with the city [the settlement, the town] in the center. These areas will serve as [be used for, function as] larger pasturelands [open land, common ground] for the cities [the towns, the settlements]. word study 6 Six [a specific number, denoting completeness] of the cities [settlements, towns] you give [assign, bestow] the Levites [descendants of Levi, priestly tribe] are to be appointed [designated, set apart] as cities [places, towns] of refuge [asylum, safe haven], to which [toward which, unto] a manslayer [one who kills, murderer] may flee [escape, run for safety]. In addition [besides, moreover] to these, give [grant, provide] the Levites [ministers, priests] forty-two [a large number, numerous] other [additional, more] cities [towns, settlements]. word study 7 The total number [complete count] of cities [towns, settlements] you give [assign, bestow] the Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe] will be forty-eight [a significant period of time, a special number], with their corresponding [surrounding, adjacent] pasturelands [open lands, grazing areas]. word study 8 The cities [towns, settlements] that you apportion [divide, allocate] from the territory [land, possession] of the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] should be given [assigned, granted] to the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] in proportion [according to, relative to] to the inheritance [possession, heritage] of each tribe: more [a larger share] from a larger [more populous, greater] tribe and less [a smaller share] from a smaller [less populous, fewer] one [tribe, family].” word study 9 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, to communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 10 “Speak [to communicate, declare] to the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] and tell [say, command] them: When you [as a nation, collectively] cross [pass over, transition] the Jordan [the river, a boundary] into the land [territory, region] of Canaan [the promised land, a place of inheritance], word study 11 designate [choose, appoint] cities [towns, settlements] to serve as your cities [places, towns] of refuge [asylum, shelter], so that a person [individual, manslayer] who kills [slays, murders] someone [any person, a soul] unintentionally [without planning, by mistake] may flee [run, escape] there [to that place, thither]. word study 12 You are to have these cities [places of safety, towns of refuge] as a refuge [sanctuary, asylum] from the avenger [kinsman, redeemer], so that the manslayer [one who kills, murderer] will not die [perish, lose his life] until he stands [presents himself, appears] trial [judgment, court] before the assembly [congregation, gathering of people] [in judgment, to face justice]. word study 13 The cities [towns, settlements] you select [choose, give] will be your six cities [places of refuge, sanctuary towns] of refuge [asylum, safe haven, a place of protection]. word study 14 Select [choose, appoint] three [a specific number, thrice] cities [towns, settlements] across [beyond, on the other side of] the Jordan [a key location, a river] and three [a specific number, thrice] in the land [territory, region] of Canaan [a country, a promised land] as [designated, set apart] cities [places, towns] of refuge [shelter, asylum, a safe place]. word study 15 These six cities will serve as a refuge [safe haven, place of asylum] for the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] and for the foreigner [stranger, sojourner] or stranger [temporary resident, alien] among them, so that anyone who kills [smites, takes the life of] a person [soul, living being] unintentionally [without realizing it, in error] may flee [escape, run to safety] there [to that place, thither]. word study 16 If, however, anyone [deliberately, with intent] strikes a person [another human being] with an iron [strong, harsh] object [article, utensil] and kills him, he is a murderer [one who takes a life, a killer]; the murderer [the one who committed the crime] must surely [without a doubt, certainly] be put to death [executed, die the death]. word study 17 Or if anyone has in his hand [with the power to wield] a stone [a rock, a weight] of deadly size [capable of causing death], and he strikes [hits, smites] and kills [takes the life of] another, he is a murderer [a taker of life, one who slays]; the murderer [the one who commits this crime] must surely [without a doubt, certainly] be put to death [executed, sentenced to die]. word study 18 If anyone has in his hand [with the power to wield] a deadly object [a weapon, an instrument] of wood [a tree, a strong and firm object], and he strikes [to smite, to hit] and kills [to cause death, to take a life] another, he is a murderer [a taker of life, one who slays]; the murderer [the one who commits the act of murder] must surely [without a doubt, certainly] be put to death [to die, to receive the punishment of death]. word study 19 The avenger [kinsman, redeemer] of blood [life] is to put the murderer [one who takes life, killer] to death; when he finds [meets, encounters] him, he is to kill [slay, execute] him. word study 20 Likewise, if anyone [with hatred, maliciously] maliciously pushes [thrusts, drives away] another or intentionally [with ill design] throws [hurls, casts] an object at him [upon him, against him] and kills him [causes his death, results in his dying], word study 21 or if in hostility [enmity, hatred] he strikes him with his [open] hand [in a violent manner] and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer [one who takes life]. When the avenger of blood [the one responsible for justice] finds the murderer [killer], he is to kill him [in execution, as a just punishment]. word study 22 But if anyone pushes [thrusts, drives] a person suddenly [in an instant, without warning], without [lacking] hostility [enmity, hatred], or throws [casts, hurls] an object [article, utensil] at him unintentionally [without lying in wait, by accident], word study 23 or [unintentionally] without looking drops a heavy stone [a rock, a weight] that kills him, but he was not [is not, never was] an enemy [a foe, an adversary] and did not intend [did not seek, had no desire] to harm him [to cause evil, to do bad], word study 24 then the congregation [gathering of people, community] must judge [vindicate, govern, or punish] between [in the midst of, amidst] the slayer [one who strikes, killer] and the avenger [redeemer, one who seeks justice] of blood [the liquid that flows through the body] according to [based on, following] these [specific, given] ordinances [justice, laws, or judgments]. word study 25 The assembly [congregation, gathering of people] is to protect [rescue, deliver] the manslayer [killer, one who takes a life] from the hand [power, authority] of the avenger [redeemer, one who seeks revenge] of blood [life]. Then the assembly [group of people] will return [restore, bring back] him to the city [town, place of refuge] of refuge [safety, asylum] to which he fled [ran, escaped], and he must live [dwell, reside] there until [as far as, till] the death [end of life, passing away] of the high [great, supreme] priest [spiritual leader, one who serves God], who was anointed [set apart, consecrated] with the holy [set apart, sacred] oil [olive oil, ointment]. word study 26 But if [in the event that, whether] the manslayer [one who murders, a killer] ever goes [to come out, departs] outside [beyond, without] the limits [borders, boundaries] of the city [a town, a place of refuge] of refuge [a safe haven, asylum] to which [where, thither] he fled [to escape, to take flight] word study 27 and the avenger [redeemer, relative] of blood [life] finds him outside [beyond the border] of his city [town, settlement] of refuge [asylum, sanctuary] and kills him, then the avenger [kinsman, revenger] will not be guilty [responsible, accountable] of bloodshed [murder, taking a life] word study 28 because the manslayer [killer, one who takes a life] must remain [dwell, sit] in his city [town, place of refuge] of refuge [safe haven, asylum] until [as far as, till] the death [end of life, passing away] of the high [great, chief] priest [one who serves God]. Only after [following, subsequent to] the death [passing away, end of life] of the high [great, chief] priest may he return [turn back, come back] to the land [earth, territory] he owns [possesses, has inheritance]. word study 29 This will be a statutory [lawful, divine] ordinance [rule, regulation] for you for the generations [descendants, people of Israel] to come, wherever you live [dwell, reside, in all your settlements]. word study 30 If anyone [purposely, with intent] kills [smiteth, takes the life of] a person [soul, living being], the murderer [one who slays, killer] is to be put to death [executed, slain] on the testimony [word, evidence] of the witnesses [those who see, testify]. But no one [not a single person] is to be put to death [executed, condemned] based on the testimony [word, evidence] of a lone [single, one] witness [testifier, observer]. word study 31 You are not [under any circumstances] to accept a ransom [payment or satisfaction] for the life [soul, living being] of a murderer [one who takes life, killer] who deserves [is guilty of, worthy of] to die [face death, undergo capital punishment]; he must surely [without fail, certainly] be put to death [executed, slain]. word study 32 Nor should you accept [take or receive] a ransom [payment or satisfaction] for the person who flees [escapes or runs away] to a city [town or settlement] of refuge [safety or asylum] and allow him to return and live on his own land [property or territory] before [until or prior to] the death [end of life or passing away] of the high priest [chief spiritual leader or mediator]. word study 33 Do not [utterly defile, profane] pollute the land [the earth, a country, or territory] where you live, for bloodshed [the shedding of innocent blood] pollutes the land, and no atonement [expiation, covering] can be made for the land on which the blood [the life, the very essence] is shed, except by the blood [the life, the very essence] of the one who shed [poured out, spilled] it. word study 34 Do not [utterly corrupt, make unclean] defile the land [territory, region] where you live and where I [as the Lord, in my presence] dwell. For I, the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], dwell [reside, tabernacle] among the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people].” word study