Joshua 20:7

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali,.... Of which see Joshua 19:37; the appointment of this and the two cities following was made by the children of Israel at this time: and

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. They appointed ...

Concerning these cities, note, 1. That they were all upon mountains, that they might be seen at a great distance, and so direct those who fled thither. 2. That they were seated at convenient distance one from another, for the benefit of the several tribes; for Kedesh was in the north, Hebron in the south, and Shechem between them. 3. That they all belonged to the Levites; partly that these causes might be more impartially examined and justly determined by them, who are presumed best able to understand the law of God, and most obliged and likely to follow it in their judgment, and not to be biassed by any affection or corrupt interest; and partly that their just reputation with the people, and their good counsels, might lay some restraint upon revengeful persons, who might be inclined or tempted to follow the man-slayer thither, and endeavour to kill him there.

Joshua 20:7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.Ver. 7. And they appointed Kedesh.] Heb., They sanctified Kedesh; where there is an elegancy in the Hebrew that cannot be Anglised. These cities of refuge belonged all to the Levites, who were best able to judge and to interpose betwixt party and party, both in respect of authority and advice. The priests’ lips were both to preserve knowledge, and to present it to the people. And Shechem in mount Ephraim.] All of them in mountains or on plains, that they might the sooner be seen and more easily repaired unto: so precious in the sight of the Lord is the death, not of his saints only, though chiefly, but of his reasonable creatures. He is the preserver of men, and delighteth to show his philanthropy, or love to all.

Verse 7. They appointed Kedesh in Galilee] The cities of refuge were distributed through the land at proper distances from each other that they might be convenient to every part of the land; and it is said they were situated on eminences, that they might be easily seen at a distance, the roads leading to them being broad, even, and always kept in good repair. In the concluding note on Numbers 35:33 it has been stated that these cities were a type of our blessed Lord, and that the apostle refers to them as such, Hebrews 6:17; Hebrews 6:18. Hence their names have been considered as descriptive of some character or office of Christ. I shall give each and its signification, and leave the application to others. 1. קדש KEDESH, from kadash, to separate or set apart, because it implies the consecration of a person or thing to the worship or service of God alone; hence to make or be holy, and hence Kedesh, holiness, the full consecration of a person to God. 2. שכם SHECHEM, from shacham, to be ready, forward, and diligent; hence Shechem, the shoulder, because of its readiness to bear burdens, prop up, sustain, c., and from this ideal meaning it has the metaphorical one of GOVERNMENT. 3. חברון chebron HEBRON, from חבר chabar, to associate, join, conjoin, unite as friends; and hence chebron, fellowship, friendly association, or with the diminutive nun, the little fellow-ship or association. 4. בצר BEZER, from batsar, to restrain, enclose, shut up, or encompass with a wall; and hence the goods or treasure thus secured, and hence a fortified place, a fortress. 5. ראמות RAMOTH, from ראם raam, to be raised, made high or exalted, and hence Ramoth, high places, eminences. 6. גולן GOLAN, from גלה galah, to remove, transmigrate, or pass away; hence Golan, a transmigration or passage. Some derive it from גל gal, to rejoice, hence GOLAN, rejoicing or exultation. A person of the spirit and turn of Origen could preach the whole Gospel from these particulars. Kedesh and Hebron were at the two extremities of the promised land; one was in Galilee, the other in the tribe of Judah, both in mountainous countries; and Shechem was in the tribe of Ephraim, nearly in the middle, between both. Bezer was on the east side of Jordan, in the plain, opposite to Jericho. Ramoth was about the midst of the country occupied by the two tribes and a half, about the middle of the mountains of Gilead. Golan was the capital of a district called Gaulonitis, in the land of Bashan, towards the southern extremity of the lot of Manasseh.

7–9. The Selection of the Cities of Refuge 7. And they appointed] Rather, they sanctified, set apart for a sacred purpose. The Cities of Refuge were intended to preserve the People and the Land of Jehovah from blood-guiltiness. Hence the appointment to so high a purpose carried with it also the idea of solemn consecration. “They seuerden,” Wyclif translates it in the first edition, “thei ordeyneden” in the later edition. The cities selected were three on either side of the Jordan, almost equally remote from each other, (a) On the West.(b) On the East.. Kedesh, in Naphtali. 1. Golan, in Bashan. . Shechem, in Mount Ephraim. 2. Ramoth-Gilead, in Gad. . Hebron, in Judah. 3. Bezer, in Reuben. It requires only to look at the map to see how wisely these spots were marked out, so as to make a “City of Refuge” easy of access from all parts of the land. They were chosen, it will be observed, out of the priestly and Levitical cities, as likely to be inhabited by the most intelligent part of the community. According to Maimonides, all the forty-eight Levitical cities (enumerated in the next Chapter) had the privilege of asylum, but these six cities were required to receive and lodge the homicide gratuitously. Kedesh] was the most northerly city on the West. See above, Joshua 12:22. in Galilee] In that part of the province afterwards called “Galilee.” This name which in the Roman age was applied to a large province, seems to have been originally confined to a little “circuit” or “region”—Galil, Galilah, Galilæa—round Kedesh-Naphtali, in which were situated the twenty towns given by Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre, as payment for the transportation of timber from Lebanon to Jerusalem (1 Kings 9:11). Shechem] was the central city on the west of the Jordan; see above, ch. Joshua 8:30; and ch. Joshua 17:7; in Mount Ephraim. See above, ch. Joshua 17:15. Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron] The most southerly of the selected cities on the west; see above, ch. Joshua 10:3, Joshua 14:15. in the mountain of Judah] On this mountain-district, see above, ch. Joshua 11:21.

7. Appointed — Hebrews, They sanctified; set apart to a sacred use, so that all the fugitives were impressed with the thought that when within these cities they were surrounded by the munitions of Jehovah’s especial mercy.