Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Deuteronomy » Chapter 19 » Verse 1-21

Deuteronomy 19:1-21 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 When the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath cut off H3772 the nations, H1471 whose land H776 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, and thou succeedest H3423 them, and dwellest H3427 in their cities, H5892 and in their houses; H1004

2 Thou shalt separate H914 three H7969 cities H5892 for thee in the midst H8432 of thy land, H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee to possess H3423 it.

3 Thou shalt prepare H3559 thee a way, H1870 and divide the coasts H1366 of thy land, H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth thee to inherit, H5157 into three parts, H8027 that every slayer H7523 may flee H5127 thither.

4 And this is the case H1697 of the slayer, H7523 which shall flee H5127 thither, that he may live: H2425 Whoso killeth H5221 his neighbour H7453 ignorantly, H1097 H1847 whom he hated H8130 not in time H8543 past; H8032

5 As when a man goeth H935 into the wood H3293 with his neighbour H7453 to hew H2404 wood, H6086 and his hand H3027 fetcheth a stroke H5080 with the axe H1631 to cut down H3772 the tree, H6086 and the head H1270 slippeth H5394 from the helve, H6086 and lighteth H4672 upon his neighbour, H7453 that he die; H4191 he shall flee H5127 unto one H259 of those cities, H5892 and live: H2425

6 Lest the avenger H1350 of the blood H1818 pursue H7291 the slayer, H310 H7523 while H3588 his heart H3824 is hot, H3179 and overtake H5381 him, because the way H1870 is long, H7235 and slay H5221 him; H5315 whereas he was not worthy H4941 of death, H4194 inasmuch as H3588 he hated H8130 him not in time H8543 past. H8032

7 Wherefore I command H6680 thee, saying, H559 Thou shalt separate H914 three H7969 cities H5892 for thee.

8 And if the LORD H3068 thy God H430 enlarge H7337 thy coast, H1366 as he hath sworn H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 and give H5414 thee all the land H776 which he promised H1696 to give H5414 unto thy fathers; H1

9 If thou shalt keep H8104 all these commandments H4687 to do H6213 them, which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 to love H157 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and to walk H3212 ever H3117 in his ways; H1870 then shalt thou add H3254 three H7969 cities H5892 more for thee, beside these three: H7969

10 That innocent H5355 blood H1818 be not shed H8210 in H7130 thy land, H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee for an inheritance, H5159 and so blood H1818 be upon thee.

11 But if any man H376 hate H8130 his neighbour, H7453 and lie in wait H693 for him, and rise up H6965 against him, and smite H5221 him mortally H5315 that he die, H4191 and fleeth H5127 into one H259 of these H411 cities: H5892

12 Then the elders H2205 of his city H5892 shall send H7971 and fetch H3947 him thence, and deliver H5414 him into the hand H3027 of the avenger H1350 of blood, H1818 that he may die. H4191

13 Thine eye H5869 shall not pity H2347 him, but thou shalt put away H1197 the guilt of innocent H5355 blood H1818 from Israel, H3478 that it may go well H2895 with thee.

14 Thou shalt not remove H5253 thy neighbour's H7453 landmark, H1366 which they of old time H7223 have set H1379 in thine inheritance, H5159 which thou shalt inherit H5157 in the land H776 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee to possess H3423 it.

15 One H259 witness H5707 shall not rise up H6965 against a man H376 for any iniquity, H5771 or for any sin, H2403 in any sin H2399 that he sinneth: H2398 at the mouth H6310 of two H8147 witnesses, H5707 or at the mouth H6310 of three H7969 witnesses, H5707 shall the matter H1697 be established. H6965

16 If a false H2555 witness H5707 rise up H6965 against any man H376 to testify H6030 against him that which is wrong; H5627

17 Then both H8147 the men, H582 between whom the controversy H7379 is, shall stand H5975 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 before H6440 the priests H3548 and the judges, H8199 which shall be in those days; H3117

18 And the judges H8199 shall make diligent H3190 inquisition: H1875 and, behold, if the witness H5707 be a false H8267 witness, H5707 and hath testified H6030 falsely H8267 against his brother; H251

19 Then shall ye do H6213 unto him, as he had thought H2161 to have done H6213 unto his brother: H251 so shalt thou put H1197 the evil H7451 away H1197 from among H7130 you.

20 And those which remain H7604 shall hear, H8085 and fear, H3372 and shall henceforth H3254 commit H6213 no more any H1697 such evil H7451 among H7130 you.

21 And thine eye H5869 shall not pity; H2347 but life H5315 shall go for life, H5315 eye H5869 for eye, H5869 tooth H8127 for tooth, H8127 hand H3027 for hand, H3027 foot H7272 for foot. H7272

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 19

Commentary on Deuteronomy 19 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 19

The laws which Moses had hitherto been repeating and urging mostly concerned the acts of religion and devotion towards God; but here he comes more fully to press the duties of righteousness between man and man. This chapter relates,

  • I. To the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill' (v. 1-13).
  • II. To the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal' (v. 14).
  • III. To the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness,' (v. 15, etc.).

Deu 19:1-13

It was one of the precepts given to the sons of Noah that whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed, that is, by the avenger of blood, Gen. 9:6. Now here we have the law settled between blood and blood, between the blood of the murdered and the blood of the murderer, and effectual provision made,

  • I. That the cities of refuge should be a protection to him that slew another casually, so that he should not die for that as a crime which was not his voluntary act, but only his unhappiness. The appointment of these cities of refuge we had before (Ex. 21:13), and the law laid down concerning them at large, Num. 35:10, etc. It is here repeated, and direction is given concerning three things:-
    • 1. The appointing of three cities in Canaan for this purpose. Moses had already appointed three on that side Jordan which he saw the conquest of; and now he bids them, when they should be settled in the other part of the country, to appoint three more, v. 1-3, 7. The country was to be divided into three districts, as near by as might be equal, and a city of refuge in the centre of each so that every corner of the land might have one within reach. Thus Christ is not a refuge at a distance, which we must ascend to heaven or go down to the deep for, but the word is nigh us, and Christ in the word, Rom. 10:8. The gospel brings salvation to our door, and there it knocks for admission. To make the flight of the delinquent the more easy, the way must be prepared that led to the city of refuge. Probably they had causeways or street-ways leading to those cities, and the Jews say that the magistrates of Israel, upon one certain day in the year, sent out messengers to see that those roads were in good repair, and they were to remove stumbling-blocks, mend bridges that were broken, and, where two ways met, they were to set up a Mercurial post, with a finger to point the right way, on which was engraven in great letters, Miklat, Miklat-Refuge, Refuge. In allusion to this, gospel ministers are to show people the way to Christ, and to assist and direct them in flying by faith to him for refuge. They must be ready to remove their prejudices, and help them over their difficulties. And, blessed be God, the way of holiness, to all that seek it faithfully, is a highway so plain that the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
    • 2. The use to be made of these cities, v. 4-6.
      • (1.) It is supposed that it might so happen that a man might be the death of his neighbour without any design upon him either from a sudden passion or malice prepense, but purely by accident, as by the flying off of an axe-head, which is the instance here given, with which every case of this kind was to be compared, and by it adjudged. See how human life lies exposed daily, and what deaths we are often in, and what need therefore we have to be always ready, our souls being continually in our hands. How are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them! Eccl. 9:12. An evil time indeed it is when this happens not only to the slain but to the slayer.
      • (2.) It is supposed that the relations of the person slain would be forward to avenge the blood, in affection to their friend and in zeal for public justice. Though the law did not allow the avenging of any other affront or injury with death, yet the avenger of blood, the blood of a relation, shall have great allowances made for the heat of his heart upon such a provocation as that, and his killing only, should not be accounted murder if he did it before he got to the city of refuge, though it is owned he was not worthy of death. Thus would God possess people with a great horror and dread of the sin of murder: if mere chance-medley did thus expose a man, surely he that wilfully does violence to the blood of any person, whether from an old grudge or upon a sudden provocation, must flee to the pit, and let no man stay him (Prov. 28:17); yet the New Testament represents the sin of murder as more heinous and more dangerous than even this law does. 1 Jn. 3:15, You know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
      • (3.) It is provided that, if an avenger of blood should be so unreasonable as to demand satisfaction for blood shed by accident only, then the city of refuge should protect the slayer. Sins of ignorance indeed do expose us to the wrath of God, but there is relief provided, if by faith and repentance we make use of it. Paul that had been a persecutor obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly; and Christ prayed for his crucifiers, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
    • 3. The appointing of three cities more for this use in case God should hereafter enlarge their territories and the dominion of their religion, that all those places which came under the government of the law of Moses in other instances might enjoy the benefit of that law in this instance, v. 8-10. Here is,
      • (1.) An intimation of God's gracious intention to enlarge their coast, as he had promised to their fathers, if they did not by their disobedience forfeit the promise, the condition of which is here carefully repeated, that, if it were not performed, the reproach might lie upon them, and not on God. He promised to give it, if thou shalt keep all these commandments; not otherwise.
      • (2.) A direction to them to appoint three cities more in their new conquests, which, the number intimates, should be as large as their first conquests were; wherever the border of Israel went this privilege must attend it, that innocent blood be not shed, v. 10. Though God is the saviour and preserver of all men, and has a tender regard to all lives, yet the blood of Israelites is in a particular manner precious to him, Ps. 72:14. The learned Ainsworth observes that the Jewish writers themselves own that, the condition not being performed, the promise of the enlarging of their coast was never fulfilled; so that there was no occasion for ever adding these three cities of refuge; yet the holy blessed God (say they) did not command it in vain, for in the days of Messiah the prince three other cities shall be added to these six: they expect it to be fulfilled in the letter, but we know that in Christ it has its spiritual accomplishment, for the borders of the gospel Israel are enlarged according to the promise, and in Christ, the Lord our righteousness, refuge is provided for those that by faith flee to him.
  • II. It is provided that the cities of refuge should be no sanctuary or shelter to a wilful murderer, but even thence he should be fetched, and delivered to the avenger of blood, v. 11-13.
    • 1. This shows that wilful murder must never be protected by the civil magistrate; he bears the sword of justice in vain if he suffers those to escape the edge of it that lie under the guilt of blood, which he by office is the avenger of. During the dominion of the papacy in our own land, before the Reformation, there were some churches and religious houses (as they called them) that were made sanctuaries for the protection of all sorts of criminals that fled to them, wilful murderers not excepted, so that (as Stamford says, in his Pleas of the Crown, lib. II. c. 38) the government follows not Moses but Romulus, and it was not till about the latter end of Henry VIII's time that this privilege of sanctuary for wilful murder was taken away, when in that, as in other cases, the word of God came to be regarded more than the dictates of the see of Rome. And some have thought it would be a completing of that instance of reformation if the benefit of clergy were taken away for man-slaughter, that is, the killing of a man upon a small provocation, since this law allowed refuge only in case of that which our law calls chance-medley.
    • 2. It may be alluded to to show that in Jesus Christ there is no refuge for presumptuous sinners, that go on still in their trespasses. If we thus sin wilfully, sin and go on in it, there remains no sacrifice, Heb. 10:26. Those that flee to Christ from their sins shall be safe in him, but not those that expect to be sheltered by him in their sins. Salvation itself cannot save such: divine justice will fetch them even from the city of refuge, the protection of which they are not entitled to.

Deu 19:14-21

Here is a statute for the preventing of frauds and perjuries; for the divine law takes care of men's rights and properties, and has made a hedge about them. Such a friend is it to human society and men's civil interest.

  • I. A law against frauds, v. 14.
    • 1. Here is an implicit direction given to the first planters of Canaan to fix land-marks, according to the distribution of the land to the several tribes and families by lot. Note, It is the will of God that every one should know his own, and that all good means should be used to prevent encroachments and the doing and suffering of wrong. When right is settled, care must be taken that it be not afterwards unsettled, and that, if possible, no occasion of dispute may arise.
    • 2. An express law to posterity not to remove those land-marks which were thus fixed at first, by which a man secretly got that to himself which was his neighbour's. This, without doubt, is a moral precept, and still binding, and to us it forbids,
      • (1.) The invading of any man's right, and taking to ourselves that which is not our own, by any fraudulent arts or practices, as by forging, concealing, destroying, or altering deeds and writings (which are our land-marks, to which appeals are made), or by shifting hedges, meer-stones, and boundaries. Though the land-marks were set by the hand of man, yet he was a thief and a robber by the law of God that removed them. Let every man be content with his own lot, and just to his neighbours, and then we shall have no land-marks removed.
      • (2.) It forbids the sowing of discord among neighbours, and doing any thing to occasion strife and law-suits, which is done (and it is very ill done) by confounding those things which should determine disputes and decide controversies. And,
      • (3.) It forbids breaking in upon the settled order and constitution of civil government, and the altering of ancient usages without just cause. This law supports the honour of prescriptions. Consuetudo facit jus-Custom is to be held as law.
  • II. A law against perjuries, which enacts two things:-
    • 1. That a single witness should never be admitted to give evidence in a criminal cause, so as that sentence should be passed upon his testimony, v. 15. This law we had before, Num. 35:30, and in this book, ch. 17:6. This was enacted in favour to the prisoner, whose life and honour should not lie at the mercy of a particular person that had a pique against him, and for caution to the accuser not to say that which he could not corroborate by the testimony of another. It is a just shame which this law puts upon mankind as false and not to be trusted; every man is by it suspected: and it is the honour of God's grace that the record he has given concerning his Son is confirmed both in heaven and in earth by three witnesses, 1 Jn. 5:7. Let God be true and every man a liar, Rom. 3:4.
    • 2. That a false witness should incur the same punishment which was to have been inflicted upon the person he accused, v. 16-21.
      • (1.) The criminal here is a false witness, who is said to rise up against a man, not only because all witnesses stood up when they gave in their evidence, but because a false witness did indeed rise up as an enemy and an assailant against him whom he accused. If two, or three, or many witnesses, concurred in a false testimony, they were all liable to be prosecuted upon this law.
      • (2.) The person wronged or brought into peril by the false testimony is supposed to be the appellant, v. 17. And yet if the person were put to death upon the evidence, and afterwards it appeared to be false, any other person, or the judges themselves, ex officio-by virtue of their office, might call the false witness to account.
      • (3.) Causes of this kind, having more than ordinary difficulty in them, were to be brought before the supreme court, The priests and judges, who are said to be before the Lord, because, as other judges sat in the gates of their cities, so these at the gate of the sanctuary, ch. 17:12.
      • (4.) There must be great care in the trial, v. 18. A diligent inquisition must be made into the characters of the persons, and all the circumstances of the case, which must be compared, that the truth might be found out, which, where it is thus faithfully and impartially enquired into, Providence, it may be hoped, will particularly advance the discovery of.
      • (5.) If it appeared that a man had knowingly and maliciously borne false witness against his neighbour, though the mischief he designed him thereby was not effected, he must undergo the same penalty which his evidence would have brought his neighbour under, v. 19. Nec lex est justior ulla-Nor could any law be more just. If the crime he accused his neighbour of was to be punished with death, the false witness must be put to death; if with stripes, he must be beaten; if with a pecuniary mulct, he was to be fined the sum. And because to those who considered not the heinousness of the crime, and the necessity of making this provision against it, it might seem hard to punish a man so severely for a few words' speaking, especially when no mischief did actually follow, it is added: Thy eye shall not pity, v. 21. No man needs to be more merciful than God. The benefit that will accrue to the public from this severity will abundantly recompense it: Those that remain shall hear and fear, v. 20. Such exemplary punishments will be warnings to others not to attempt any such mischief, when they see how he that made the pit and digged it has fallen into the ditch which he made.