2 Speak H1696 to the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Appoint out H5414 for you cities H5892 of refuge, H4733 whereof I spake H1696 unto you by the hand H3027 of Moses: H4872
3 That the slayer H7523 that killeth H5221 any person H5315 unawares H7684 and unwittingly H1847 may flee H5127 thither: and they shall be your refuge H4733 from the avenger H1350 of blood. H1818
4 And when he that doth flee H5127 unto one H259 of those cities H5892 shall stand H5975 at the entering H6607 of the gate H8179 of the city, H5892 and shall declare H1696 his cause H1697 in the ears H241 of the elders H2205 of that city, H5892 they shall take H622 him into the city H5892 unto them, and give H5414 him a place, H4725 that he may dwell H3427 among them.
5 And if the avenger H1350 of blood H1818 pursue H7291 after H310 him, then they shall not deliver H5462 the slayer H7523 up into his hand; H3027 because he smote H5221 his neighbour H7453 unwittingly, H1097 H1847 and hated H8130 him not beforetime. H8543 H8032
6 And he shall dwell H3427 in that city, H5892 until he stand H5975 before H6440 the congregation H5712 for judgment, H4941 and until the death H4194 of the high H1419 priest H3548 that H834 shall be in those days: H3117 then shall the slayer H7523 return, H7725 and come H935 unto his own city, H5892 and unto his own house, H1004 unto the city H5892 from whence he fled. H5127
7 And they appointed H6942 Kedesh H6943 in Galilee H1551 in mount H2022 Naphtali, H5321 and Shechem H7927 in mount H2022 Ephraim, H669 and Kirjatharba, H7153 which is Hebron, H2275 in the mountain H2022 of Judah. H3063
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 20
Commentary on Joshua 20 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
After the distribution of the land by lot among the tribes of Israel, six towns were set apart, in accordance with the Mosaic instructions in Num 35, as places of refuge for unintentional manslayers. Before describing the appointment and setting apart of these towns, the writer repeats in Joshua 20:1-6 the main points of the Mosaic law contained in Num 35:9-29 and Deuteronomy 19:1-13, with reference to the reception of the manslayers into these towns. לכם תּנוּ , “ give to you ,” i.e., appoint for yourselves, “ cities of refuge ,” etc. In Joshua 20:6, the two regulations, “ until he stand before the congregation for judgment ,” and “ until the death of the high priest ,” are to be understood, in accordance with the clear explanation given in Numbers 35:24-25, as meaning that the manslayer was to live in the town till the congregation had pronounced judgment upon the matter, and either given him up to the avenger of blood as a wilful murderer, or taken him back to the city of refuge as an unintentional manslayer, in which case he was to remain there till the death of the existing high priest. For further particulars, see at Num 35.
List of the cites: Levitical cities were chosen, for the reasons explained in the Commentary on the Pentateuch.
Joshua 20:7
In the land on this side (viz., Canaan) they sanctified the following cities. In the north , Kedesh (see at Joshua 12:22), in Galil , on the mountains of Naphtali. Galil (a circle) was a district in the northern part of the subsequent province of Galilee; it is called הגּוים גּליל , circle of the heathen, in Isaiah 9:1, because an unusually large number of heathen or Gentiles were living there. In the centre of the land, Shechem , upon the mountains of Ephraim (see at Joshua 17:7). And in the south, Kirjath-arba , i.e., Hebron, upon the mountains of Judah (see at Joshua 10:3).
Joshua 20:8-9
The cities in the land on the other side had already been appointed by Moses (Deuteronomy 4:41-43). For the sake of completeness, they are mentioned here again: viz., Bezer , Ramoth in Gilead , and Golan (see at Deuteronomy 4:43). The subject is brought to a close in Joshua 20:9. המּוּעדה ערי signifies neither urbes congregationis ( Kimchi ) nor urbes asyli ( Gesenius ), but cities of appointment, - those which received the appointment already given and repeated again in what follows.