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Selected Verse: Exodus 21:13 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ex 21:13 |
Strong Concordance |
And if a man lie not in wait [06658], but God [0430] deliver [0579] him into his hand [03027]; then I will appoint [07760] thee a place [04725] whither he shall flee [05127]. |
| |
King James |
And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| There was no place of safety for the guilty murderer, not even the altar of Yahweh. Thus all superstitious notions connected with the right of sanctuary were excluded. Adonijah and Joab Kg1 1:50; Kg1 2:28 appear to have vainly trusted that the common feeling would protect them, if they took hold of the horns of the altar on which atonement with blood was made Lev 4:7. But for one who killed a man "at unawares," that is, without intending to do it, the law afterward appointed places of refuge, Num. 35:6-34; Deu 4:41-43; Deu 19:2-10; Jos 20:2-9. It is very probable that there was some provision answering to the cities of refuge, that may have been based upon old usage, in the camp in the Wilderness. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee - From the earliest times the nearest akin had a right to revenge the murder of his relation, and as this right was universally acknowledged, no law was ever made on the subject; but as this might be abused, and a person who had killed another accidentally, having had no previous malice against him, might be put to death by the avenger of blood, as the nearest kinsman was termed, therefore God provided the cities of refuge to which the accidental manslayer might flee till the affair was inquired into, and settled by the civil magistrate. |
2 Speak [01696] to the children [01121] of Israel [03478], saying [0559], Appoint out [05414] for you cities [05892] of refuge [04733], whereof I spake [01696] unto you by the hand [03027] of Moses [04872]:
3 That the slayer [07523] that killeth [05221] any person [05315] unawares [07684] and unwittingly [01847] may flee [05127] thither: and they shall be your refuge [04733] from the avenger [01350] of blood [01818].
4 And when he that doth flee [05127] unto one [0259] of those cities [05892] shall stand [05975] at the entering [06607] of the gate [08179] of the city [05892], and shall declare [01696] his cause [01697] in the ears [0241] of the elders [02205] of that city [05892], they shall take [0622] him into the city [05892] unto them, and give [05414] him a place [04725], that he may dwell [03427] among them.
5 And if the avenger [01350] of blood [01818] pursue [07291] after [0310] him, then they shall not deliver [05462] the slayer [07523] up into his hand [03027]; because he smote [05221] his neighbour [07453] unwittingly [01097] [01847], and hated [08130] him not beforetime [08543] [08032].
6 And he shall dwell [03427] in that city [05892], until he stand [05975] before [06440] the congregation [05712] for judgment [04941], and until the death [04194] of the high [01419] priest [03548] that [0834] shall be in those days [03117]: then shall the slayer [07523] return [07725], and come [0935] unto his own city [05892], and unto his own house [01004], unto the city [05892] from whence he fled [05127].
7 And they appointed [06942] Kedesh [06943] in Galilee [01551] in mount [02022] Naphtali [05321], and Shechem [07927] in mount [02022] Ephraim [0669], and Kirjatharba [07153], which is Hebron [02275], in the mountain [02022] of Judah [03063].
8 And on the other side [05676] Jordan [03383] by Jericho [03405] eastward [04217], they assigned [05414] Bezer [01221] in the wilderness [04057] upon the plain [04334] out of the tribe [04294] of Reuben [07205], and Ramoth [07216] in Gilead [01568] out of the tribe [04294] of Gad [01410], and Golan [01474] in Bashan [01316] out of the tribe [04294] of Manasseh [04519].
9 These were the cities [05892] appointed [04152] for all the children [01121] of Israel [03478], and for the stranger [01616] that sojourneth [01481] among [08432] them, that whosoever killeth [05221] any person [05315] at unawares [07684] might flee [05127] thither, and not die [04191] by the hand [03027] of the avenger [01350] of blood [01818], until he stood [05975] before [06440] the congregation [05712].
2 Thou shalt separate [0914] three [07969] cities [05892] for thee in the midst [08432] of thy land [0776], which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth [05414] thee to possess [03423] it.
3 Thou shalt prepare [03559] thee a way [01870], and divide the coasts [01366] of thy land [0776], which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth thee to inherit [05157], into three parts [08027], that every slayer [07523] may flee [05127] thither.
4 And this is the case [01697] of the slayer [07523], which shall flee [05127] thither, that he may live [02425]: Whoso killeth [05221] his neighbour [07453] ignorantly [01097] [01847], whom he hated [08130] not in time [08543] past [08032];
5 As when a man goeth [0935] into the wood [03293] with his neighbour [07453] to hew [02404] wood [06086], and his hand [03027] fetcheth a stroke [05080] with the axe [01631] to cut down [03772] the tree [06086], and the head [01270] slippeth [05394] from the helve [06086], and lighteth [04672] upon his neighbour [07453], that he die [04191]; he shall flee [05127] unto one [0259] of those cities [05892], and live [02425]:
6 Lest the avenger [01350] of the blood [01818] pursue [07291] the slayer [0310] [07523], while [03588] his heart [03824] is hot [03179], and overtake [05381] him, because the way [01870] is long [07235], and slay [05221] him [05315]; whereas he was not worthy [04941] of death [04194], inasmuch as [03588] he hated [08130] him not in time [08543] past [08032].
7 Wherefore I command [06680] thee, saying [0559], Thou shalt separate [0914] three [07969] cities [05892] for thee.
8 And if the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] enlarge [07337] thy coast [01366], as he hath sworn [07650] unto thy fathers [01], and give [05414] thee all the land [0776] which he promised [01696] to give [05414] unto thy fathers [01];
9 If thou shalt keep [08104] all these commandments [04687] to do [06213] them, which I command [06680] thee this day [03117], to love [0157] the LORD [03068] thy God [0430], and to walk [03212] ever [03117] in his ways [01870]; then shalt thou add [03254] three [07969] cities [05892] more for thee, beside these three [07969]:
10 That innocent [05355] blood [01818] be not shed [08210] in [07130] thy land [0776], which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth [05414] thee for an inheritance [05159], and so blood [01818] be upon thee.
41 Then Moses [04872] severed [0914] three [07969] cities [05892] on this side [05676] Jordan [03383] toward the sunrising [08121] [04217];
42 That the slayer [07523] might flee [05127] thither, which should kill [07523] his neighbour [07453] unawares [01097] [01847], and hated [08130] him not in times [08543] past [08032]; and that fleeing [05127] unto one [0259] of these [0411] cities [05892] he might live [02425]:
43 Namely, Bezer [01221] in the wilderness [04057], in the plain [04334] country [0776], of the Reubenites [07206]; and Ramoth [07216] in Gilead [01568], of the Gadites [01425]; and Golan [01474] in Bashan [01316], of the Manassites [04520].
7 And the priest [03548] shall put [05414] some of the blood [01818] upon the horns [07161] of the altar [04196] of sweet [05561] incense [07004] before [06440] the LORD [03068], which is in the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150]; and shall pour [08210] all the blood [01818] of the bullock [06499] at the bottom [03247] of the altar [04196] of the burnt offering [05930], which is at the door [06607] of the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150].
28 Then tidings [08052] came [0935] to Joab [03097]: for Joab [03097] had turned [05186] after [0310] Adonijah [0138], though he turned [05186] not after [0310] Absalom [053]. And Joab [03097] fled [05127] unto the tabernacle [0168] of the LORD [03068], and caught hold [02388] on the horns [07161] of the altar [04196].
50 And Adonijah [0138] feared [03372] because [06440] of Solomon [08010], and arose [06965], and went [03212], and caught hold [02388] on the horns [07161] of the altar [04196].