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Selected Verse: Joshua 20:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse         Translation Text
Jos 20:1 Strong Concordance The LORD [03068] also spake [01696] unto Joshua [03091], saying [0559],
  King James The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
THE LORD COMMANDS THE CITIES OF REFUGE. (Jos 20:1-6)

The Lord spake unto Joshua . . . Appoint out for you cities of refuge--(See Num. 35:9-28; Deu 19:1-13). The command here recorded was given on their going to occupy their allotted settlements. The sanctuaries were not temples or altars, as in other countries, but inhabited cities; and the design was not to screen criminals, but only to afford the homicide protection from the vengeance of the deceased's relatives until it should have been ascertained whether the death had resulted from accident and momentary passion, or from premeditated malice. The institution of the cities of refuge, together with the rules prescribed for the guidance of those who sought an asylum within their walls, was an important provision, tending to secure the ends of justice as well as of mercy.
 
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1 When the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] hath cut off [03772] the nations [01471], whose land [0776] the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth [05414] thee, and thou succeedest [03423] them, and dwellest [03427] in their cities [05892], and in their houses [01004];
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.
11 But if any man [0376] hate [08130] his neighbour [07453], and lie in wait [0693] for him, and rise up [06965] against him, and smite [05221] him mortally [05315] that he die [04191], and fleeth [05127] into one [0259] of these [0411] cities [05892]:
12 Then the elders [02205] of his city [05892] shall send [07971] and fetch [03947] him thence, and deliver [05414] him into the hand [03027] of the avenger [01350] of blood [01818], that he may die [04191].
13 Thine eye [05869] shall not pity [02347] him, but thou shalt put away [01197] the guilt of innocent [05355] blood [01818] from Israel [03478], that it may go well [02895] with thee.
1 The LORD [03068] also spake [01696] unto Joshua [03091], saying [0559],
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].
24 Then the congregation [05712] shall judge [08199] between the slayer [05221] and the revenger [01350] of blood [01818] according to these judgments [04941]:
25 And the congregation [05712] shall deliver [05337] the slayer [07523] out of the hand [03027] of the revenger [01350] of blood [01818], and the congregation [05712] shall restore [07725] him to the city [05892] of his refuge [04733], whither he was fled [05127]: and he shall abide [03427] in it unto the death [04194] of the high [01419] priest [03548], which was anointed [04886] with the holy [06944] oil [08081].
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].
1 When the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] hath cut off [03772] the nations [01471], whose land [0776] the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] giveth [05414] thee, and thou succeedest [03423] them, and dwellest [03427] in their cities [05892], and in their houses [01004];
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.
11 But if any man [0376] hate [08130] his neighbour [07453], and lie in wait [0693] for him, and rise up [06965] against him, and smite [05221] him mortally [05315] that he die [04191], and fleeth [05127] into one [0259] of these [0411] cities [05892]:
12 Then the elders [02205] of his city [05892] shall send [07971] and fetch [03947] him thence, and deliver [05414] him into the hand [03027] of the avenger [01350] of blood [01818], that he may die [04191].
13 Thine eye [05869] shall not pity [02347] him, but thou shalt put away [01197] the guilt of innocent [05355] blood [01818] from Israel [03478], that it may go well [02895] with thee.
1 The LORD [03068] also spake [01696] unto Joshua [03091], saying [0559],
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].