Deuteronomy 19:12
New International Version
the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.

New Living Translation
In that case, the elders of the murderer’s hometown must send agents to the city of refuge to bring him back and hand him over to the dead person’s avenger to be put to death.

English Standard Version
then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.

Berean Standard Bible
the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

King James Bible
Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

New King James Version
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

New American Standard Bible
then the elders of his city shall send men and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.

NASB 1995
then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

NASB 1977
then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Legacy Standard Bible
then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and give him over into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Amplified Bible
then the elders of his own city shall send for him and have him taken back from there and turn him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may be put to death.

Christian Standard Bible
the elders of his city are to send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
the elders of his city must send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.

American Standard Version
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Contemporary English Version
If that happens, the leaders of your town must send messengers to bring you back from the Safe Town. They will hand you over to one of the victim's relatives, who will put you to death.

English Revised Version
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die.

Good News Translation
In that case, the leaders of your own town are to send for you and hand you over to the relative responsible for taking revenge for the murder, so that you may be put to death.

International Standard Version
then the elders of his own city shall send for him, remove him from there, and deliver him to the related avenger for execution.

Majority Standard Bible
the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

NET Bible
The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger to die.

New Heart English Bible
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the elders of his city shall send and bring him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

World English Bible
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and [the] elderly of his city have sent and taken him from there, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he has died;

Young's Literal Translation
then the elders of his city have sent and taken him from thence, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he hath died;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the old men of his city sent and took him from there and gave him into the hand of the nearest relative of blood, and he died.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The ancients of his city shall send, and take him out of the place of refuge, and shall deliver him into the hand of the kinsman of him whose blood was shed, and he shall die.

Catholic Public Domain Version
the elders of his city shall send, and they shall take him from the place of refuge, and they shall deliver him into the hand of the relative of him whose blood was shed, and he shall die.

New American Bible
the elders of the killer’s own city shall send and have the killer taken from there, to be handed over to the avenger of blood and slain.

New Revised Standard Version
then the elders of the killer’s city shall send to have the culprit taken from there and handed over to the avenger of blood to be put to death.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him from there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, and he shall slay him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The Elders of his town shall send and they shall take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood and they shall kill him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
then shall the elders of his city send, and take him thence, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the avengers of blood, and he shall die.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cities of Refuge
11If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, 12the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. 13You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.…

Cross References
Numbers 35:19-21
The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him. / Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, / or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

Joshua 20:3-6
so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. / When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. / Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. ...

Exodus 21:12-14
Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. / If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. / But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.

Numbers 35:24-25
then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. / The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

1 Kings 2:28-34
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. / It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!” / And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.” ...

Numbers 35:11-12
designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. / You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

Leviticus 24:17
And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.

Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Romans 13:4
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

Matthew 5:21-22
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ / But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Acts 25:11
If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Hebrews 10:28
Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.


Treasury of Scripture

Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

1 Kings 2:5,6,28-34
Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet…

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Deuteronomy 19
1. The cities of refuge
4. The privilege thereof for the manslayer
14. The landmark is not to be removed
15. At least two witnesses are required
16. the punishment of a false witness














the elders of his city
In ancient Israel, the "elders" were respected leaders and decision-makers within the community. The Hebrew word for "elders" is *zaqen*, which implies wisdom and experience. These individuals were responsible for maintaining justice and order, reflecting the communal and theocratic nature of Israelite society. Their role in this verse underscores the importance of communal responsibility and the pursuit of justice according to God's law.

shall send for him
The phrase "shall send for him" indicates a formal process of summoning. The Hebrew root *shalach* conveys the idea of dispatching or commissioning. This reflects the structured legal procedures in ancient Israel, where due process was essential. It emphasizes the seriousness with which matters of justice were handled, ensuring that actions were not taken hastily or without proper authority.

take him from there
This phrase suggests a physical removal, indicating the authority and responsibility of the elders to act decisively. The Hebrew verb *laqach* means to take or seize, highlighting the active role of the community in upholding justice. It also reflects the communal nature of ancient Israelite society, where individuals were accountable to their community and its leaders.

and deliver him
The act of delivering, from the Hebrew *nathan*, implies a transfer of responsibility. This phrase signifies the elders' duty to ensure that justice is served by handing over the accused to the appropriate party. It underscores the principle of justice being a communal obligation, not just an individual one, and reflects the seriousness with which God’s laws were to be upheld.

into the hand of the avenger of blood
The "avenger of blood," or *goel ha-dam* in Hebrew, was typically a close relative of a murder victim, tasked with ensuring justice. This role was part of the ancient Near Eastern practice of blood vengeance, which was regulated by Mosaic Law to prevent excessive retribution. The phrase highlights the balance between justice and mercy, as the law provided cities of refuge to protect those who killed unintentionally.

to die
The ultimate consequence, "to die," reflects the gravity of the crime of murder in ancient Israel. The Hebrew word *muth* signifies death, underscoring the sanctity of life as ordained by God. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of taking a life and the divine mandate for justice. It also points to the need for a just and fair legal system, as established by God, to maintain order and righteousness within the community.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the elders
זִקְנֵ֣י (ziq·nê)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2205: Old

of his city
עִיר֔וֹ (‘î·rōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

must send for him,
וְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ (wə·šā·lə·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

bring
וְלָקְח֥וּ (wə·lā·qə·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3947: To take

him
אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

back,
מִשָּׁ֑ם (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and hand him over to
וְנָתְנ֣וּ (wə·nā·ṯə·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the avenger
גֹּאֵ֥ל (gō·’êl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1350: To redeem, act as kinsman

of blood
הַדָּ֖ם (had·dām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

to die.
וָמֵֽת׃ (wā·mêṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 19:12 Then the elders of his city shall (Deut. De Du)
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