Bible Dictionary: Manslayer

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Manslayer

one who kills another unintentionally, and is thus distinguished from a murderer, who kills with malice aforethought. The cases of manslaughter mentioned in Scripture appear to be a sufficient indication of the intention of the lawgiver.

Death by a blow in a sudden quarrel. (Numbers 35:22)
Death by a stone or missile thrown at random. Ibid. (Numbers 35:22,23)
By the blade of an axe flying from its handle. (19:5) In all these and the like cases the manslayer was allowed to retire to a city of refuge. A thief overtaken at night in the act of stealing might lawfully be put to death, but if the sun had risen the killing him was to be regarded as murder. (Exodus 22:2,8)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Manslayer

See REFUGE, CITIES OF.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

One who was guilty of accidental homicide, and was entitled to flee to a city of refuge (Numbers 35:6, 12, 22, 23), his compulsory residence in which terminated with the death of the high priest. (see CITY OF REFUGE.)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) One who kills a human being; one who commits manslaughter.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

MANSLAYER

man'-sla-er (meratstseach, from ratsach (Numbers 35:6, 12); androphonos (1 Timothy 1:9)): A term employed with reference to both premeditated and accidental or justifiable killing. In the latter case, an asylum was granted (Numbers 35:6, 12) until the death of the high priest, after which the slayer was allowed to "return into the land of his possession" (Numbers 35:28). The cases in which the manslayer was to be held clearly immune from the punishment imposed on willful killing were:

(1) death by a blow in a sudden quarrel (Numbers 35:22);

(2) death by anything thrown at random (Numbers 35:22, 23);

(3) death by the blade of an axe flying from the handle (Deuteronomy 19:5).

Among the cases in which one would be held responsible for the death of another, is to be counted the neglectful act of building a house without a parapet (Deuteronomy 22:8).

Manslaughter, as a modern legal term, is employed to distinguish unpremeditated killing from coldblooded murder, but formerly (2 Esdras 1:26) it was used in a more general sense.

See MURDER.

Frank E. Hirsch

Greek

409. androphonos -- a manslayer
... a manslayer. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: androphonos Phonetic
Spelling: (an-drof-on'-os) Short Definition: a murderer Definition: a murderer ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/409.htm - 6k

443. anthropoktonos -- a manslayer
... a manslayer. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: anthropoktonos Phonetic
Spelling: (anth-ro-pok-ton'-os) Short Definition: a murderer Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/443.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7523. ratsach -- to murder, slay
... ratsach. 7524 . to murder, slay. Transliteration: ratsach Phonetic Spelling:
(raw-tsakh') Short Definition: manslayer. ... put to death, kill, manslayer, murderer. ...
/hebrew/7523.htm - 6k

Library

Rom. Ix. 1
... For if we do not look narrowly into the causes, we shall call Elijah a manslayer,
and Abraham not a manslayer only, but a murderer of his son. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xvi rom ix 1.htm

The Gospel Refuge.
... If you read the Bible account, you will find that the manslayer had his liberty
restored to him upon the death of the High Priest.[57] When the tidings of the ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/iii the gospel refuge.htm

The Believer a New Creature
... The city of refuge no sooner received the manslayer than he was perfectly
free from the avenger who pursued him. Once within the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 15 1869/the believer a new creature.htm

Two Fortresses
... and catch up their children in their arms, and set their wives upon their mules,
and make all haste to some fortified place; or as when the manslayer in Israel ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/two fortresses.htm

John Chapter viii. 37-47
... Abraham was no manslayer. ... From the very time that murder [manslaughter] could
possibly be committed, he was a murderer [manslayer]. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xlii john chapter viii.htm

When travelling lately through the Simplon
... Retreats," I could not help being reminded of the wonderful Cities of Refuge which
God graciously provided of old in Palestine for the unfortunate manslayer. ...
/.../the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/i when travelling lately through.htm

In Him: Like Him
... that makes us Christians: by union with him as our life we truly live,"live in the
favour of God."We are in Christ, dear brethren, as the manslayer was in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 29 1883/in him like him.htm

What Then, if a Homicide Seek Refuge with a Christian...
... knowest and hast seen? Art thou then prepared to bear false witness, and to
slay thy soul that a manslayer may not be slain? Or, up to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on lying/section 22 what then if.htm

The Heathen, who have not a Full Revelation of the Truth...
... suffer for their crime, drives the unwilling gladiator to the murderous deed with
rods and scourges; and one who demands the lion for every manslayer of deeper ...
/.../tertullian/the shows or de spectaculis/chapter xxi the heathen who.htm

The Power of Christ's Resurrection
... them but dung (no more than offals thrown out to dogs) so that I may win, (or have
a saving interest in) Christ, and be found in him( as the manslayer in the ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the power of christs resurrection.htm

Thesaurus

Manslayer (20 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MANSLAYER. man ... See MURDER. Frank E. Hirsch.
Multi-Version Concordance Manslayer (20 Occurrences). Numbers ...
/m/manslayer.htm - 15k

Slayer (23 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Numbers 35:11 then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for
you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. ...
/s/slayer.htm - 13k

Accused (29 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:12 The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the
manslayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment. ...
/a/accused.htm - 15k

Refuge (111 Occurrences)
... instituted. Open highways were to be maintained along, which the manslayer
might have an unobstructed course to the city gate. 3 ...
/r/refuge.htm - 41k

Avenger (18 Occurrences)
... refuge (Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:13; Deuteronomy 19:1, 9). These were in different
parts of the country, and every facility was afforded the manslayer that he ...
/a/avenger.htm - 17k

Unintentionally (20 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:11 then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you,
that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. (See NAS). ...
/u/unintentionally.htm - 12k

Kills (38 Occurrences)
... Numbers 35:11 then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you,
that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. (WEB RSV). ...
/k/kills.htm - 17k

Murder (41 Occurrences)
... Ho 6:9); phoneus, "criminal homicide," from phoneuo, "to kill," "slay"; phonos,
from pheno, has the same meaning; anthropoktonos, "manslayer," "murderer," is ...
/m/murder.htm - 24k

Aforethought (5 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 4:42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unawares,
and didn't hate him in time past; and that fleeing to one of these ...
/a/aforethought.htm - 8k

Malice (24 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 4:42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unawares,
and didn't hate him in time past; and that fleeing to one of these ...
/m/malice.htm - 15k

Bible Concordance

Manslayer (20 Occurrences)

Numbers 35:6 "The cities which you shall give to the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to: and besides them you shall give forty-two cities.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:11 then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:12 The cities shall be to you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer not die, until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:24 Then let the meeting of the people be judge between the man responsible for the death and him who has the right of punishment for blood, acting by these rules:
(See RSV)

Numbers 35:25 and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, where he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:26 "'But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, where he flees,
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:27 and the avenger of blood find him outside of the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood,
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Numbers 35:28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 4:42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unawares, and didn't hate him in time past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 19:3 You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 19:4 This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn't hate him in time past;
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 19:6 lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he didn't hate him in time past.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Joshua 20:3 that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV)

Joshua 20:5 If the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn't hate him before.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 20:6 He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the manslayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.'"
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 21:13 To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah with its suburbs,
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 21:21 They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs,
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 21:27 They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Be Eshterah with its suburbs; two cities.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 21:32 Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs; three cities.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Joshua 21:38 Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

Subtopics

Manslayer

Related Terms

Slayer (23 Occurrences)

Accused (29 Occurrences)

Refuge (111 Occurrences)

Avenger (18 Occurrences)

Unintentionally (20 Occurrences)

Kills (38 Occurrences)

Murder (41 Occurrences)

Aforethought (5 Occurrences)

Malice (24 Occurrences)