Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. New Living Translation Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed. English Standard Version that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. Berean Standard Bible so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. King James Bible That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. New King James Version that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. New American Standard Bible so that one who commits manslaughter by killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. NASB 1995 that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. NASB 1977 that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood. Legacy Standard Bible that the manslayer who strikes down any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood. Amplified Bible so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger. Christian Standard Bible so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. Holman Christian Standard Bible so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. American Standard Version that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. Aramaic Bible in Plain English That a killer may escape there, whoever may kill a life suddenly when he does not know, and they shall be to you for salvation from the seeker of vengeance of blood Brenton Septuagint Translation Even a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgement. Douay-Rheims Bible That whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them: and may escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of blood: English Revised Version that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. GOD'S WORD® Translation Choose them so that anyone who unintentionally kills someone may run to them. They will be a place of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. Good News Translation If any of you accidentally kills someone, you can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge. International Standard Version so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally and without premeditation may run there and be protected from closely related avengers. JPS Tanakh 1917 that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. Literal Standard Version for the fleeing there of a manslayer striking life through ignorance, without knowledge; and they have been for a refuge to you from the redeemer of blood. Majority Standard Bible so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. New American Bible to which anyone guilty of inadvertent and unintentional homicide may flee for asylum from the avenger of blood. NET Bible Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. New Revised Standard Version so that anyone who kills a person without intent or by mistake may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. New Heart English Bible that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. Webster's Bible Translation That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and ignorantly, may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. World English Bible that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. Young's Literal Translation for the fleeing thither of a man-slayer smiting life inadvertently, without knowledge; and they have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer of blood. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Six Cities of Refuge…2“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4When 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.… Cross References Leviticus 4:2 "Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD's commandments and does what is forbidden by them: Numbers 35:12 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. Joshua 20:2 "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, Joshua 20:4 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. Treasury of Scripture That the slayer that kills any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. Jump to Previous Accidentally Avenger Blood Design Error Ignorantly Intent Killeth Kills Life Manslayer Man-Slayer Mortally Places Premeditation Protection Refuge Right Safe Slayer Smiteth Smiting Thither Unawares Unintentionally UnwittinglyJump to Next Accidentally Avenger Blood Design Error Ignorantly Intent Killeth Kills Life Manslayer Man-Slayer Mortally Places Premeditation Protection Refuge Right Safe Slayer Smiteth Smiting Thither Unawares Unintentionally UnwittinglyJoshua 20 1. God commands7. and the children of Israel appoint the six cities of refuge Verse 3. - Unawares and unwittingly. Literally, in error, in not knowing. Numbers 35:16-18 and Deuteronomy 19:5, give a clear explanation of what is here meant. Knobel notices that the first of these expressions is found in Leviticus 4:2, and the second in Deuteronomy 4:42. The latter is "superfluous," and therefore a "filling up of the Deuteronomist." The "Deuteronomist" must have been very active in his "filling up." If he were really so lynx-eyed in a matter of style, it is a wonder that he was so careless, as we are told he is, in matters of fact. To more ordinary minds it would seem as if the author, familiar with the books of Moses, was quoting Deuteronomy for the precept, and Leviticus for the nature of the offence. The avenger of blood. The Hebrew word is worthy of notice. It is Goel; that is, literally, redeemer, one who buys back at the appointed price what has fallen into other hands, as a farm, a field, a slave, or anything consecrated to God. Hence, since the duly of such redemption, on the death of the owner, devolved upon the nearest relative, it came to mean "blood relation." Thus Boaz (Ruth 4:1, 6, 8) is called the Goel of Elimelech and his widow. In the present passage, the phrase "the redeemer (LXX. ἀγχιστεύων next of kin) of the blood" signifies the exactor of the only penalty which can satisfy justice, namely, the death of the murderer. So we are taught in Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12, 14; Leviticus 24:17, 21. This duty, which in civilised society belongs to the government, in uncivilised tribes is usually left to the relatives of the murdered man. Hence the terrible blood feuds which have raged between families for generations, and which are not only to be found among savage nations, but even in countries which lay claim to civilisation. In Ireland, for instance, it is not so long ago since one of these blood feuds in the county Tipperary had acquired such formidable proportions that the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church there were compelled to resort to a mission in order to put an end to it. A man had been killed nearly a century before in an affray which commenced about the age of a colt. His relatives felt bound to avenge the murder, and their vengeance was again deemed to require fresh vengeance, until faction fights between the "Three-Year-Olds" and the "Four-Year-Olds" had grown almost into petty wars. A thrilling story written by the late Prosper Merimee turns upon the Corsican vendetta, and so true is this story to life that in the very year (1879) in which these words were written an occurrence precisely similar, save in its termination, was reported in the daily journals to have taken place in that island. The only way in which the feud could be terminated was by summoning the representatives of the two families before the authorities and exacting an oath from them that they would cease their strife. It is no small corroboration of the Divine origin of the Mosaic law that we find here a provision for mitigating the evils of this rude code, and for at least delivering the accidental homicide from the penalty of this law of retaliation. Yet for the offence of wilful murder the penalties enjoined by the Jewish law were terribly severe. A deliberate violation of the sanctity of human life was an offence for which no palliation could be pleaded. No right of sanctuary was to be granted to him who had wantonly slain a fellow creature. "No satisfaction" was to be taken for his life (Numbers 35:31). "The land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, save by the blood of him that shed it" (ver. 33). Such provisions might be expected of a lawgiver who had laid down as the fundamental principle of humanity that man was created "in the image of God," after His likeness; that God had "breathed the breath of life" into him, and man had thus "become a living soul" (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7). Such inward harmony is there between Moses' inspired revelations concerning God's purpose in creation, and the precepts he was commanded to deliver to the children of Israel. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew so that anyoneרוֹצֵ֔חַ (rō·w·ṣê·aḥ) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 7523: To dash in pieces, kill, to murder who kills מַכֵּה־ (mak·kêh-) Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct Strong's 5221: To strike another נֶ֥פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion unintentionally בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה (biš·ḡā·ḡāh) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7684: A mistake, inadvertent transgression or accidentally בִּבְלִי־ (biḇ·lî-) Preposition-b | Adverb Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as may flee לָנ֥וּס (lā·nūs) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away there. שָׁ֙מָּה֙ (šām·māh) Adverb | third person feminine singular Strong's 8033: There, then, thither These will be וְהָי֤וּ (wə·hā·yū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be your refuge לְמִקְלָ֔ט (lə·miq·lāṭ) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4733: Refuge, asylum from the avenger מִגֹּאֵ֖ל (mig·gō·’êl) Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct Strong's 1350: To redeem, act as kinsman of blood. הַדָּֽם׃ (had·dām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed Links Joshua 20:3 NIVJoshua 20:3 NLT Joshua 20:3 ESV Joshua 20:3 NASB Joshua 20:3 KJV Joshua 20:3 BibleApps.com Joshua 20:3 Biblia Paralela Joshua 20:3 Chinese Bible Joshua 20:3 French Bible Joshua 20:3 Catholic Bible OT History: Joshua 20:3 That the manslayer who kills any person (Josh. Jos) |
    |