Numbers 35:13
New International Version
These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.

New Living Translation
Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves,

English Standard Version
And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge.

Berean Standard Bible
The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

King James Bible
And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.

New King James Version
And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.

New American Standard Bible
So the cities which you are to provide shall be six cities of refuge for you.

NASB 1995
‘The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

NASB 1977
‘And the cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge.

Amplified Bible
The cities which you are to provide shall be your six cities of refuge.

Christian Standard Bible
The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

American Standard Version
And the cities which ye shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

Contemporary English Version
There are to be six of these Safe Towns,

English Revised Version
And the cities which ye shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There will be six cities you select as places of refuge,

Good News Translation
Choose six cities,

International Standard Version
You are to set aside six towns of refuge.

Majority Standard Bible
The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.

NET Bible
These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.

New Heart English Bible
The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.

Webster's Bible Translation
And of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge.

World English Bible
The cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
As for the cities which you give, six [are] cities of refuge to you;

Young's Literal Translation
As to the cities which ye give -- six are cities of refuge to you;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the cities which ye shall give, six cities of refuge shall be to you.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, among those cities which are separated for relief to fugitives,

New American Bible
As for the cities you assign, you will have six cities of asylum:

New Revised Standard Version
The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you:
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And of these cities which you shall give, six cities shall you have for refuge.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the cities that you are giving shall be the six cities of a place of refuge for you.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the cities which ye shall assign, even the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Six Cities of Refuge
12You 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. 13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. 14Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.…

Cross References
Joshua 20:1-9
Then the LORD said to Joshua, / “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, / so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. ...

Deuteronomy 19:1-13
When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses, / then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. / You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities. ...

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.

Hebrews 6:18
Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

Deuteronomy 4:41-43
Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east / to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities: / Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.

Joshua 21:13-38
So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah, / Jattir, Eshtemoa, / Holon, Debir, ...

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.” ...

Acts 7:29
At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.

2 Samuel 3:27
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

1 Chronicles 6:57-81
So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, / Hilen, Debir, / Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands. ...

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.

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

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.

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.

Acts 28:4
When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”


Treasury of Scripture

And of these cities which you shall give six cities shall you have for refuge.

six cities

Numbers 35:6
And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

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Numbers 35
1. Forty-eight cities for the Levites, with their suburbs, and measure thereof
6. Six of them are to be cities of refuge
9. The laws of murder and manslaughter
31. No satisfaction for murder














The cities
The term "cities" in this context refers to designated urban areas within the Promised Land. In ancient Israel, cities were not just places of residence but centers of community life, governance, and worship. The Hebrew word for city, "עִיר" (ir), often implies a fortified place, suggesting that these cities were secure and well-established. Historically, cities in ancient Israel were strategically located and served as hubs for trade and communication. The selection of cities for refuge underscores the importance of accessibility and protection within the community.

you select
The phrase "you select" indicates a deliberate choice made by the Israelites under divine guidance. The Hebrew root "בָּחַר" (bachar) means to choose or select, often implying a careful and thoughtful decision. This selection process reflects God's sovereignty and the responsibility of the Israelites to follow His commands. It emphasizes the active role of the community in establishing places of justice and mercy, aligning with God's will.

will be
The phrase "will be" signifies a future establishment and a divine promise. It indicates certainty and assurance that these cities will serve their intended purpose. In the Hebrew text, the verb form used here conveys a sense of inevitability and divine ordination. This reflects the faithfulness of God in providing for His people and ensuring that His laws are implemented.

your six cities
The specification of "six cities" is significant in biblical numerology, where the number six often represents imperfection or incompleteness, falling short of the divine number seven. However, in this context, the six cities are perfectly sufficient for their purpose, demonstrating God's provision. Historically, these cities were strategically distributed across the land to ensure accessibility for all Israelites, symbolizing God's justice and mercy being available to everyone.

of refuge
The term "refuge" comes from the Hebrew word "מִקְלָט" (miqlat), meaning a place of shelter or protection. These cities were established as sanctuaries for those who had committed unintentional manslaughter, providing them safety from the avenger of blood until a fair trial could be conducted. The concept of refuge is deeply rooted in the character of God as a protector and deliverer. Scripturally, these cities foreshadow the ultimate refuge found in Christ, who offers protection and salvation to all who seek Him. The cities of refuge illustrate God's justice tempered with mercy, providing a way for reconciliation and restoration within the community.

Verse 13. - Six cities. See on Deuteronomy 19:8, 9, where three more are apparently ordered to be set aside upon a certain contingency:

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The cities
וְהֶעָרִ֖ים (wə·he·‘ā·rîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5892: Excitement

you select
תִּתֵּ֑נוּ (tit·tê·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

will be
תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה (tih·ye·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

your six
שֵׁשׁ־ (šêš-)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

cities
עָרֵ֥י (‘ā·rê)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of refuge.
מִקְלָ֖ט (miq·lāṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4733: Refuge, asylum


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OT Law: Numbers 35:13 The cities which you shall give shall (Nu Num.)
Numbers 35:12
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