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The Narrative Concerning Cities of Refuge

41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone[a] without hating him at the time of the accident[b] could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 43 These cities are Bezer, in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 4:42 tn Heb “the slayer who slew his neighbor without knowledge.”
  2. Deuteronomy 4:42 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day).” The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing.

Cities of Refuge(A)

41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, 42 to which anyone who had killed a person could flee if they had unintentionally(B) killed a neighbor without malice aforethought. They could flee into one of these cities and save their life. 43 The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth(C) in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites.

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