Deuteronomy 19:11-13
New English Translation
11 However, suppose a person hates someone else[a] and stalks him, attacks him, kills him,[b] and then flees to one of these cities. 12 The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger[c] to die. 13 You must not pity him, but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,[d] so that it may go well with you.
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- Deuteronomy 19:11 tn Heb “his neighbor.”
- Deuteronomy 19:11 tn Heb “rises against him and strikes him fatally.”
- Deuteronomy 19:12 tn The גֹאֵל הַדָּם (goʾel haddam, “avenger of blood”) would ordinarily be a member of the victim’s family who, after due process of law, was invited to initiate the process of execution (cf. Num 35:16-28). See R. Hubbard, NIDOTTE 1:789-94.
- Deuteronomy 19:13 sn Purge out the blood of the innocent. Because of the corporate nature of Israel’s community life, the whole community shared in the guilt of unavenged murder unless and until vengeance occurred. Only this would restore spiritual and moral equilibrium (Num 35:33).
Deuteronomy 19:11-13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
11 “But if someone at enmity with another lies in wait and attacks and takes the life of that person and flees into one of these cities, 12 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. 13 Show no pity; you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may go well with you.(A)
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