Deuteronomy 19:1-10
Lexham English Bible
19 “When Yahweh your God has exterminated[a] the nations concerning whom Yahweh your God is giving to you their land, and you have dispossessed them, and you have settled in their towns and in their houses, 2 you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land that Yahweh your God is giving to you to take possession of it. 3 You shall prepare the roads[b] for yourselves, and you shall divide the regions of your land into thirds that Yahweh your God gives you as a possession, so that it will be available for any manslayer to flee there.[c]
4 “Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live there who has killed his neighbor unintentionally,[d] and he did not hate him previously.[e] 5 For example,[f] when somebody goes with his neighbor into the forest to cut wood, and the iron head slips from the handle of the tool and strikes his neighbor and he dies, then he may flee to one of these cities, and so he may live. 6 He does this lest the avenger of blood might pursue after the killer, because he is hot with anger[g] and he overtakes him, because it is a long distance to the city of refuge, and so he kills him,[h] but he did not deserve a death sentence,[i] because he was not hating him before.[j] 7 Therefore I am commanding you, saying,[k] ‘You shall set apart three cities.’ 8 Then if Yahweh your God enlarges your territory just as he swore to your ancestors[l] and gives[m] to you all the land that he promised[n] to give to your ancestors,[o] 9 then if you diligently observe this entire commandment[p] that I am commanding you today[q] by loving Yahweh your God and by going[r] in his ways at all times,[s] then you shall add three more cities for yourselves to these three. 10 Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed[t] in the midst of your land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance and thereby bloodguilt would be on you.[u]
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- Deuteronomy 19:1 Literally “cut off”
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Hebrew “road”
- Deuteronomy 19:3 Literally “it shall be to flee there all/anyone killing”
- Deuteronomy 19:4 Literally “with no knowledge”
- Deuteronomy 19:4 Literally “from yesterday and the day before”
- Deuteronomy 19:5 Literally “And as”
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Literally “is hot his heart”
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Literally “he strikes him down as to his life/soul”
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Literally “for him there was not a judgment of death”
- Deuteronomy 19:6 Literally “from yesterday and the day before”
- Deuteronomy 19:7 Literally “to say”
- Deuteronomy 19:8 Or “fathers”
- Deuteronomy 19:8 Hebrew “will give”
- Deuteronomy 19:8 Literally “spoke”
- Deuteronomy 19:8 Or “fathers”
- Deuteronomy 19:9 Literally “if you observe all of the commandment the this to do it”
- Deuteronomy 19:9 Literally “the day”
- Deuteronomy 19:9 Or “walking”
- Deuteronomy 19:9 Literally “all of the days”
- Deuteronomy 19:10 Hebrew “is not shed”
- Deuteronomy 19:10 Hebrew “shall be on you,” but conditional sense of imperfect is clear
Deuteronomy 19:1-10
American Standard Version
19 When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3 Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.
4 And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past; 5 as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the [a]head slippeth from [b]the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live: 6 lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. 7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee. 8 And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; 9 if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love Jehovah thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, besides these three: 10 that [c]innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
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- Deuteronomy 19:5 Hebrew iron.
- Deuteronomy 19:5 Or, the tree
- Deuteronomy 19:10 Or, the blood of an innocent man
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