Joshua 20 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Joshua

Chapter 20

Six Cities of Refuge Appointed

The LORD commands Joshua to designate cities of refuge as He had previously instructed through Moses, providing safe haven for anyone who kills a person unintentionally and without prior malice. A person fleeing to such a city must present his case to the elders at the city gate, who are then obligated to receive him and protect him from the avenger of blood. The manslayer is to remain in the city of refuge until he stands before the congregation for judgment and until the death of the reigning high priest, after which he may return to his own home. Three cities are appointed west of the Jordan — Kedesh in Galilee, Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Hebron in the mountain of Judah — and three east of the Jordan — Bezer from Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from Gad, and Golan in Bashan from Manasseh — available to both Israelites and sojourning strangers alike.

Cities of refugeUnintentional manslaughterProtection from vengeanceMosaic law fulfilledJustice and mercy

¹The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

²Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

³That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

⁴And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

⁵And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

⁶And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

⁷And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

⁸And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.