Num 35:6-29 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 35:6-34: 35:6-34 Six of the Levites’ towns had a special purpose as cities of refuge , places where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety . This unusual institution illustrates the humanitarian aspect of Hebrew law (see also Deut 4:41-43 ; 19:1-13 ; Josh 20 ). These six Levitical towns provided a safe haven in cases of accidental or involuntary manslaughter (cp. Exod 21:12-14 ). Just as the forty-eight Levite towns were widely distributed across Israel’s territories, the six cities of refuge were dispersed so they would be widely accessible (see Josh 20:7-8 ). These designated settlements supplemented the role of the altar as a temporary place of asylum (e.g., 1 Kgs 1:50-53 ; 2:28-34 ; cp. Exod 21:14 ). Other ancient peoples provided special places of asylum or refuge, often at the altar (see Exod 21:12-14 ; 1 Kgs 2:28-34 ), but only ancient Israel established whole settlements as places of sanctuary, reflecting a special interest in social justice.

Summary for Num 35:6-34: 35:6-34 ^a Six of the Levites’ towns had a special purpose as cities of refuge, places where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. This unusual institution illustrates the humanitarian aspect of Hebrew law (see also Deut 4:41-43 ^b; 19:1-13 ^c; Josh 20 ^d). These six Levitical towns provided a safe haven in cases of accidental or involuntary manslaughter (cp. Exod 21:12-14 ^e). Just as the forty-eight Levite towns were widely distributed across Israel’s territories, the six cities of refuge were dispersed so they would be widely accessible (see Josh 20:7-8 ^f). These designated settlements supplemented the role of the altar as a temporary place of asylum (e.g., 1 Kgs 1:50-53 ^g; 2:28-34 ^h; cp. Exod 21:14 ⁱ). Other ancient peoples provided special places of asylum or refuge, often at the altar (see Exod 21:12-14 ^j; 1 Kgs 2:28-34 ^k), but only ancient Israel established whole settlements as places of sanctuary, reflecting a special interest in social justice.
35:12 ^l protection from a dead person’s relatives who want to avenge the death: Justice was enacted through vengeance at the hand of a designated avenger, usually a relative.
Summary for Num 35:15-24: 35:15-24 ^m The Old Testament makes a clear distinction between deliberate murder and involuntary manslaughter (35:11 ⁿ, 22-23 ^o; Exod 21:12-14 ^p; cp. Num 15:22-31 ^q). Murder required a penalty of execution, but an accidental death did not. The cities of refuge provided protection only for those who killed another person by accident.

• The use of a weapon was proof of malicious intent. 35:15 ^r Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone: The same law applied impartially to everyone; Israel had one standard of justice, not two (one for citizens, another for noncitizens), as in many societies (see also Lev 19:15 ^s; Deut 1:16-17 ^t; 1 Tim 5:21 ^u; Jas 2:2-4 ^v).
35:19 ^w The avenger was the victim’s closest relative; he was responsible for putting the murderer to death, carrying out the vengeance that justice required (Gen 9:6 ^x).
Summary for Num 35:22-23: 35:22-23 ^y Here are some instances in which a victim died but was not murdered through an intentional act of violence. The cities of refuge were created as places of safety for people who were responsible for such accidental deaths.
Summary for Num 35:24-25: 35:24-25 ^z If the slayer was cleared of the murder charge in his trial or hearing before the community (cp. Deut 19:11-12 ^aa), he had to remain in the city of refuge to which he fled, and the avenger was not supposed to seek revenge, because the slayer was not guilty of murder.

• until the death of the high priest: The priest’s death probably provided a kind of expiation for the blood that had been shed; even though the slayer was innocent of murder, human bloodshed had polluted the land (Num 35:33 ^ab; cp. Gen 4:10-11 ^ac).
Summary for Num 35:26-29: 35:26-29 ^ad The slayer still suffered a penalty for the death he had caused since he was restricted to a city of refuge until he or the high priest died. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer was free to return to his own home, and the avenger was not to seek revenge.