UNROLL
A small walled hill town of stone and mud brick at first light, its plain gateway open, a stony road winding up to it through pasture where a flock grazes.

The Book of

Numbers 35

Forty-eight towns for God’s servants, and six with open gates for the one who killed by accident.

34 verses≈ 7 min1 personBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and ordered
  2. 11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
  3. 15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercy
  4. 22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessing
  5. 26–36A new generationReady for the landChapter 35

Forty-Eight Cities for the Levites

Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: “Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.

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God

Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities. The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands. The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.”

Reflect

Among the people

Levi was given no block of land of its own. Instead God scattered its families through every tribe, in “cities for the Levites to live in,” so that the people who served at His tent lived next door to everyone else. God still places His people among others on purpose. Who has He set near you, on your street, at work or in your family, for you to serve and to point toward Him? Write down one name, and one way you could serve that person this week.

Six Cities of Refuge

At dusk, from beside a hill town's open, lamp-lit gateway, a long stony road falls away into a dark valley, one small figure far below climbing toward the gate.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

0:22

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge. These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.

Jordan RiverKedeshShechemHebronGolan (site uncertain)Ramoth in Gilead (site uncertain)Bezer (site uncertain)

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

Six cities of refuge

Three cities across the Jordan and three in Canaan, named later when the land was settled (Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Joshua 20:7–8). West of the river: Kedesh in the north, Shechem in the middle, Hebron in the south. East of it: Bezer on the plateau, Ramoth in Gilead and Golan in Bashan. Spread from north to south, none was far from anyone in Israel. The sites of Bezer, Ramoth and Golan are uncertain.

The law

Murder

  1. Weapon

    Struck with iron: a murderer

    If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

  2. With a deadly stone

    Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

  3. With a deadly object of wood

    If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.

  4. Avenger

    The avenger of blood

    The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

  5. Intent

    Pushed or thrown in malice

    Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him,

  6. Struck in hostility

    or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer.

  7. The avenger finds him

    When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.

In the shade of a small town's open gateway, elders seated on stone benches listen to a dusty traveler who stands before them with his hands open.

The law

Without intent

  1. No intent

    Pushed suddenly, no hostility

    But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,

  2. A stone dropped unseen

    or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,

  3. Trial

    The congregation judges

    then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

  4. The assembly protects him

    The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood.

  5. Refuge

    He stays till the high priest dies

    Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

  6. Outside the city: no protection

    But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,

  7. Home after the high priest’s death

    because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.

  8. For all generations

    This will be a statutory ordinance for you for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Murder or manslaughter?

yesnoA life takenMalice orhostility?weapon, intent (16–21)Murdererput to death (16–21)Without intentno hostility (22–23)Congregationjudgesbetween him and theavenger (24)City of refugetill the high priestdies (25–28)

Whiteboard

The law weighed the heart as well as the hand. A weapon, malice or hostility marked a murderer, and he was put to death. But one who struck “without hostility” and “did not intend to harm him” was judged by the congregation and sent back to a city of refuge, to live there safely until the high priest died.

Question

Quick question

The congregation found that he killed by accident and sent him back to the city of refuge. How long did he have to stay?

When could the manslayer go home?

If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.

You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.

Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

Numbers 35:33–34

Pray

My refuge

God gave Israel six cities with open gates, “so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.” Thank Him that in Christ there is a refuge even for those whose guilt is real, and that its gate still stands open. Then pray for the places where you live: for honest witnesses and fair judges, for justice that is not bought, and for mercy that does not wink at sin.

You’ve experienced

Numbers 35

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A verse to carry with you

Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.

Numbers 35:34

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