Bible Commentaries

Thou shalt ^a prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every ^b slayer may flee thither.

(a) Make an open and ready way.

(b) Who killed against his will, and bore no hatred in his heart.

As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he ^c shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

(c) That murder not be committed on murder.

And if the LORD thy God ^d enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

(d) When you go over Jordan to possess the whole land of Canaan.

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance, and ^e [so] blood be upon thee.

(e) Lest you be punished for innocent blood.

Then the ^f elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

(f) The magistrates.

Thine ^g eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

(g) Then whoever pardons murder, goes against the word of God.

Then both the men, between whom the controversy [is], shall stand before the ^h LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

(h) God's presence where his true ministers are assembled.