4 Bible Verses about Cities of refuge
Most Relevant Verses
"And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shall be six cities of franchise which ye shall give to that intent that he which committeth a slaughter, may fly thither. And to them ye shall add forty two cities more: so that all the cities which ye shall give the Levites shall be forty eight, with their suburbs. And of the cities which ye shall give out of the possessions of the children of Israel, ye shall give many out of their possessions that have much and few out of their possessions that have little: so that every tribe shall give of his cities unto the Levites, according to the inheritance which he inheriteth."read more.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, 'When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan, ye shall build cities which shall be privileged towns for you: that he which slayeth a man unawares, may fly thither. And the cities shall be to flee from the executer of blood, that he which killed die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these six free cities which ye shall give, three ye shall give on this side Jordan and three in the land of Canaan. And these six free cities shall be for the children of Israel and for the stranger and for him that dwelleth among you, that all they which kill any person unawares, may flee thither. "'If any man smite another with a weapon of iron that he die, then he is a murderer, and shall die for it. If he smite him with a throwing stone that he die therewith, then he shall die: For he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. If he smite him with a hand weapon of wood that he die therewith, then he shall die: for he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. The judge of blood shall slay the murderer, as soon as he findeth him. "'If he thrust him of hate, or hurl at him with laying of wait that he die, or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him. But and if he pushed him by chance and not of hate, or cast at him with any manner of thing and not of laying of wait, or cast any manner of stone at him that he die therewith, and saw him not, and he cast it upon him and he died, but was not his enemy, neither sought him any harm; then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the executer of blood in such cases. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the judge of blood, and shall restore him again unto the franchised city whither he was fled. And he shall bide there unto the death of the high priest which was anointed with holy oil. "'But and if he came without the borders of his privileged city whither he was fled, if the blood avenger find him without the borders of his free town, he shall slay the murderer and be guiltless, because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession. And this shall be an ordinance and a law unto you, among your children after you in all your habitations. Whosoever slayeth, shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. For one witness shall not answer against one person to put him to death. Moreover ye shall take none amends for the life of the murderer, which is worthy to die: But he shall be put to death. Also ye shall take none atonement for him that is fled to a free city, that he should come again and dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. "'And see that ye pollute not the land which ye are in, for blood defileth the land. And the land can none otherwise be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of it that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye inhabit, and in the midst of which I also dwell, for I am the LORD which dwell among the children of Israel.'"
Then Moses severed three cities on the other side Jordan toward the sun rising, that he should flee thither which had killed his neighbour unawares and hated him not in time past, and therefore should flee unto one of the same cities and live: Bezer in the wilderness, even in the plain country, among the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead among the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan among the Manassites.
When the LORD thy God hath destroyed the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou hast conquered them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses; thou shalt appoint three cities in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare the way and divide the coasts of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts that whosoever committeth murder may flee thither.read more.
And this is the cause of the slayer that shall flee thither and be saved: If he smite his neighbour ignorantly and hated him not in time past; as when a man goeth unto the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and as his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe, the head slippeth from the helve and smiteth his neighbour that he die; the same shall flee unto one of the same cities and be saved. Lest the executer of blood follow after the slayer while his heart is hot and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, and yet there is no cause worthy of death in him, inasmuch as he hated not his neighbour in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, 'See that thou appoint out three cities.' And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coasts as he hath sworn unto thy fathers and give thee all the land which he said he would give unto thy fathers - so that thou keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, that thou love the LORD thy God and walk in his ways ever - then thou shalt add three cities more unto those three, that innocent blood be not shed in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, and so blood come upon thee. But and if there be any man that hateth his neighbour and layeth await for him and riseth against him and smiteth him that he die, and fleeth unto any of these cities; Then let the elders of his city send and fetch him thence and deliver him into the hands of the justice of blood, and he shall die. Let thine eye have no pity on him, and so thou shalt put away innocent blood from Israel, and happy art thou.
"Come with the children of Israel and say, 'Appoint out free cities, of which I spake unto you by Moses, that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly, may flee thither. And those cities shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And the slayer shall flee unto one of those Cities and shall stand in the entering of the gate of the city and shall show his cause in the ears of the elders of the said city. And they shall take him into the city unto them, and shall give him a place that he may dwell among them.read more.
And when the avenger of blood followeth after him they shall not deliver the slayer unto his hand: because he smote his friend ignorantly, and hated him not before time. And he shall dwell in the said city until he stand before the congregation in judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. And then shall the slayer return and come unto his own city and unto his own house, and unto the city from whence he fled.'" And they appointed Kadesh in Galilee, in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kiriatharba which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah. And on the other side Jordan over against Jericho eastward, they gave 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. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and to the strangers that Sojourned among them that whosoever killed any person ignorantly, the same might flee thither and should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
Bible Theasaurus
From Thematic Bible
Cities of refuge » Design of
If a man lay not await, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will point thee a place whither he shall flee.
ye shall build cities which shall be privileged towns for you: that he which slayeth a man unawares, may fly thither.
that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly, may flee thither. And those cities shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Cities of refuge » Names &c of
Then Moses severed three cities on the other side Jordan toward the sun rising, that he should flee thither which had killed his neighbour unawares and hated him not in time past, and therefore should flee unto one of the same cities and live: Bezer in the wilderness, even in the plain country, among the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead among the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan among the Manassites.
And they appointed Kadesh in Galilee, in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kiriatharba which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah. And on the other side Jordan over against Jericho eastward, they gave 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.
Cities of refuge » Required to be » Easy of access
Thou shalt prepare the way and divide the coasts of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts that whosoever committeth murder may flee thither.
Go from gate to gate, and prepare the way for the people: cast up gravel, and make the way high and cleanse it of stones, and set up a banner for the people.
Cities of refuge » Afforded no asylum to murderers
If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor and slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he die.
"'If any man smite another with a weapon of iron that he die, then he is a murderer, and shall die for it. If he smite him with a throwing stone that he die therewith, then he shall die: For he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. If he smite him with a hand weapon of wood that he die therewith, then he shall die: for he is a murderer and shall be slain therefore. read more.
The judge of blood shall slay the murderer, as soon as he findeth him. "'If he thrust him of hate, or hurl at him with laying of wait that he die, or smite him with his hand of envy that he die; he that smote him shall die, for he is a murderer. The justice of blood shall slay him as soon as he findeth him.
Cities of refuge » Those admitted to » Obliged to remain in, until the high priest's death
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the judge of blood, and shall restore him again unto the franchised city whither he was fled. And he shall bide there unto the death of the high priest which was anointed with holy oil.
because he should have bidden in his free town until the death of the high priest, and after the death of the high priest, he shall return again unto the land of his possession.
Cities of refuge » Those admitted to » Were put on their trial
And the cities shall be to flee from the executer of blood, that he which killed die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the executer of blood in such cases.
Cities of refuge » Illustrative » Of Christ
For thou art the poor man's help, and strength for the needful in his necessity. Thou art a defense against evil weather and a shadow against the heat, when the blast of the raging men is like a storm that casteth down a wall.
I will say unto the LORD, "O my hope, and my stronghold; my God, in whom I will trust."
Cities of refuge » Illustrative » (the way to,) of Christ
Jesus said unto him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. And no man cometh unto the father, but by me.
There shall be foot paths and common streets: this shall be called the holy way. No unclean person shall go through it, for the LORD himself shall go with them that way, and the ignorant shall not err.
Cities of refuge » Those admitted to » Not protected outside of
"'But and if he came without the borders of his privileged city whither he was fled, if the blood avenger find him without the borders of his free town, he shall slay the murderer and be guiltless,
Cities of refuge » Strangers might take advantage of
And these six free cities shall be for the children of Israel and for the stranger and for him that dwelleth among you, that all they which kill any person unawares, may flee thither.
Cities of refuge » Illustrative » Of the hope of the gospel
that by two immutable things - in which it was impossible that God should lie - we might have perfect consolation, which have fled, for to hold fast the hope that is set before us:
Cities of refuge » Required to be » Open to all manslayers
And the slayer shall flee unto one of those Cities and shall stand in the entering of the gate of the city and shall show his cause in the ears of the elders of the said city. And they shall take him into the city unto them, and shall give him a place that he may dwell among them.
Types of Christ » Cities of refuge
"And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, there shall be six cities of franchise which ye shall give to that intent that he which committeth a slaughter, may fly thither. And to them ye shall add forty two cities more:
that by two immutable things - in which it was impossible that God should lie - we might have perfect consolation, which have fled, for to hold fast the hope that is set before us:
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