Deuteronomy 19:11

If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses instructs the Israelites on the plains of Moab regarding the administration of justice as they prepare to inherit the land. He outlines the procedure for a murderer who flees to a designated city.

The words — The Hebrew שֹׂנֵא (so.ne) translates literally to "hating," establishing premeditated malice as the legal trigger. The verb אָרַב ('a.rav) means "to lie in wait," distinguishing deliberate ambush from accidental violence.

The thread — This legal framework for premeditated homicide runs parallel to the blood-avenger protocol in Numbers 35:16 and the condemnation of secret violence in Deuteronomy 27:24. It also operationalizes the foundational principle that murder violates the divine image established in Genesis 9:6.

Why it lands — The text mandates a procedural boundary to stop vigilante retaliation before it contaminates the land. It requires community elders to enforce due process, ensuring the guilty are delivered to the avenger of blood rather than allowing uncontrolled bloodshed.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְכִֽי־ve./khi-and/ if יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehhe will be אִישׁ֙'ishanyone שֹׂנֵ֣אso.Ne'hating לְרֵעֵ֔הוּle./re.'E./hu<to>/ neighbor/ his וְאָ֤רַבve./'A.ravand/ he will lie in waitלוֹ֙l/ofor <the>/ himוְקָ֣םve./Kamand/ he will rise up עָלָ֔יו'a.La/von/ him וְהִכָּ֥הוּve./hi.Ka.h/uand/ he will strike/ him נֶ֖פֶשׁNe.feshlife וָמֵ֑תva./Metand/ he will die וְנָ֕סve./Nasand/ he will flee אֶל־'el-to אַחַ֖ת'a.Chatone of הֶעָרִ֥יםhe./'a.Rimthe/ cities הָאֵֽל׃ha./'El<the>/ these

King James Version

But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

Cross-references

Numbers 35:16 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.
Deuteronomy 27:24 ‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
Exodus 21:12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:24 then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
Proverbs 28:17 A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.