Deuteronomy 19:6

Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, establishing procedural safeguards immediately after describing an accidental fatal timber accident in the preceding verse.

The words — The phrase גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם (go'el ha-dam) literally denotes the "avenger of the blood," while יֵחַם (ye'chem) indicates that his spirit "will be hot" with pursuit-driven rage.

The thread — The same legal boundary appears in Numbers 35:12, which orders the cities to function as refuge from the avenger, and Joshua 20:5, which forbids surrendering the manslayer to him.

Why it lands — The text requires the community to halt immediate vigilante retaliation and verify the killer's lack of prior intent before permitting any execution.

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

פֶּן־pen-lest יִרְדֹּף֩yir.Dofhe should pursue גֹּאֵ֨לgo.'El[the] avenger of הַדָּ֜םha./Dam<the>/ blood אַחֲרֵ֣י'a.cha.Reiafter הָרֹצֵ֗חַha./ro.Tze.achthe/ killer כִּי־ki-for יֵחַם֮ye.Chamit will be hot לְבָבוֹ֒le.va.V/oheart/ his וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹve./hi.si.G/oand/ he will overtake/ him כִּֽי־ki-for יִרְבֶּ֥הyir.Behit will be great הַדֶּ֖רֶךְha./De.rekhthe/ journey וְהִכָּ֣הוּve./hi.Ka.h/uand/ he will strike/ him נָ֑פֶשׁNa.feshlifeוְלוֹ֙ve./L/oand/ [belonged] to <the>/ himאֵ֣ין'einnot מִשְׁפַּט־mish.pat-a sentence of מָ֔וֶתMa.vetdeath כִּ֠יkifor לֹ֣אlo'not שֹׂנֵ֥אso.Ne'[was] hating ה֛וּאhu'heל֖וֹl/o<to> <the>/ himמִתְּמ֥וֹלmi./te.Molfrom/ yesterday שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃shil.Shom[the] third day

King James Version

Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Cross-references

Numbers 35:12 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.
Deuteronomy 21:22 If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,
Joshua 20:5 Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.
2 Samuel 14:7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”
Jeremiah 26:15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, and upon its residents; for truly the LORD has sent me to speak all these words in your hearing.”