Numbers 35:11

designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — God commands Moses to instruct the Israelites to designate cities in Canaan immediately after they cross the Jordan.

The words — עָרֵ֥י מִקְלָ֖ט (a.Rei mik.Lat) literally means "cities of refuge," and רֹצֵ֔חַ (ro.Tze.ach) denotes the killer who must flee.

The thread — The command builds on Exodus 21:13's provision for God-appointed places for accidental killers and is executed in Joshua 20:2 when the Israelites set aside the designated locations.

Why it lands — The text orders the creation of safe havens for unintentional manslayers, establishing a clear legal procedure that halts vengeance until a formal trial before the assembly occurs.

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

וְהִקְרִיתֶ֤םve./hik.ri.Temand/ you will make happenלָכֶם֙la./Khemto <the>/ yourselvesעָרִ֔ים'a.Rimcities עָרֵ֥י'a.Reicities of מִקְלָ֖טmik.Latrefuge תִּהְיֶ֣ינָהtih.Yei.nahthey will beלָכֶ֑םla./Khemfor <the>/ youוְנָ֥סve./Nasand/ he will flee שָׁ֙מָּה֙Sha.ma/hthere/ towards רֹצֵ֔חַro.Tze.acha killer מַכֵּה־ma.keh-[who] has struck down נֶ֖פֶשׁNe.fesh<of> a person בִּשְׁגָגָֽה׃bi/sh.ga.Gahby/ inadvertence

King James Version

Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

Cross-references

Exodus 21:13 If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.
Numbers 35:6 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.
Joshua 20:2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
Numbers 35:22 But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally,
Deuteronomy 4:42 to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities:
Deuteronomy 19:1 When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,