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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites while detailing the allocation of Levitical cities and the establishment of sanctuary cities for unintentional killers.

The words — לְ/מִקְלָ֖ט (le./mik.Lat) means a place of sanctuary or refuge [H4733], and מִ/גֹּאֵ֑ל (mi./go.'El) denotes the blood avenger or redeemer [H1350].

The thread — The refuge protocol reappears in the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 19:6) and is implemented in the conquest narrative (Joshua 20:3; Joshua 20:9).

Why it lands — The text explicitly prohibits execution until the manslayer stands trial before the assembly, requiring readers to submit to legal procedure rather than immediate retribution.

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

וְהָי֨וּve./ha.Yuand/ they will becomeלָכֶ֧םla./Khemfor <the>/ youהֶעָרִ֛יםhe./'a.Rimthe/ cities לְמִקְלָ֖טle./mik.Lat<into>/ a refuge מִגֹּאֵ֑לmi./go.'Elfrom/ an avenger וְלֹ֤אve./Lo'and/ not יָמוּת֙ya.Muthe will die הָרֹצֵ֔חַha./ro.Tze.achthe/ killer עַד־'ad-until עָמְד֛וֹa.me.D/ostands/ he לִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei<to>/ before הָעֵדָ֖הha./'e.Dahthe/ congregation לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃la./mish.Patfor <the>/ judgment

King James Version

And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

Cross-references

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.
Joshua 20:3 so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Joshua 20:9 These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.
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.”
Numbers 35:19 The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
Numbers 35:24 then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
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,