Bible Strands
Numbers 35:18
If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite congregation and the Levite priests in the plains of Moab, immediately before the crossing into Canaan (Numbers 35:1-34). He delineates the legal framework for cities of refuge and the administration of capital punishment for intentional homicide.
The words — The phrase כְּלִי־עֵץ (kh.Li-tz) literally translates to "instrument of wood" (Numbers 35:18). The verb הִכָּה (hi.Kah) denotes a deliberate striking that causes death, distinguishing the act from accidental manslaughter.
The thread — This verse expands the homicide statutes of Numbers 35:16-17 by listing wood as a lethal material alongside iron and stone. It reinforces the consistent biblical mandate that intentional bloodshed requires capital punishment, a principle echoed in Exodus 21:12 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to accept that the material of a weapon does not mitigate the guilt of premeditated killing. It demands strict enforcement of the death penalty to prevent the defilement of the land (Numbers 35:33).
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.