Numbers 35:27

and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The passage records a legal stipulation given to the Israelites regarding the precise boundaries of the cities of refuge. It defines the moment a fleeing manslayer forfeits sanctuary protection by crossing them.

The words — The phrase גּוֹאֵל הַדָּם (go'el ha-dam) translates literally as "avenger of the blood," designating the kinsman authorized to execute justice. The clause מִחֻץ לִגְבוּל עִיר מִקְלָטוֹ (mi-chutz ligvul 'ir miqלטוֹ) means "from outside the border of his city of refuge," marking the exact legal threshold.

The thread — This boundary rule aligns with Exodus 22:2, where striking a thief in a breaking-in does not incur blood guilt. It also parallels Deuteronomy 19:6 and Deuteronomy 19:10, which prohibit the avenger from pursuing the manslayer in rage to prevent innocent blood from being shed in the land.

Why it lands — The text states that leaving the sanctuary removes the manslayer's protection, rendering any killing by the avenger legally guiltless. It requires the reader to accept that divine asylum depends on strict geographic compliance, not on the avenger's personal judgment or the manslayer's later appeals.

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

וּמָצָ֤אu./ma.Tza'and/ he will find אֹתוֹ֙'o.T/o<obj.>/ him גֹּאֵ֣לgo.'El[the] avenger of הַדָּ֔םha./Dam<the>/ blood מִח֕וּץmi./Chutzfrom/ [the] outside לִגְב֖וּלli/g.Vulof/ [the] border of עִ֣יר'ir[the] city of מִקְלָט֑וֹmik.la.T/orefuge/ his וְרָצַ֞חve./ra.Tzachand/ he will kill גֹּאֵ֤לgo.'El[the] avenger of הַדָּם֙ha./Dam<the>/ blood אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָ֣רֹצֵ֔חַha./ro.Tze.achthe/ killer אֵ֥ין'einnotל֖וֹl/o[will belong] to <the>/ himדָּֽם׃Damblood

King James Version

And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

Cross-references

Exodus 22:2 If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
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.
Deuteronomy 19:10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.