Numbers 35:14
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.
13 The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge.
Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.
15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16 If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.
- KJV
- Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
- WEB
- You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.
- ASV
- Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.
- DARBY
- Three cities shall ye give on this side of the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.
- BLB
- Three cities you⁺ shall appoint on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you⁺ shall appoint in the land of Canaan—they are cities of refuge.
- ÅB
- De tre byer skal dere gi på andre siden av[^1] Jordan, og de tre andre byer skal dere gi i Kana'ans land; de skal være tilfluktsstæder.
- OTB
- Gi tre byer på denne siden av Jordan og tre i Kanaans land som tilfluktsbyer.
- B1930
- De tre byer skal I gi på hin side Jordan, og de tre andre byer skal I gi i Kana'ans land; de skal være tilfluktsstæder. / < østenfor.>
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 4:41–43
Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east
Read in contextJoshua 20:7–9
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 19:8–10
And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,
Read in context