Joshua 20:1-9

Jos 20:1

The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

 

Joshua’s ministry and responsibility were not over yet.  Once again the LORD speaks to Joshua as he did in 13:1 concerning the dividing of the land to the tribes.

 

Jos 20:2

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

 

Now within the land the LORD was now going to get Joshua to appoint cities of refuge.  And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities. (Numbers 35:6)

 

Jos 20:3

That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

 

The cities of refuge were appointed for the purpose of protecting a person who shed the blood of another person but the slaying was not done intentionally but accidentally.  For example a person could be using a hammer to drive in a tent peg and then a person comes behind him and the person swings the hammer and hits the person behind him and kills him not knowing there was someone behind him.  The family of the deceased might see it as an intentional murder and may want to exact vengeance on the person.  The person who swung the hammer would go to the city of refuge until the case could be brought before the proper authorities and investigated.

 

Jos 20:4

And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

 

In ancient times the leaders would sit by the gate and in this case the slayer would come to the gate of the city which were built on hills.  Then the slayer was to declare the events which happened and were to give them the entire story in detail.  The person would then be given a place in the city of refuge and would be allowed to dwell among the people of that city.  This would happen once the elders were satisfied with the details of the situation and that no malicious intent was discovered.

 

Jos 20:5

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

 

If someone from the family of the slain person attempts to track the person down and kill him, the elders of the city are not to allow the avenger permission to take the slayer.  They are to protect him because he slayed the person without any forethought or intention to do so, it was purely an accidental killing.  It is like today if a person is driving their car and a person runs out from between parked cars and the driver does not have sufficient time to react and hits the person and kills them, once the situation is detailed the driver of the car would not be charged.  If there was an intentional hit then the driver could be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

 

Jos 20:6

And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

 

Then the slayer is to be brought before the congregation or assembly of the people in that city to hear the events which surrounding the slayer’s tasking of a life and if his cause is just and no malicious intent was evident, then the slayer would be allowed to remain in the city of refuge until either his death or the death of the reigning High Priest. If he outlives the High Priest, then he would be allowed to return to the city from where he came and because he was tried and heard and was found innocent of malicious intent, would be safe from the avenger of blood of the family of the slain.

 

Jos 20:7

And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

 

Kedesh was about 8 miles (13 KM) north of Hazor and was about 17 miles (27 KM) north of the Sea of Galilee (Chinnereth).   Shechem was located in the hill country of Ephraim and was about 8 miles (13 KM) southeast of Samaria.  Hebron was located about 20 miles (32 KM) south of Jerusalem and was the city which was given to Caleb.  These are the three cities on the western side of Jordan.

 

Jos 20:8

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

 

These three cities are on the eastern side of Jordan.  Bezer was located about 5 miles (8 KM) west of Heshbon.  Ramoth-Gilead was located about 29 miles (47 KM) southeast of the Sea of Chinnereth.  Golan was located about 19 miles (31 KM) north of Ramoth-Gilead and 18 miles (29 KM) east of the Sea of Chinnereth.

 

Jos 20:9

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

 

These were the six cities which were given to the children of Israel.  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. (Numbers 35:14)  These cities would provide refuge for those who unintentionally killed someone and if they fled to the city of refuge, then that would stop a feud between families which could also escalate to a bigger and worse situation.  These cities were also for the stranger or foreigner which dwelt among the Israelites. It was a foreshadow of both Jews and Gentiles coming into the eternal city of refuge which is Christ.

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