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Joshua 20

1

The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying,

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:

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.

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.

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.

2
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.

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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.

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.

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.

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Joshua 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.”

Study Summary

If the avenger of the blood pursues him, they shall not give the manslayer over to him, because he struck his neighbor without intent and had no enmity against him in the past — The city's protection operates against the avenger's private justice. The phrase 'without intent' (lōʾ biʿdyānāh) and 'no enmity in the past' emphasize the unintentional nature of the killing. The refuge city thus functions as an institution mediating between the kinship justice system and covenant law; it creates space for proportional, rational judgment rather than automatic blood-vengeance.

Community Reflections

1
Mary Patel (test user)7h ago
The cost of discipleship — Joshua 20

Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The imagery here is agricultural — the original…

Read the note →
1
Tobias van der Berg (test user)1d ago
The covenant promise — Joshua 20

We bring nothing; He provides everything.. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. My grandmother used to quote this verse every morning. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. I think this is…

Read the note →

Joshua 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.”

Study Summary

If the avenger of the blood pursues him, they shall not give the manslayer over to him, because he struck his neighbor without intent and had no enmity against him in the past — The city's protection operates against the avenger's private justice. The phrase 'without intent' (lōʾ biʿdyānāh) and 'no enmity in the past' emphasize the unintentional nature of the killing. The refuge city thus functions as an institution mediating between the kinship justice system and covenant law; it creates space for proportional, rational judgment rather than automatic blood-vengeance.

Community Reflections

1
Mary Patel (test user)7h ago
The cost of discipleship — Joshua 20

Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The imagery here is agricultural — the original…

Read the note →
1
Tobias van der Berg (test user)1d ago
The covenant promise — Joshua 20

We bring nothing; He provides everything.. Reading the Psalms alongside this gives a fuller picture of what the author was experiencing — both the anguish and the hope.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Today it speaks comfort; a year ago it spoke conviction.. My grandmother used to quote this verse every morning. The Hebrew word used here carries a richness that English can't fully capture. I think this is…

Read the note →

Joshua 20:5

If the avenger of the blood pursues him, they shall not give the manslayer over to him, because he struck his neighbor without intent and had no enmity against him in the past — The city's protection operates against the avenger's private justice. The phrase 'without intent' (lōʾ biʿdyānāh) and 'no enmity in the past' emphasize the unintentional nature of the killing. The refuge city thus functions as an institution mediating between the kinship justice system and covenant law; it creates space for proportional, rational judgment rather than automatic blood-vengeance.