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Bible in Basic English

Numbers 35:19

He whose right it is to give punishment for blood, may himself put to death the taker of life when he comes face to face with him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avenger of Blood;   Homicide;   Punishment;   Refuge;   Thompson Chain Reference - Avenger;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cities of Refuge;   Homicide;   Murder;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Murder;   Punishments;   Redeemer;   Refuge, Cities of;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Blood;   Sacrifice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kill, Killing;   Kinsman-Redeemer;   Motives;   Murder;   Punishment;   Vengeance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - City;   Murder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Murder;   Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avenger;   Capital Punishment;   Cities of Refuge;   Crimes and Punishments;   Murder;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Kin;   Numbers, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Refuge, Cities of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Levi;   Refuge;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Avenger of blood;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Blood, Revenger of;   Law of Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Assassination;   Cruel;   Homicide;   Murder;   Relationships, Family;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Asylum;   Avenger of Blood;   Priestly Code;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
King James Version
The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
Lexham English Bible
The blood avenger himself will put the killer to death; he must put him to death when meeting him.
English Standard Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
New Century Version
A relative of the dead person must put the murderer to death; when they meet, the relative must kill the murderer.
New English Translation
The avenger of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.
Amplified Bible
'The blood avenger shall himself put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.
New American Standard Bible
'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he himself shall put him to death when he meets him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The reuenger of the blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
Legacy Standard Bible
The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.
Contemporary English Version
by one of the victim's relatives. He will take revenge for his relative's death as soon as he finds you.
Complete Jewish Bible
The next-of-kin avenger is to put the murderer to death himself — upon meeting him, he is to put him to death.
Darby Translation
the avenger of blood, he shall put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.
Easy-to-Read Version
A member of the dead person's family can chase you and kill you.
George Lamsa Translation
The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer when he meets him.
Good News Translation
The dead person's nearest relative has the responsibility for putting the murderer to death. When he finds you, he is to kill you.
Christian Standard Bible®
The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
Literal Translation
The avenger of blood shall cause the murderer to die; when he meets with him, he shall cause him to die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The auenger of bloude shal bringe ye murthurer to death. Whan he fyndeth him, he shal slaye him.
American Standard Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The reuenger of blood him selfe shal slay the murtherer: when he meeteth hym, he shall slay hym.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.
King James Version (1611)
The reuenger of blood himselfe shall slay the murtherer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.
English Revised Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the manslayer to death: when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.
Berean Standard Bible
The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The niy kynesman of hym that is slayn schal sle the mansleere; anoon as he takith hym, `that is, the manquellere, he schal sle hym.
Young's Literal Translation
`The redeemer of blood himself doth put the murderer to death; in his coming against him he doth put him to death.
Update Bible Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
Webster's Bible Translation
The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
World English Bible
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death: when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
New King James Version
The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
New Living Translation
The victim's nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death.
New Life Bible
The man who wants to punish him for the killing will put the killer to death. He will put him to death when he meets him.
New Revised Standard
The avenger of blood is the one who shall put the murderer to death; when they meet, the avenger of blood shall execute the sentence.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The blood-redeemer, he, shall put to death the man-slayer, - when he lighteth upon him, he, shall put him to death.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The kinsman of him that was slain, shall kill the murderer: as soon as he apprehendeth him, he shall kill him.
Revised Standard Version
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
THE MESSAGE
"In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him—he can kill him on the spot.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

Contextual Overview

9 And the Lord said to Moses, 10 Say to the children of Israel, when you have gone over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11 Then let certain towns be marked out as safe places to which anyone who takes the life of another in error may go in flight. 12 In these towns you may be safe from him who has the right of punishment; so that death may not overtake the taker of life till he has been judged by the meeting of the people. 13 Six of the towns which you give will be such safe places; 14 Three on the other side of Jordan and three in the land of Canaan, to be safe places for flight. 15 For the children of Israel and for the man from another country who is living among them, these six towns are to be safe places, where anyone causing the death of another through error may go in flight. 16 But if a man gives another man a blow with an iron instrument, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death. 17 Or if he gives him a blow with a stone in his hand, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death. 18 Or if he gave him blows with a wood instrument in his hands, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 35:12, Numbers 35:21, Numbers 35:24, Numbers 35:27, Deuteronomy 19:6, Deuteronomy 19:12, Joshua 20:3, Joshua 20:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:14 - that Exodus 21:20 - punished 2 Samuel 14:7 - the whole 2 Samuel 14:11 - the revengers Romans 13:4 - revenger

Cross-References

Genesis 35:16
So they went on from Beth-el; and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, the pains of birth came on Rachel and she had a hard time.
Genesis 35:18
And in the hour when her life went from her (for death came to her), she gave the child the name Ben-oni: but his father gave him the name of Benjamin.
Genesis 48:7
And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.
Joshua 19:15
And Kattath and Nahalal and Shimron and Idalah and Beth-lehem; twelve towns with their unwalled places.
Ruth 1:2
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and were there for some time.
Ruth 4:11
And all the people who were in the public place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah, which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem;
Micah 6:2
Give ear, O you mountains, to the Lord's cause, and take note, you bases of the earth: for the Lord has a cause against his people, and he will take it up with Israel.
Matthew 2:1
Now when the birth of Jesus took place in Beth-lehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Matthew 2:6
You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer,.... Not only shall have power to do it, but, as it seems, should be obliged to do it; be the executioner of the murderer; but not before his case has been heard, examined, tried, and judged; wherefore the Targum of Jonathan adds,

"in judgment,''

that is, as Onkelos explains it,

"when he is condemned by judgment,''

the court of judicature:

when he meeteth him he shall slay him; the first opportunity he has, even though, as Jarchi says, if he meets him in the midst of one of the cities of refuge, and no judgment is passed on him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sense is: Inasmuch as to take another man’s life by any means whatsoever is murder, and exposes the murderer to the penalty of retaliation; so, if the deed is done in hostility, it is in truth actual murder, and the murderer shall be slain; but if it be not done in hostility, then the congregation shall interpose to stop the avenger’s hand.

Numbers 35:19

When he meeteth him - Provided, of course, it were without a city of refuge.

Numbers 35:24

The case of the innocent slayer is here contemplated. In a doubtful case there would necessarily have to be a judicial decision as to the guilt or innocence of the person who claimed the right of asylum.

Numbers 35:25

The homicide was safe only within the walls of his city of refuge. He became a virtual exile from his home. The provisions here made serve to mark the gravity of the act of manslaughter, even when not premeditated; and the inconveniences attending on them fell, as is right and fair, upon him who committed the deed.

Unto the death of the high priest - The atoning death of the Saviour cast its shadow before on the statute-book of the Law and on the annals of Jewish history. The high priest, as the head and representative of the whole chosen family of sacerdotal mediators, as exclusively entrusted with some of the chief priestly functions, as alone privileged to make yearly atonement within the holy of holies, and to gain, from the mysterious Urim and Thummim, special revelations of the will of God, was, preeminently, a type of Christ. And thus the death of each successive high priest presignified that death of Christ by which the captives were to be freed, and the remembrance of transgressions made to cease.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 35:19. The revenger of blood — גאל הדם goel haddam, the redeemer of blood; the next in blood to him who was slain. See on the preceding verse.


 
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