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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Numbers 35:19

The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill 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.
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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
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

9The Lord said to Moses, 10“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. 12You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. 13The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. 14Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge. 15These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the alien or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. 16“If anyone strikes a person with an iron object and death results, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 17If anyone has in his hand a stone capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death. 18If anyone has in his hand a wooden object capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must 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
They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
Genesis 35:18
With her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin.
Genesis 48:7
When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way, some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
Joshua 19:15
along with Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem—twelve cities, with their settlements.
Ruth 1:2
The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there.
Ruth 4:11
All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem.
Micah 6:2
Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit,you mountains and enduring foundations of the earth,because the Lord has a case against his people,and he will argue it against Israel.
Matthew 2:1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
Matthew 2:6
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:Because out of you will come a rulerwho will shepherd 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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