Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Joshua 20:2

Speake to the children of Israel: Geue amonge you fre cities, wherof I spake vnto you by Moses,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avenger of Blood;   Communion;   Homicide;   Refuge;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cities;   Refuge, Cities of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - City of refuge;   Shechem;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Land (of Israel);   Motives;   Murder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Cities of Refuge;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avenger;   Blood;   Cities of Refuge;   Court Systems;   Joshua, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Joshua;   Refuge, Cities of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rainbow;   Refuge, Cities of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Refuge;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Cities of refuge;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Cities of Refuge,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Appoint;   Cruel;   Goel;   Homicide;   Joshua (2);   Joshua, Book of;   Refuge, Cities of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Blood-revenge;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Tell the Israelites: Select your cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
Hebrew Names Version
Speak to the children of Yisra'el, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moshe,
King James Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Lexham English Bible
"Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through the hand of Moses.
English Standard Version
"Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New Century Version
"Tell the Israelites to choose the special cities of safety, as I had Moses command you to do.
New English Translation
"Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses.
Amplified Bible
"Speak to the Israelites, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New American Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Speake to the children of Israel, and say, Appoint you cities of refuge, whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses,
Legacy Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses,
Contemporary English Version
When Moses was still alive, I had him tell the Israelites about the Safe Towns. Now you tell them that it is time to set up these towns.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Tell the people of Isra'el, ‘Select the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moshe;
Darby Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you through Moses,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Through Moses, I told you to choose some cities to be cities of safety.
George Lamsa Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Reserve for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through my servant Moses;
Good News Translation
to say to the people of Israel, "Choose the cities of refuge that I had Moses tell you about.
Literal Translation
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Give cities of refuge for you, as I have spoken to you by the hand of Moses,
American Standard Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by Moses,
Bible in Basic English
Say to the children of Israel, Let certain towns be marked out as safe places, as I said to you by the mouth of Moses,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Speake to the children of Israel, and saye: Appoint out fro amog you cities of refuge, wherof I spake vnto you by the hande of Moyses:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses;
King James Version (1611)
Speake to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses.
English Revised Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Berean Standard Bible
"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Departe ye the citees of fugytyues, `ether of men exilid for vnwilful schedyng of blood, of whiche citees Y spak to you bi the hond of Moises,
Young's Literal Translation
`Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Give for you cities of refuge, as I have spoken unto you by the hand of Moses,
Update Bible Version
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Assign for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moses,
Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
World English Bible
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moses,
New King James Version
"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: "Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New Living Translation
"Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.
New Life Bible
"Say to the people of Israel, ‘Choose the cities where you may go and be safe when you are in trouble, as I said to you through Moses.
New Revised Standard
"Say to the Israelites, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, - Set out for you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you, by the hand of Moses:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
Revised Standard Version
"Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

Contextual Overview

1 And the LORDE spake vnto Iosua, and sayde: 2 Speake to the children of Israel: Geue amonge you fre cities, wherof I spake vnto you by Moses, 3 that a deedsleyer which sleyeth a soule vnawarres and vnwittingly, maye flye thither, yt they maye be fre amoge you from the avenger of bloude. 4 And he that flyeth to one of those cities, shal stonde without before the porte of the cite, and shewe his cause before the Elders of the cite, then shall they take him to them in to the cite, and geue him place to dwell with them. 5 And yf the auenger of bloude folowe vpon him, they shall not delyuer the deedslayer in to his handes, for so moch as he hath slayne his neghboure vnawarres, and was not his enemye afore: 6 but he shall dwell in ye cite, tyll he stonde before the congregacion in iudgment, vntyll the hye prest dye, which shall be at that tyme. Then shall the deedsleyer returne, and go vnto his awne cite, and vnto his house to the cite, from whence he was fled.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Appoint: Exodus 21:13, Exodus 21:14, Numbers 35:6, Numbers 35:11-14, Deuteronomy 4:41-43, Deuteronomy 19:2-13, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:33, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 6:19

you refuge: Numbers 35:15-24

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
& Pharaos prynces sawe her also, & praysed her before him. Then was she brought in to Pharaos house,
Genesis 20:11
Abraham sayde: I thought: Peraduenture there is no feare of God in this place, & they shall sleye me for my wifes sake,
Genesis 20:12
And of a trueth she is my sister, for she is my fathers doughter, but not my mothers doughter, and is become my wife.
Genesis 20:13
So whan God charged me to wadre out of my fathers house, I sayde vnto her: Shew this kyndnes vpon me, that, where so euer we come, thou saye of me, that I am thy brother.
Genesis 26:1
There came a derth in the londe, passynge the other that was in Abrahams tyme. And Isaac wente to Gerar, vnto Abimelech the kynge of ye Philistynes.
Genesis 26:7
And whan the men of the same place axed him of his wife, he sayde: she is my sister. For he was afrayed to saye: she is my wife, (thinkinge thus:) they might slaye me for Rebeccas sake, for she was beutifull to loke vnto.
Genesis 26:16
In so moch that Abimelech also himself sayde vnto him: Departe from vs, for thou art farre mightier then we.
2 Chronicles 19:2
And Iehu ye sonne of Hanani the Seer wete forth to mete him, & sayde vnto kynge Iosaphat: Shuldest thou so helpe the vngodly, and loue them that hate the LORDE? And for this cause is ye wrath vpo the from the LORDE:
2 Chronicles 20:37
But Elieser the sonne of Dodana of Maresa prophecied agaynst Iosaphat, and sayde: Because thou hast agreed with Ahasia, therfore hath the LORDE broken thy workes. And so ye shippes were broken, & mighte not go vpon the See.
2 Chronicles 32:31
But whan the interpreters the chefe of Babilon were sent vnto him, to axe question at him (concernynge the wondertoke that had happened in the londe) God lefte him to be tempted, that it mighte be knowne what soeuer was in his hert.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Speak to the children of Israel, saying,.... Whom the affair concerned the Lord spake to Joshua about, they having now the whole land divided among them:

appoint out for you cities of refuge; of the name, nature, use, and number of these cities, :-;

whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: Numbers 35:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 20:2. Cities of refuge — An institution of this kind was essentially necessary wherever the patriarchal law relative to the right of redemption and the avenging of blood was in force; we have already seen that the nearest of kin to a deceased person had not only the right of redeeming an inheritance that had been forfeited or alienated, but had also authority to slay on the spot the person who had slain his relative. Now, as a man might casually kill another against whom he had no ill-will, and with whom he had no quarrel, and might have his life taken away by him who was called the avenger of blood, though he had not forfeited his life to the law; therefore these privileged cities were appointed, where the person might have protection till the cause had been fully heard by the magistrates, who certainly had authority to deliver him up to the avenger, if they found, on examination, that he was not entitled to this protection. On this subject see the notes on Numbers 35:11 to the end.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile