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THE MESSAGE

Joshua 20:3

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avenger of Blood;   Communion;   Homicide;   Refuge;   Scofield Reference Index - Redemption;   Thompson Chain Reference - Avenger;   Slayer, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cities of Refuge;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Hebrew Names Version
that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly [and] unawares may flee there: and they shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
King James Version
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Lexham English Bible
Anyone who kills a person by accident or unintentionally may flee there; they will be for yourselves a refuge from the avenger of blood.
English Standard Version
that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
New Century Version
If a person kills someone accidentally and without meaning to kill him, that person may go to a city of safety to hide. There the killer will be safe from the relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer.
New English Translation
Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood.
Amplified Bible
so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger.
New American Standard Bible
so that one who commits manslaughter by killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Geneva Bible (1587)
That the slaier that killeth any person by ignorance, and vnwittingly, may flee thither, and they shall be your refuge from the auenger of blood.
Legacy Standard Bible
that the manslayer who strikes down any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become for you as a refuge from the avenger of blood.
Contemporary English Version
If a person accidentally kills someone and the victim's relatives say it was murder, they might try to take revenge. Anyone accused of murder can run to one of the Safe Towns and be safe from the victim's relatives. The one needing protection will stand at the entrance to the town gate and explain to the town leaders what happened. Then the leaders will bring that person in and provide a place to live in their town.
Complete Jewish Bible
so that anyone who kills someone by mistake and unknowingly may escape there; they will serve as refuges for you from the next-of-kin avenger.
Darby Translation
that the slayer who unwittingly without intent smiteth any one mortally may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Easy-to-Read Version
Anyone who kills someone accidentally can go to a city of safety to hide from the relatives who want to kill him.
George Lamsa Translation
That the slayer who kills any person suddenly and unwittingly may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Good News Translation
If any of you accidentally kills someone, you can go there and escape the one who is looking for revenge.
Literal Translation
that the manslayer who in innocence strikes anyone mortally, without knowing, may flee there. And they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.
American Standard Version
that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
Bible in Basic English
So that any man who in error and without design has taken the life of another, may go in flight to them: and they will be safe places for you from him who has the right of punishment for blood.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That the slear that kylleth any person vnwares and vnwyttyngly, may flee thyther: And those cities shall be your refuge from the auenger of blood.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
King James Version (1611)
That the slayer that killeth any person vnawares and vnwittingly, may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the auenger of blood.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Even a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgement.
English Revised Version
that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
Berean Standard Bible
so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that whoeuer sleeth vnwytyngli a man, fle to tho citees;
Young's Literal Translation
for the fleeing thither of a man-slayer smiting life inadvertently, without knowledge; and they have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer of blood.
Update Bible Version
that the manslayer that kills any person unwittingly [and] unawares may flee there: and they shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
Webster's Bible Translation
That the slayer that killeth [any] person unawares [and] ignorantly, may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
World English Bible
that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly [and] unawares may flee there: and they shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
New King James Version
that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
New Living Translation
Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.
New Life Bible
So the man who kills any person without meaning to or planning to may run to one of these cities. They will be places where you can go to be safe from the one who wants to punish you for the killing.
New Revised Standard
so that anyone who kills a person without intent or by mistake may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that the manslayer who slayeth a person by mistake, unwittingly, may flee thither, - so shall they be unto you for refuge from the blood-redeemer,
Douay-Rheims Bible
That whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them, and may escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of blood.
Revised Standard Version
that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood.

Contextual Overview

1Then God spoke to Joshua: "Tell the People of Israel: Designate the asylum-cities, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally—that is, unintentionally—may flee there as a safe place of asylum from the avenger of blood. 4 "A person shall escape for refuge to one of these cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and lay out his case before the city's leaders. The leaders must then take him into the city among them and give him a place to live with them. 5"If the avenger of blood chases after him, they must not give him up—he didn't intend to kill the person; there was no history of ill-feeling. He may stay in that city until he has stood trial before the congregation and until the death of the current high priest. Then he may go back to his own home in his hometown from which he fled."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Numbers 35:12 - from the avenger Numbers 35:19 - General Numbers 35:22 - General 2 Samuel 14:11 - the revengers Hebrews 6:18 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 20:1
Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead—that woman you took, she's a married woman." Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man? Didn't he tell me, ‘She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, ‘He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this." God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family." Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done." Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?" Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'" Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish." And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver—that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You're vindicated." Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. For God had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Genesis 20:14
Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish."
Genesis 37:5
Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, "Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine."
Genesis 37:9
He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: "I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!"
Genesis 40:8
They said, "We dreamed dreams and there's no one to interpret them." Joseph said, "Don't interpretations come from God? Tell me the dreams."
Job 33:15
"In a dream, for instance, a vision at night, when men and women are deep in sleep, fast asleep in their beds— God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings To turn them back from something bad they're planning, from some reckless choice, And keep them from an early grave, from the river of no return.
Jonah 3:4
Jonah entered the city, went one day's walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed."
Matthew 1:20
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Matthew 27:19
While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That the slayer that killeth [any] person unawares, [and] unwittingly, may flee thither,.... Who through mere accident, and without design, killed a person, friend or foe, one of his own kindred, or a stranger, without any malice against him, or intention to take away his life:

and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood; from any of the relations of the deceased, who might be stirred up to avenge the blood of his kinsman on the slayer; see Numbers 35:12.


 
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