Numbers 35:11

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

King James Version
Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

Lexham English Bible
you will select for yourselves cities for your cities of refuge, that a killer who has killed a person unintentionally can flee there.

English Standard Version
then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.

New Century Version
you must choose cities to be cities of safety, so that a person who accidentally kills someone may run to them for safety.

New English Translation
you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

Amplified Bible
then you shall select for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge, so that the one who kills any person unintentionally may escape there.

New American Standard Bible
then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, so that the one who commits manslaughter by killing a person unintentionally may flee there.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye shall appoint you cities, to bee cities of refuge for you, that the slayer, which slayeth any person vnwares, may flee thither.

Legacy Standard Bible
then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has struck down any person unintentionally may flee there.

Contemporary English Version
choose Safe Towns, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can run for protection.

Complete Jewish Bible
you are to designate for yourselves cities that will be cities of refuge for you, to which anyone who kills someone by mistake can flee.

Darby Translation
then ye shall appoint for yourselves cities: cities of refuge shall they be for you; that a manslayer may flee thither, who without intent smiteth a person mortally.

Easy-to-Read Version
You must choose towns to be cities of safety. If someone accidentally kills another person, that person can run to one of those towns for safety.

George Lamsa Translation
Then you shall select for yourselves cities to he cities of refuge for you; that the person who kills someone unawares may flee there.

Good News Translation
you are to choose cities of refuge to which any of you can escape if you kill someone accidentally.

Christian Standard Bible®
designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

Literal Translation
then you shall choose cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that the manslayer may flee there, he that kills a person through error.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
ye shall chose out cities to be fre cities, yt who so comytteth slaughter vnawarres, maye flye thither.

American Standard Version
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye shall appoint you cities, to be cities of refuge for you: that he whiche sleeth a person vnwares, may flee thyther.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither.

King James Version (1611)
Then ye shall appoint you cities, to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at vnawares.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.

English Revised Version
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the manslayer which killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

Berean Standard Bible
designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
deme ye whiche citees owen to be in to the helpis of fugityues, whiche not wilfuli han sched blood.

Young's Literal Translation
and have prepared to yourselves cities -- cities of refuge they are to you -- then fled thither hath a man-slayer, smiting a person unawares,

Update Bible Version
then you shall appoint yourselves cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then ye shall appoint for you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, who killeth any person at unawares.

World English Bible
then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

New King James Version
then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

New Living Translation
designate cities of refuge to which people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally.

New Life Bible
choose which cities are to be the ones where you can run to be safe. The man who has killed a person without meaning to may run there.

New Revised Standard
then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shall ye find for you, convenient cities, cities of refuge, shall they be unto you, - and the manslayer, who hath slain a person, by mistake, shall flee thither.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will.

Revised Standard Version
then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.

Contextual Overview

⁹ God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you cross the River Jordan into the country of Canaan, designate your asylum-cities, towns to which a person who accidentally kills someone can flee for asylum. They will be places of refuge from the avenger so that the alleged murderer won't be killed until he can appear before the community in court. Provide six asylum-cities. Designate three of the towns to the east side of the Jordan, the other three in Canaan proper—asylum-cities for the People of Israel, for the foreigner, and for any occasional visitors or guests—six asylum-cities to run to for anyone who accidentally kills another. ¹⁶ "But if the killer has used an iron object, that's just plain murder; he's obviously a murderer and must be put to death. ¹⁷ "Or if he has a rock in his hand big enough to kill and the man dies, that's murder; he's a murderer and must be put to death. ¹⁸ "Or if he's carrying a wooden club heavy enough to kill and the man dies, that's murder; he's a murderer and must be put to death. ¹⁹ "In such cases the avenger has a right to kill the murderer when he meets him—he can kill him on the spot. ²⁰"And if out of sheer hatred a man pushes another or from ambush throws something at him and he dies, or angrily hits him with his fist and kills him, that's murder—he must be put to death. The avenger has a right to kill him when he gets him. ²²"If, however, he impulsively pushes someone and there is no history of hard feelings, or he impetuously picks up something and throws it, or he accidentally drops a stone tool—a maul or hammer, say—and it hits and kills someone he didn't even know was there, and there's no suspicion that there was bad blood between them, the community is to judge between the killer and the avenger following these guidelines. It's the task of the community to save the killer from the hand of the avenger—the community is to return him to his asylum-city to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the High Priest who was anointed with the holy oil. But if the murderer leaves the asylum-city to which he has fled, and the avenger finds him outside the borders of his asylum-city, the avenger has a right to kill the murderer. And he's not considered guilty of murder. ²⁸ "So it's important that he stay in his asylum-city until the death of the High Priest. After the death of the High Priest he is free to return to his own place. ²⁹ "These are the procedures for making judgments from now on, wherever you live. ³⁰ "Anyone who kills another may be executed only on the testimony of eyewitnesses. But no one can be executed on the testimony of only one witness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye shall appoint: As the goel, or kinsman, had a right to avenge the death of his relation, by slaying the murderer wherever he found him, the appointment of these cities was a humane institution for the protection of the involuntary homicide; for they were designed only for the protection of such Numbers 35:6, Joshua 20:2

unawares: Heb. by error, Numbers 35:22, Numbers 35:23, Exodus 21:13, Deuteronomy 4:42, Deuteronomy 19:4, Deuteronomy 19:5

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 17:8 - between blood 2 Kings 7:7 - and fled for their life Hebrews 6:18 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 15:5
Then he took him outside and said, "Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You're going to have a big family, Abram!"

Genesis 35:1
God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau."

Genesis 35:4
They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 35:26
God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau." Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, we're going to Bethel. I'm going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I've gone since." They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob. Jacob and his company arrived at Luz, that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan. He built an altar there and named it El-Bethel (God-of-Bethel) because that's where God revealed himself to him when he was running from his brother. And that's when Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried just below Bethel under the oak tree. It was named Allon-Bacuth (Weeping-Oak). God revealed himself once again to Jacob, after he had come back from Paddan Aram and blessed him: "Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that's your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler)." God continued, I am The Strong God. Have children! Flourish! A nation—a whole company of nations!— will come from you. Kings will come from your loins; the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendants. And then God was gone, ascended from the place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a stone pillar on the spot where God had spoken with him. He poured a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. Jacob dedicated the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel (God's-House). They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid—you have another boy." With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune). Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today, "Rachel's Grave Stone." Israel kept on his way and set up camp at Migdal Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did. There were twelve sons of Jacob. The sons by Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun. The sons by Rachel: Joseph Benjamin. The sons by Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan Naphtali. The sons by Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad Asher. These were Jacob's sons, born to him in Paddan Aram.

Genesis 46:3
God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then ye shall appoint your cities to be cities of refuge for you,.... And, according to the Jewish writers i, these were neither to be made large nor little, but middling; and they appointed them where there were markets and fairs, at which goods were to be sold; and where there was plenty of water, and a multitude of people; and where there were but few, they fetched others from other places; and they neither made nets for hunting, nor twisted ropes in them, nor sold any warlike instruments, lest the avenger of blood should use himself to come thither, under pretence of buying such things, and kill the manslayer:

that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares; or through error k, or mistake, not on purpose, with design, or through malice and enmity, as is afterwards more largely explained.

i Maimon. Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 8. Vid. T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 10. 1. k בשגגה "per errorem", Pagninus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator "per imprudentiam", Tigurine version: Vatablus; "in ignorantia", Montanus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 35:11. Ye shall appoint - cities of refuge — The cities of refuge among the Israelites were widely different from the asyla among the Greeks and Romans, as also from the privileged altars among the Roman Catholics. Those among the Hebrews were for the protection of such only as had slain a person involuntarily. The temples and altars among the latter often served for the protection of the most profligate characters. Cities of refuge among the Hebrews were necessary, because the old patriarchal law still remained in force, viz., that the nearest akin had a right to avenge the death of his relation by slaying the murderer; for the original law enacted that whosoever shed man's blood, by man should his blood be shed, Genesis 9:6, and none was judged so proper to execute this law as the man who was nearest akin to the deceased. As many rash executions of this law might take place, from the very nature of the thing, it was deemed necessary to qualify its claims, and prevent injustice; and the cities of refuge were judged proper for this purpose. Nor do we ever read that they were ever found inefficient, or that they were ever abused.