Numbers 35:24

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

King James Version
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

Lexham English Bible
then the community will judge between the striker and between the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

English Standard Version
then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.

New Century Version
If that happens, the community must judge between the relative of the dead person and the killer, according to these rules.

New English Translation
then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions.

Amplified Bible
then the congregation shall judge between the offender and the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

New American Standard Bible
then the congregation shall judge between the one who fatally struck the victim and the blood avenger in accordance with these ordinances.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these lawes.

Legacy Standard Bible
then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these legal judgments.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the community is to judge between the one who struck him and the next-of-kin avenger in accordance with these rules;

Darby Translation
then the assembly shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these judgments;

Easy-to-Read Version
If that happens, the community must decide what to do. The court must decide if a member of the dead person's family can kill you.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of the blood according to these judgments;

Good News Translation
In such cases the community shall judge in your favor and not in favor of the dead person's relative who is seeking revenge.

Christian Standard Bible®
the assembly is to judge between the person who kills someone and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

Literal Translation
then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood, by these judgments.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
the shal the cogregacion iudge betwene him yt hath comytted ye slaughter, and the auenger of bloude, in soch cases.

American Standard Version
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

Bible in Basic English
Then let the meeting of the people be judge between the man responsible for the death and him who has the right of punishment for blood, acting by these rules:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the congregation shal iudge betweene the slayer and the reuenger of blood, according to these lawes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

King James Version (1611)
Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer, and the reuenger of blood, according to these iudgements.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then the assembly shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments.

English Revised Version
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these judgments:

Berean Standard Bible
then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and this is preued in heryng `of the puple, and the questioun of blood is discussid bitwixe the smytere and the kynesman,

Young's Literal Translation
then have the company judged between the smiter and the redeemer of blood, by these judgments.

Update Bible Version
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments:

World English Bible
then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances;

New King James Version
then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

New Living Translation
If this should happen, the community must follow these regulations in making a judgment between the slayer and the avenger, the victim's nearest relative:

New Life Bible
then the people will decide by these Laws between the killer and the one who wants to punish him.

New Revised Standard
then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shall the assembly judge, between him that smote and the blood-redeemer, - according to these regulations;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And this be proved in the hearing of the people, and the cause be debated between him that struck, and the next of kin:

Revised Standard Version
then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these ordinances;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances.

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

Numbers 35:12, Joshua 20:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:1 - the judgments Numbers 35:19 - General Deuteronomy 19:11 - But if any

Cross-References

Genesis 35:16
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."

Genesis 35:18
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).

Genesis 35:19
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."

Genesis 35:24
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. Finally, Jacob made it back home to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived. Isaac was now 180 years old. Isaac breathed his last and died—an old man full of years. He was buried with his family by his sons Esau and Jacob.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the congregation,.... That is, the court of judicature, assembled together to hear and try this cause:

shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood; shall hear what both have to say, and pass sentence:

according to these judgments; these judicial laws and rules of judgment before delivered, exemplified in various cases.

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.