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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Douay-Rheims Bible

Numbers 35:19

The kinsman of him that was slain, shall kill the murderer: as soon as he apprehendeth him, he shall 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.
Christian Standard Bible®
The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
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.
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

9 The Lord said to Moses: 10 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have passed over the Jordan into the land of Chanaan, 11 Determine what cities shall be for the refuge of fugitives, who have shed blood against their will. 12 And when the fugitive shall be in them, the kinsman of him that is slain may not have power to kill him, until he stand before the multitude, and his cause be judged. 13 And of those cities, that are separated for the refuge of fugitives, 14 Three shall be beyond the Jordan, and three in the land of Chanaan, 15 As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will. 16 If any man strike with iron, and he die that was struck: he shall be guilty of murder, and he himself shall die. 17 If he throw a stone, and he that is struck die: he shall be punished in the same manner. 18 If he that is struck with wood die: he shall be revenged by the blood of him that struck him.

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
And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,
Genesis 35:18
And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.
Genesis 48:7
For, when I came out of Mesopotamia, Rachel died from me in the land of Chanaan in the very journey, and it was spring time: and I was going to Ephrata, and I buried her near the way of Ephrata, which by another name is called Bethlehem.
Joshua 19:15
And Cateth and Naalol and Semeron and Jedala and Bethlehem: twelve cities and their villages.
Ruth 1:2
He was named Elimelech, and his wife Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.
Ruth 4:11
Then all the people that were in the gate, and the ancients, answered: We are witnesses: The Lord make this woman who cometh into thy house, like Rachel, and Lia, who built up the house of Israel: that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem:
Micah 6:2
Let the mountains hear the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord will enter into judgment with his people, and he will plead against Israel.
Matthew 2:1
When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem,
Matthew 2:6
And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule 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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