Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 9th, 2026
Thursday in Easter Week
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

Numbers 35:11

deme ye whiche citees owen to be in to the helpis of fugityues, whiche not wilfuli han sched blood.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Homicide;   Refuge;   Thompson Chain Reference - Slayer, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cities of Refuge;   Homicide;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Murder;   Punishments;   Refuge, Cities of;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - City of refuge;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kill, Killing;   Kinsman-Redeemer;   Motives;   Punishment;   Easton Bible Dictionary - City;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avenger;   Cities of Refuge;   Manslayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Kin;   Numbers, Book of;   Refuge, Cities of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Levi;   Refuge;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Refuge;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Appoint;   Assassination;   Homicide;   Ignorance;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Asylum;   Avenger of Blood;   Priestly Code;  

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.
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 The Lord seide to Moises, 10 Spek thou to the sones of Israel, and thou schalt seie to hem, Whanne ye han passid Jordan, in the lond of Canaan, 11 deme ye whiche citees owen to be in to the helpis of fugityues, whiche not wilfuli han sched blood. 12 In whiche whanne the fleere hath fled, the kynesman of hym that is slayn, schal not mow sle hym, til he stonde in the siyt of the multitude, and the cause of hym be demed. 13 Forsothe of tho citees that ben departid to the helpis of fugityues, 14 thre schulen be ouer Jordan, and thre in the lond of Canaan; 15 as wel to the sones of Israel as to comelyngis and pilgryms; that he fle to tho citees, that schedde blood not wilfuli. 16 If ony man smytith a man with yrun, and he that is smytun is deed, `the smyter schal be gilti of mansleyng, and he schal die. 17 If he castith a stoon, and a man is deed bi the strook, he schal be punyschid in lijk maner. 18 If a man smytun with a staf dieth, he schal be vengid bi `the blood of the smytere.

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
And God blisside Noe and hise sones, and seide to hem, Encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the erthe;
Genesis 12:2
and Y schal make thee in to a greet folk, and Y schal blisse thee, and Y schal magnyfie thi name, and thou schalt be blessid;
Genesis 13:16
And Y schal make thi seed as the dust of erthe; if ony man may noumbre the dust of erthe, also he schal mowe noumbre thi seed.
Genesis 15:5
And the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.
Genesis 17:16
and Y schal blesse hir, and of hir I schal yyue to thee a sone, whom I schal blesse, and he schal be in to naciouns, and kyngis of puplis schulen be borun of hym.
Genesis 18:14
whether ony thing is hard to God? Bi the biheeste Y schal turne ayen to thee in this same tyme, if Y lyue; and Sara schal haue a sone.
Genesis 18:18
sithen he schal be in to a greet folk and moost strong, and alle naciouns of erthe schulen be blessid in hym?
Genesis 22:17
Y schal blesse thee, and Y schal multiplie thi seed as the sterris of heuene, and as grauel which is in the brynk of the see; thi seed schal gete the yatis of hise enemyes;
Genesis 28:14
And thi seed schal be as the dust of erthe, thou schalt be alargid to the eest, and west, and north, and south; and alle lynagis of erthe schulen be blessid in thee and in thi seed.
Genesis 32:12
Thou spakist that thou schuldist do wel to me, and shuldist alarge my seed as the grauel of the see, that mai not be noumbrid for mychilnesse.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile