Numbers 35:9-34

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 35:9-34

We have here the orders given concerning the cities of refuge, fitly annexed to what goes before, because they were all Levites? cities. In this part of the constitution there is a great deal both of good law and pure gospel. I. Here is a great deal of good law, in the case of murder and manslaughter, a case of which the laws of all nations have taken particular cognizance. It is here enacted and provided, consonant to natural equity, 1. That wilful murder should be punished with death, and in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:9

And the Lord spake unto Moses ,.... At the same time, or he continued his speech unto him: saying : as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:10

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them ,.... Now, directly: when ye come over Jordan into the land of Canaan ; as they quickly would, being now very near it, and of which there was the utmost certainty, since the Lord had promised to bring them over that river, and put them in possession of that land. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:11

Then ye shall appoint your cities to be cities of refuge for you ,.... And, according to the Jewish writers F9 Maimon. Rotzeach, c. 8. sect. 8. Vid. T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 10. 1. , 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:12

And they shall be unto you cities of refuge from the avenger ,.... Or near kinsman; for as the right of redemption of an estate that was mortgaged belonged to such an one, so of revenging the blood of any one that was killed: that the manslayer die not ; by the hand of the avenger, who in the heat of his passion would, could he come at him, fall upon him, and slay him, to avenge the death of his relation on him: until he stand before the congregation in judgment ; before the court of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:13

And of these cities which ye shall give ,.... Of the forty eight cities they were to give to the Levites, Numbers 35:7 , six cities shall ye have for refuge ; which, I think, makes it clear, that not all the forty eight cities were for refuge, only six of them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:14

Ye shall give three cites on this side Jordan ,.... Which were Bezer in the wilderness, out of the tribe of Reuben; and Ramoth in Gilead, out of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan, out of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 20:8 , and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan : which were Kadesh in Galilee, in Mount Naphtali; Shechem in Mount Ephraim; and Kirjatharba, or Hebron, in the mountain of Judah, Joshua 20:7 . which shall be cities of refuge ; the three on the other... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:15

These six cities shall be a refuge both for the children of Israel and for the stranger ,.... For an Israelite, and a proselyte of righteousness, one that embraced the Jewish religion, and in all things conformed to it, and to whom there was but one law in things civil and religious: and for the sojourner among you ; the proselyte of the gate, who renounced idolatry, and observed the commands of the sons of Noah, but in other things did not comply with the Jewish ceremonies, yet had the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:16

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die ,.... As with an hatchet, hammer, sword, knife, &c.; he is a murderer ; the instrument used by him, and with which he smote, shows that he had a bad design, and intended to kill, or he would never have smitten a man with such an instrument: the murderer shall surely be put to death ; be condemned to death, and be executed, by the order of the civil magistrate, according to the law in Genesis 9:6 and not be allowed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:17

And if he smite him with throwing a stone ,.... "Or with a stone of the hand" F17 באבן יד . , which the Jews interpret of a stone so big as to fill a man's hand, and so wherewith he may die ; at whom it is thrown; is sufficient to cause his death, if struck with it; so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it of a"stone of fulness of hands, which is sufficient that a man may die with it,'or be killed by it: and he die ; by the blow he receives from it, either immediately or in... read more

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