Numbers 35:22

"But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait, or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. But if a manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth, and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession."

"Unpremeditated murder (Numbers 35:22-23) is here indicated by such terms as, `suddenly without enmity,' `without lying in wait,' `without seeing him,' `not his enemy,' and `did not seek his harm'."[16] It should be especially noted that, "Killing of any kind, even unintentional killing, was serious business (and so it is yet); and the provisions of this regulation by no means fully acquitted an offender."[17] Certainly, it was no trivial thing for an offender to be forced to leave his family and his possessions and to live until the death of the High Priest in one of the cities of refuge. Of course, his family could have joined him in his new residence, but even so, such arrangements were not easily or quickly made in those days.

"Until the death of the high priest ..." Why a regulation like this? We should always remember that "Moses in the law wrote of Christ" (John 1:45); and here is another of the almost innumerable foreshadowings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This was probably intended to typify that no sinner can be pardoned and restored to his lost inheritance (of fellowship with God), and delivered from his banishment from God, until Jesus Christ the Great High Priest, should die for his offenses, and rise again for his justification.[18]

"Thus the death of each successive high priest of Israel pre-signified that death of Jesus Christ by which the captives were to be freed, and the remembrance of transgressions made to cease."[19]

Another thing that resulted from the death of the High Priest was that, "It terminated the right of blood-vengeance as it related to any refugees freed from restraint by the high priest's death."[20]

One strategy of Bible enemies consists in their imposing some unusual or inappropriate meaning upon an important word with rich spiritual significance, and "refuge" as used here has not escaped the operation of this evil strategy. Gray insisted that, "It means a place of reception, as for example, the collection, or reception of rainwater"![21] In this instance, Satan's strategy has been completely frustrated by the writings of a recent very brilliant Jewish scholar, W. Gunther Plaut; "In contemporary Hebrew, this word means shelter, especially air-raid shelter"? Perhaps it will be admitted by all that the Jews do not hide from Arabian bombs in a rain barrel!

The word "refuge" is sacred in the theology and vocabulary of the Christian. These cities are plainly alluded to throughout the Bible, and, "We cannot doubt the typical character of their appointment."[23] "Turn ye to the stronghold saith the voice of mercy" (Zechariah 9:12). The apostle Paul declared that, "We have a strong encouragement who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18).

"He should have remained in his city ..." (Numbers 35:28). The strictest observance of this was observed in later times. When Abner, for example, sought refuge from Joab after the slaying of Asahel in self-defense (2 Samuel 2), Joab maneuvered him just across the city line in the very gate of the city of refuge and there thrust a sword through his heart!