Six Cities of Refuge
The LORD tells Joshua to set apart the cities of refuge already commanded through Moses, so that anyone who kills unintentionally may flee there. These cities stand between accidental bloodshed and the avenger’s immediate claim.
T1hen the LORD said to Joshua, 2“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
The chapter describes how the fugitive is admitted, protected from the avenger, and kept within the city until trial and until the death of the high priest. Refuge is not escape from judgment, but shelter under an ordered process.
4When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. 5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. 6He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”
Joshua’s leaders designate six cities on both sides of the Jordan and identify them as available to Israelites and foreigners alike. Their purpose is to protect the unintentional killer until the assembly hears the case.
7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.