Deuteronomy 19:6

Deuteronomy 19:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
• New International Version (NIV)Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.
• English Standard Version (ESV)lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.
• New King James Version (NKJV)lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past.

Context of Deuteronomy 19:6

4“Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him: 5If, for example, he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber, and his hand swings the ax to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies, that person may flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise, the avenger of blood in the heat of his anger might pursue the one who committed manslaughter, overtake him because the distance is great, and strike him dead. Yet he did not deserve to die, since he did not previously hate his neighbor. 7This is why I am commanding you to set apart three cities for yourselves. 8If the Lord your God enlarges your territory as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised to give them —

Deuteronomy 19:6 word by word

פֶּן־יִרְדֹּף֩ גֹּאֵ֨ל הַדָּ֜ם אַחֲרֵ֣י הָרֹצֵ֗חַ כִּי־יֵחַם֮ לְבָבוֹ֒ וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ וְהִכָּ֣הוּ נָ֑פֶשׁ וְלוֹ֙ אֵ֣ין מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֔וֶת כִּ֠י לֹ֣א שֹׂנֵ֥א ה֛וּא ל֖וֹ מִתְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Lest the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• the slayerאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• whileכִּיkîy · forH3588
• his heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• is hotיָחַםyâcham · to conceiveH3179
• and overtakeנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
• him, because the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• is longרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• and slayנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• himנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• not worthyמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• of deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• he hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• him not in timeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• pastשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:6

• Numbers 35:12You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.
• Joshua 20:5And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, for he killed his neighbor accidentally and did not hate him beforehand.
• 2 Samuel 14:7Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant and said, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother so we may put him to death for the life of the brother he murdered. We will eliminate the heir! ’ They would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on earth.”
• Deuteronomy 21:22“If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,
• Jeremiah 26:15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the Lord has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”
• Deuteronomy 19:4“Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him:

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-13Verses 1-13 This and the next two chapters contain enactments designed to protect human life, and to impress its sanctity on Israel. In Deuteronomy 19:1-13 the directions respecting the preparation of the roads to the cities of refuge, the provision of additional cities in case of an extension of territory, and the intervention of the elders as representing the congregation, are unique to Deuteronomy and supplementary to the laws on the same subject given…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6avenger of blood (literally the redeemer of blood): The law allowed a victim's family to avenge murder. They could execute the killer when they found him (Numbers 35:16–21). The idea was that blood shed by the victim must be paid for by the blood of the person responsible for the act (see Genesis 4:15; 9:6). In this way, the land made unclean by the shed blood could be purified (Numbers 35:33–34).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot--This verse is a continuation of De 19:3 (for De 19:4, 5, which are explanatory, are in a parenthetical form), and the meaning is that if the kinsman of a person inadvertently killed should, under the impulse of sudden excitement and without inquiring into the circumstances, inflict summary vengeance on the homicide, however guiltless, the law tolerated such an act; it was to…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 19:6

• Avenger of Blood
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Add
• City
• Goel
• Landmark
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• Assassination
• Atonement, Day of
• Courts, Judicial
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings