Joshua 20:3

Joshua 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
• New International Version (NIV)so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

Context of Joshua 20:3

1Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2‘Tell the Israelite people to choose special cities as safe places. I told Moses that you should do this. Anyone can be safe in these cities if he has killed someone but he did not mean to kill. A person like that must run to one of these towns and he will be safe from the dead person's relative. 4The person who killed someone must go to the special city. When he arrives, he must stand at the gate of the city. There he must tell the leaders what he has done. Then they must take him into the city. They must give him a place to stay so that he can live there. 5The dead person's relative may chase after the killer. The leaders of the city must not let him hurt the killer. This is because the killer did not mean to kill.

Joshua 20:3 word by word

לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רוֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֥פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה בִּבְלִי־דָ֑עַת וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְמִקְלָ֔ט מִגֹּאֵ֖ל הַדָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• That the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• that killethנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• personנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• unawaresשְׁגָגָהshegâgâh · sin of errorH7684
• unwittinglyדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• may fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• thither: and they shall be your refugeמִקְלָטmiqlâţ · refugeH4733
• from the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818

Commentaries on Joshua 20:3

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The relatives of a victim murdered or killed unintentionally or accidentally were responsible for seeking revenge. If the avenger (Hebrew go’el) found the person who killed outside a city of refuge, he could kill him without suffering punishment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-61-3. The Lord spake unto Joshua ... Appoint out for you cities of refuge--(See Nu 35:9-28; De 19:1-13). The command here recorded was given on their going to occupy their allotted settlements. The sanctuaries were not temples or altars, as in other countries, but inhabited cities; and the design was not to screen criminals, but only to afford the homicide protection from the vengeance of the deceased's relatives until it should have been ascertained…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 20:3

• Avenger of Blood
• Communion
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Avenger of blood
• Appoint
• Refuge
• Assassination
• Cruel; Cruelty
• Goel
• Homicide
• Ignorance
• Joshua (2)
• Joshua, Book of

Commentaries on Joshua 20

• 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