Numbers 35:25

Numbers 35:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
• New International Version (NIV)The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

Context of Numbers 35:25

23Or he might drop a heavy stone on someone when he had not seen them. If he did not hate the other person, perhaps he did not mean to hurt him. 24If that happens, the people must judge who is right. They must choose between the killer and the dead person's relative. They must use those rules to decide if the man is a murderer. If the man is a killer but not a murderer, the people must keep him safe from the dead person's relative. They must send him back to the safe city that he ran to. He will live there safely until the death of the leader of God's priests. 26But one day, the killer might go outside the border of the safe city that he ran to. 27If he does that, the dead person's relative might find him outside the safe city. Then, if the dead person's relative kills him, the relative will not be guilty of murder.

Numbers 35:25 word by word

וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ הָעֵדָ֜ה אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֗חַ מִיַּד֮ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּם֒ וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּ אֹתוֹ֙ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה אֶל־עִ֥יר מִקְלָט֖וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נָ֣ס שָׁ֑מָּה וְיָ֣שַׁב בָּ֗הּ עַד־מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־מָשַׁ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ בְּשֶׁ֥מֶן הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• shall deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• out of the handיָדyâd · handH3027
• of the revengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• shall restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• him to the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of his refugeמִקְלָטmiqlâţ · refugeH4733
• whither he was fledנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• and he shall abideיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in it unto the deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• of the highגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• which was anointedמָשַׁחmâshach · to anointH4886
• with the holyקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081

Cross-references for Numbers 35:25

• Numbers 35:28That is because the killer should have stayed in his safe city until the death of the leader of the priests. But after the leader of the priests dies, the killer may return to his own home.
• Joshua 20:6The killer must stay inside that city. The judges there will decide if he is not guilty of murder. Then he must wait until the leader of the priests dies. After that, he is free to return to the town that he came from.’
• Romans 3:24But because God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God's gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free.
• Ephesians 2:16As a single group, Christ brought Jews and Gentiles back to God. He stopped them from hating each other. He did this by his death on the cross.
• Hebrews 4:14Jesus, the Son of God, helps us as God's most important priest. He is our great priest who has gone up into heaven. We say that we believe in him. So we must continue to show people that we trust him.
• Hebrews 7:25Jesus is always alive and he asks God to help his people. So he can completely save everyone who believes in him. He will lead them to God.
• Hebrews 9:12Christ went into the Most Holy Place on our behalf. He did this once, for all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats or young cows when he went in there. Instead, he took the blood of his own death to offer to God. In that way, he made us free from sin for ever.
• Hebrews 10:19So then, Christian friends, we see that Jesus died as a sacrifice on our behalf. Because of that, we may go into God's Most Holy Place. We are not afraid to do that.
• Exodus 29:7Take the special olive oil. Pour it on his head to show that God has chosen him to be his servant.
• Leviticus 4:3The man may be a priest that you have anointed. If that is true, his sins will cause the people to sin. He must bring a young bull as a gift to the Lord.
• Leviticus 8:12Moses anointed Aaron's head with oil to make him holy.
• Leviticus 21:10They have poured special oil on the leader of the priests' head to show that he is greater than his brothers. He must wear special clothes. He must comb his hair. He must not tear his clothes.

Commentaries on Numbers 35:25

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-25Verses 16-25 The sense is: Inasmuch as to take another man‘s life by any means whatsoever is murder, and exposes the murderer to the penalty of retaliation; so, if the deed is done in hostility, it is in truth actual murder, and the murderer shall be slain; but if it be not done in hostility, then the congregation shall interpose to stop the avenger‘s hand. Numbers 35:19 When he meeteth him - Provided, of course, it were without a city of refuge. Numbers…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-34Verses 9-34 To show plainly the abhorrence of murder, and to provide the more effectually for the punishment of the murderer, the nearest relation of the deceased, under the title of avenger of blood, (or the redeemer of blood,) in notorious cases, might pursue, and execute vengeance. A distinction is made, not between sudden anger and malice aforethought, both which are the crime of murder; but between intentionally striking a man with any weapon likely…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24-25If the person who caused the death was found not guilty of murder at a public trial before the community (compare Deuteronomy 19:11–12), that person had to remain in the city of refuge. The avenger was not allowed to take revenge. The community had decided that the person was not guilty of murder. until the death of the high priest: The death of the high priest likely served as a kind of expiation (a way of removing guilt or cleansing from sin) for the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2822-28. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, &c.--Under the excitement of a sudden provocation, or violent passion, an injury might be inflicted issuing in death; and for a person who had thus undesignedly committed slaughter, the Levitical cities offered the benefit of full protection. Once having reached the nearest, for one or other of them was within a day's journey of all parts of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 35:25

• Anointing
• Avenger of Blood
• Government
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• High priest
• Avenger of blood
• City
• Congregation
• Murder
• Refuge, Cities of
• Testify
• Amorites
• Assassination
• Courts, Judicial

Commentaries on Numbers 35

• 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