English Standard Version
Numbers 35:6
6"The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
Numbers 35:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
- New International Version (NIV)“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
Context of Numbers 35:6
4The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities. "The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites."
Read all of Numbers 35Numbers 35:6 word by word
וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֵ֚ת שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְּנ֔וּ לָנֻ֥ס שָׁ֖מָּה הָרֹצֵ֑חַ וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתְּנ֔וּ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם עִֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And among the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- which ye shall giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- unto the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- for refugeמִקְלָטmiqlâţ · refugeH4733
- which ye shall appointנָתַןnâthan · to give: allowH5414
- for the manslayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
- that he may fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
- fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
- and twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
Cross-references for Numbers 35:6
- Numbers 35:13And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge.
- Deuteronomy 4:41Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan,
- Joshua 20:2"Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
- Joshua 21:3So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.
- Psalms 9:9The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
- Psalms 62:7On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
- Psalms 142:4Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.
- Isaiah 4:6There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
- Matthew 11:28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- Hebrews 6:18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Commentaries on Numbers 35:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The Levitical cities were in an special manner the Lord‘s; and therefore the places of refuge, where the manslayer might remain under the protection of a special institution devised by divine mercy, were appropriately selected from among them. No doubt also the Priests and Levites would be the fittest persons to administer the law in the doubtful cases which would be sure to occur: compare Numbers 35:24 note.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-8The tribe of Levi did not receive its own land. So chapter 35 explains how they received 48 towns spread out among the lands of the other tribes (see Joshua 21; see also Leviticus 25:32–34; 1 Chronicles 13:2; 2 Chronicles 11:14). During the wilderness journey, the Levites lived in the center of the Israelite camp (compare Numbers 2:17). In the promised land, they were to live among the other tribes. Their presence was meant to influence the people for…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86. there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer--The establishment of those privileged sanctuaries among the cities of the Levites is probably traceable to the idea, that they would be the most suitable and impartial judges--that their presence and counsels might calm or restrain the stormy passions of the blood avenger--and that, from their being invested with the sacred character, they might be types of Christ, in whom…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 35:6
In the dictionaries
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
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