Joshua 20:5

Joshua 20:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
• New International Version (NIV)If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.

Context of Joshua 20:5

3Choose them so that anyone who unintentionally kills someone may run to them. They will be a place of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. 4“ ‘A person who kills someone accidentally can run to one of these cities. There he will stand at the entrance to the city, where court is held, and present his case to the leaders of that city. Then they will take him into their city and give him a place to live with them. “ ‘If the relative who can avenge the death pursues him, the leaders must not hand him over to the relative because he didn’t intend to kill the other person. He didn’t even hate the person he killed. 6The accused person may remain in that city until he can stand trial in front of the congregation or until whoever is chief priest at that time dies. Then he may go back to his home in the city from which he ran away.’ ” 7Kedesh in Galilee in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (now called Hebron) in the mountains of Judah were chosen as cities of refuge.

Joshua 20:5 word by word

וְכִ֨י יִרְדֹּ֜ף גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ אַֽחֲרָ֔יו וְלֹֽא־יַסְגִּ֥רוּ אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֖חַ בְּיָד֑וֹ כִּ֤י בִבְלִי־דַ֙עַת֙ הִכָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ וְלֹֽא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ה֛וּא ל֖וֹ מִתְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• him, then they shall not deliverסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
• the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• up into his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• because he smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• unwittinglyדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• unwittinglyבְּלִיbelîy · withoutH1097
• and hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• him not beforetimeשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032
• him not beforetimeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543

Cross-references for Joshua 20:5

• Numbers 35:12These cities will be places of refuge from any relative who can avenge the death. So anyone accused of murder will not have to die until he has had a trial in front of the community.

Commentaries on Joshua 20:5

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6These verses review the law about cities of refuge (see also Numbers 35:6–34).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 20:5

• 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