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“Now this is the case of the one who commits manslaughter, who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously-- 5as when a person goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies--he may flee to one of these cities and live. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in the heat of his anger, and overtake him because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not sentenced to death since he had not hated him previously. 7Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside for yourself three cities.’ 8“And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that He promised to give your fathers--

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

• Otherwiseפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• might pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• in the heatחָמַםchâmam · to warmH2552
• his angerלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• and overtakeנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
• him becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• isרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• takeנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• his lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• though he was not sentencedמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• to deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• he had not hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• him previouslyתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:6

• Numbers 35:12The cities shall serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who commits manslaughter does not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.
• Joshua 20:5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.
• 2 Samuel 14:7Now behold, the entire family has risen against your servant, and they have said, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and eliminate the heir as well.’ So they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
• Deuteronomy 21:22“Now if a person has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
• Jeremiah 26:15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words so that you hear them.”
• Deuteronomy 19:4“Now this is the case of the one who commits manslaughter, who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously--

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