Deuteronomy 19:4

Deuteronomy 19:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;
• New International Version (NIV)This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past—
• New King James Version (NKJV)“And this is the case of the manslayer who flees there, that he may live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him in time past—

Context of Deuteronomy 19:4

2you must set apart for yourselves three cities in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession. 3You shall build a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent of your land that the Lord your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities. Now this is the law pertaining to one who flees there in order to live, if he has accidentally killed another without hating him at the time of the accident. 5Suppose he goes with someone else to the forest to cut wood and when he raises the ax to cut the tree, the ax head flies loose from the handle and strikes his fellow worker so hard that he dies. The person responsible may then flee to one of these cities to save himself. 6Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, and kill him, though this is not a capital case since he did not hate him at the time of the accident.

Deuteronomy 19:4 word by word

וְזֶה֙ דְּבַ֣ר הָרֹצֵ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־יָנ֥וּס שָׁ֖מָּה וָחָ֑י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֶּ֤ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַת וְה֛וּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֥ל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the caseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• of the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• which shall fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• thither, that he may liveחָיַיchâyay · to liveH2425
• Whoso killethנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• ignorantlyדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• ignorantlyבְּלִיbelîy · withoutH1097
• whom he hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• not in timeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• pastשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:4

• Deuteronomy 4:42Anyone who accidentally killed someone without hating him at the time of the accident could flee to one of those cities and be safe.
• Numbers 35:15These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
• Deuteronomy 19:6Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, and kill him, though this is not a capital case since he did not hate him at the time of the accident.
• Genesis 31:2When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed.
• Joshua 3:4But stay about three thousand feet behind it. Keep your distance so you can see which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”
• 1 Chronicles 11:2In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general. The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’”
• Isaiah 30:33For the burial place is already prepared; it has been made deep and wide for the king. The firewood is piled high on it. The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone, will ignite it.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:4

• 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. 4a manslayer … having killed … accidentally: This refers to a person who does not plan the act of killing someone in advance (see 17:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-132. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land--Goelism, or the duty of the nearest kinsmen to avenge the death of a slaughtered relative, being the customary law of that age (as it still is among the Arabs and other people of the East), Moses incorporated it in an improved form with his legislative code. For the protection of the unintentional homicide, he provided certain cities of refuge--three had been destined for this purpose…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 19:4

• Avenger of Blood
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Add
• City
• Landmark
• Remove
• Assassination
• Atonement, Day of
• Courts, Judicial
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of

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