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

4Now 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. Otherwise 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. 7Therefore, I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities. 8If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land he pledged to them,

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Lest the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• pursueרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
• the slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• the slayerאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• whileכִּיkîy · forH3588
• his heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• is hotיָחַםyâcham · to conceiveH3179
• and overtakeנָשַׂגnâώag · to overtakeH5381
• him, because the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• is longרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• and slayנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• himנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• not worthyמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• of deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• he hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• him not in timeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• pastשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:6

• Numbers 35:12And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.
• Joshua 20:5When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.
• 2 Samuel 14:7Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”
• Deuteronomy 21:22If a person commits a sin punishable by death and is executed, and you hang the corpse on a tree,
• Jeremiah 26:15But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
• Deuteronomy 19:4Now 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.

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

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• City
• Goel
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• Assassination
• Atonement, Day of
• Courts, Judicial
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• 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