Joshua 20:2

Joshua 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
• New International Version (NIV)“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

Context of Joshua 20:2

1And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: 3that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

Joshua 20:2 word by word

דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר תְּנ֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

• Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Assignנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• youאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• refugeמִקְלָטmiqlâţ · refugeH4733
• handיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872

Cross-references for Joshua 20:2

• Exodus 21:13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
• Numbers 35:6And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee thither: and beside them ye shall give forty and two cities.
• Deuteronomy 4:41Then Moses separated three cities beyond Jordan toward the sunrising;
• Deuteronomy 19:2thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
• Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 6:18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us;
• Numbers 35:15For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge: that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

Commentaries on Joshua 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Cities of refuge - An institution of this kind was essentially necessary wherever the patriarchal law relative to the right of redemption and the avenging of blood was in force; we have already seen that the nearest of kin to a deceased person had not only the right of redeeming an inheritance that had been forfeited or alienated, but had also authority to slay on the spot the person who had slain his relative. Now, as a man might casually kill another…Read the comment
• 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 20:2

• Avenger of Blood
• Communion
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Children of Israel
• Cities of Refuge
• Appoint
• Refuge
• Cruel; Cruelty
• Goel
• Homicide
• Joshua (2)

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