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

2Thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the bounds of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there. And this is the case of the slayer, who shall flee there, that he may live: Whoever killeth his neighbour unintentionally, whom he hated not in time past; 5As when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand maketh a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and falleth upon his neighbour, that he dieth; he shall flee to one of these cities, and live: 6Lest the avenger of blood shall pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; though he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

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

• caseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• slayerרָצַחrâtsach · to murderH7523
• fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• liveחָיַיchâyay · to liveH2425
• killethנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• unintentionallyבְּלִיbelîy · withoutH1097
• unintentionallyדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
• hatedשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• timeתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• pastשִׁלְשֹׁםshilshôm shilshôm · three days agoH8032

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:4

• Deuteronomy 4:42That the slayer might flee there, who should kill his neighbour unintentionally, and when he had not hated him in times past; and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
• Numbers 35:15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unintentionally may flee there.
• Deuteronomy 19:6Lest the avenger of blood shall pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; though he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
• Genesis 31:2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
• Joshua 3:4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near to it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way before.
• 1 Chronicles 11:2And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
• Isaiah 30:33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile of it is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle 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