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 are to set apart three cities for yourself within the land He is giving you to possess. 3You are to prepare the way for yourself and divide into three parts the borders of your land that Adonai your God enables you to inherit, so that anyone who kills may flee there. Now this is the case of the one who kills, who may flee there and live—whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally and did not hate him in the past— 5as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand takes a swing with the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron flies off the wood and hits his neighbor so that he dies. He may flee to one of these cities and live. 6Otherwise if the way is long, the avenger of the blood, while his heart is hot, may chase the manslayer, catch up to him and strike him dead. Yet no death sentence is on him, since he did not hate him in the 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

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 4:42There the manslayer might flee, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and did not hate him previously. He may flee to one of these cities and live:
• Numbers 35:15“These six cities of refuge are to be for Bnei-Yisrael as well as for the outsider and the visitor in their midst, for anyone killing a person by accident.
• Deuteronomy 19:6Otherwise if the way is long, the avenger of the blood, while his heart is hot, may chase the manslayer, catch up to him and strike him dead. Yet no death sentence is on him, since he did not hate him in the past.
• Genesis 31:2Then Jacob saw Laban’s face, and he noticed that his expression wasn’t the same as it was just a day or two before.
• Joshua 3:4Yet keep a distance between you and it of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Don’t come near it, so you may know the way by which you should go, for you haven’t travelled this way before.”
• 1 Chronicles 11:2In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one that led out and brought in Israel. Adonai your God also said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’”
• Isaiah 30:33For Topheth has long been ready, prepared for the king, its fire pit made deep and wide, a pyre of fire with plenty of wood. The breath of Adonai, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it aflame.

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