Numbers 35 Study Notes
General
According to 35:33, how could atonement be made for land where blood had been shed?
Answer: Only through the killer's own death
Murder was not only a crime against the victim; it defiled the land itself, and nothing could atone for that land except the killer's own blood (35:33). Israel was not to defile the land, because the LORD Himself lived among His people there (35:34). From the beginning, God said Abel's blood cried out to Him from the ground (Genesis 4:10), and later Israel polluted the land with innocent blood (Psalm 106:38). The New Testament points to Jesus, whose sprinkled blood says something better than Abel's blood, bringing forgiveness rather than a cry for justice (Hebrews 12:24).
- Numbers 35:33-34 (BSB)“Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.””Bloodshed pollutes the land, and only the killer's blood atones for it, because the LORD dwells among Israel.
- Genesis 4:10 (BSB)““What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”Abel's blood cries out to God from the ground.
- Psalm 106:38 (BSB)“They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.”Israel later polluted the land by shedding innocent blood.
- Hebrews 12:24 (BSB)“to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”The blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Theological
What does Numbers 35:33 identify as the only atonement for land polluted by bloodshed?
Answer: The execution of the killer himself
Bloodshed defiles the land, and for such land there is no atonement except the killer's own blood (35:33); the land must not be defiled because the LORD dwells in the midst of Israel (35:34). The principle is as old as Abel, whose blood cried to God from the ground (Genesis 4:10), and Israel later polluted the land with innocent blood (Psalm 106:38). Hebrews sets over against this the blood of Christ, which speaks more graciously than Abel's (Hebrews 12:24).
- Numbers 35:33-34 (BSB)“Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.””Bloodshed pollutes the land, and only the killer's blood atones for it, because the LORD dwells among Israel.
- Genesis 4:10 (BSB)““What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”Abel's blood cries out to God from the ground.
- Psalm 106:38 (BSB)“They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.”Israel later polluted the land by shedding innocent blood.
- Hebrews 12:24 (BSB)“to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”The blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
General
True or False: Every tribe was to hand the Levites the same number of towns, no matter how large or small its inheritance was.
Answer: False
This is false. God told Israel to hand over to the Levites towns from each tribe's land according to the size of its inheritance, with larger tribes giving more and smaller tribes giving fewer (35:8). This matches the way the land itself was divided, with bigger tribes receiving bigger shares (26:54; 33:54). The burden of providing for the Levites was shared fairly across all Israel.
- Numbers 35:8 (BSB)“The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””Requires towns to be given in proportion to each tribe's inheritance.
- Numbers 26:54 (BSB)“Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.”The land itself was allotted in proportion to each tribe's size.
- Numbers 33:54 (BSB)“And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.”Repeats that larger clans receive larger shares of the land.
Theological
True or False: Numbers 35:8 requires each tribe to contribute an equal number of Levitical towns regardless of the size of its inheritance.
Answer: False
This is false. The contribution of Levitical towns is proportional: more from a bigger tribe's territory and fewer from a smaller one's (35:8). The principle mirrors the proportional allotment of the land itself (26:54; 33:54), so that support for the Levites is distributed equitably across the tribes.
- Numbers 35:8 (BSB)“The cities that you apportion from the territory of the Israelites should be given to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one.””Requires towns to be given in proportion to each tribe's inheritance.
- Numbers 26:54 (BSB)“Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.”The land itself was allotted in proportion to each tribe's size.
- Numbers 33:54 (BSB)“And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.”Repeats that larger clans receive larger shares of the land.
General
Which of these does 35:22-23 describe as a killing that was not murder?
Answer: Letting a heavy stone fall on someone without seeing him
The law describes killing that was not murder: pushing someone suddenly with no hostility, throwing something without intending to, or dropping a heavy stone without looking, when the killer was not the victim's enemy, and he had no wish to harm him (35:22-23). The other cases listed are all described as murder, since they involve an iron object, intent, or hostility (35:16, 20-21). Deuteronomy gives a similar example of an axe head flying off its handle while two men cut wood together (Deuteronomy 19:4-6). God's law weighed the heart and intent behind an act, not only the outcome.
- Numbers 35:22-23 (BSB)“But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally, or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,”Describes killings done without hostility or intent.
- Deuteronomy 19:4-6 (BSB)“Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him: If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.”Gives the example of an axe head that flies off and kills a fellow woodcutter.
- Exodus 21:12-14 (BSB)“Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”Distinguishes the one who did not lie in wait from the one who killed willfully.
Theological
Which scenario does Numbers 35:22-23 treat as unintentional killing rather than murder?
Answer: Dropping a heavy stone on someone without looking
Unintentional homicide is defined by the absence of enmity and intent: a sudden push without hostility, an object thrown unintentionally, or a heavy stone dropped without seeing the victim, where the slayer was not his enemy and sought no harm (35:22-23). The other scenarios all meet the criteria of murder: an iron instrument, intent, or enmity (35:16, 20-21). Deuteronomy 19:4-6 supplies the parallel case of the axe head flying from its handle. The law thus distinguishes culpability by intent as well as outcome, as Exodus 21:13-14 already did.
- Numbers 35:22-23 (BSB)“But if anyone pushes a person suddenly, without hostility, or throws an object at him unintentionally, or without looking drops a heavy stone that kills him, but he was not an enemy and did not intend to harm him,”Describes killings done without hostility or intent.
- Deuteronomy 19:4-6 (BSB)“Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him: If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.”Gives the example of an axe head that flies off and kills a fellow woodcutter.
- Exodus 21:12-14 (BSB)“Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”Distinguishes the one who did not lie in wait from the one who killed willfully.
General
According to 35:6-7, how many towns in all were the Levites to receive?
Answer: Forty-eight
The Levites were to receive forty-eight towns with their pasturelands (35:7). Six of these were to serve as refuge cities, places where a person who had killed someone could flee for safety, and forty-two were additional towns (35:6). Joshua records that the Levites did receive forty-eight towns within the other tribes' lands (Joshua 21:41), including Hebron, which was both a priestly town and a refuge city (Joshua 21:13).
- Numbers 35:6-7 (BSB)“Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities. The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands.”Specifies six refuge cities plus forty-two other towns, forty-eight in all.
- Joshua 21:41 (BSB)“For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites.”Records that the Levites received forty-eight towns in all.
- Joshua 21:13 (BSB)“So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,”Shows Hebron given to the priests as one of the refuge cities.
Theological
How many Levitical towns in total does Numbers 35:6-7 specify?
Answer: Forty-eight
The total is forty-eight towns with their pasturelands (35:7): six designated as refuge cities for the manslayer and forty-two others (35:6). Joshua 21:41 records the same total in the implementation, and Joshua 21:13 shows the overlap of the two categories, since Hebron was assigned to the Aaronic priests and also served as a refuge city.
- Numbers 35:6-7 (BSB)“Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be appointed as cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. In addition to these, give the Levites forty-two other cities. The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, with their corresponding pasturelands.”Specifies six refuge cities plus forty-two other towns, forty-eight in all.
- Joshua 21:41 (BSB)“For the Levites, then, there were forty-eight cities in all, together with their pasturelands, within the territory of the Israelites.”Records that the Levites received forty-eight towns in all.
- Joshua 21:13 (BSB)“So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave these cities, together with their pasturelands: Hebron, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah,”Shows Hebron given to the priests as one of the refuge cities.
General
True or False: If the manslayer left the bounds of his refuge city and the avenger found and killed him there, the avenger was guilty of bloodshed.
Answer: False
This is false. The refuge city protected the manslayer only as long as he stayed inside its limits. If he went outside and the avenger killed him, the avenger bore no guilt (35:26-27), because the manslayer was required to remain there until the high priest died (35:28). Joshua repeats the rule that he must remain in the city (Joshua 20:6), and Deuteronomy shows how real the danger was: an angry avenger might chase down a manslayer who was too far from safety (Deuteronomy 19:6).
- Numbers 35:26-27 (BSB)“But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,”The avenger is not guilty if he kills the manslayer outside his refuge city.
- Joshua 20:6 (BSB)“He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.””The manslayer must remain in the city until the high priest's death.
- Deuteronomy 19:6 (BSB)“Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.”Shows the danger that an avenger in a rage might overtake a manslayer outside safety.
Theological
True or False: Numbers 35:26-27 holds the avenger guilty of bloodshed if he kills a manslayer found beyond the bounds of his refuge city.
Answer: False
This is false. Asylum is bounded: should the manslayer leave the limits of his city and be killed by the avenger, the avenger incurs no bloodguilt (35:26-27), since the manslayer was obligated to remain until the high priest's death (35:28). Joshua 20:6 restates the obligation, and Deuteronomy 19:6 depicts the danger the city's walls guarded against.
- Numbers 35:26-27 (BSB)“But if the manslayer ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed,”The avenger is not guilty if he kills the manslayer outside his refuge city.
- Joshua 20:6 (BSB)“He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.””The manslayer must remain in the city until the high priest's death.
- Deuteronomy 19:6 (BSB)“Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.”Shows the danger that an avenger in a rage might overtake a manslayer outside safety.
General
According to 35:30, what was required before anyone could be executed for murder?
Answer: Testimony from more than one witness
A murderer could be executed only when witnesses testified, and never on the word of just one witness (35:30). Deuteronomy spells this out: at least two witnesses were needed, or even three, and a single witness was never enough (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). This protected people from false accusation. Jesus applied the same principle to church discipline (Matthew 18:16), and Hebrews recalls that under Moses' law a person was executed on the evidence of at least two witnesses (Hebrews 10:28).
- Numbers 35:30 (BSB)“If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.”Requires more than one witness before a murderer can be executed.
- Deuteronomy 17:6 (BSB)“On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.”Requires two or three witnesses for a death sentence, never one.
- Deuteronomy 19:15 (BSB)“A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”A lone witness is never enough to establish any wrongdoing.
- Matthew 18:16 (BSB)“But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’”Jesus applies the two-or-three-witness principle to confronting sin.
- Hebrews 10:28 (BSB)“Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”Recalls that under Moses' law death required two or three witnesses.
Theological
What evidentiary standard does Numbers 35:30 set for a capital murder charge?
Answer: The testimony of multiple witnesses
Capital sentence for murder requires the testimony of witnesses, and no one may die on the word of a single witness (35:30). Deuteronomy codifies the requirement of two witnesses or three (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15), a safeguard against false accusation that Jesus carries into church discipline (Matthew 18:16) and that Hebrews invokes in its argument from the lesser to the greater (Hebrews 10:28).
- Numbers 35:30 (BSB)“If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.”Requires more than one witness before a murderer can be executed.
- Deuteronomy 17:6 (BSB)“On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.”Requires two or three witnesses for a death sentence, never one.
- Deuteronomy 19:15 (BSB)“A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”A lone witness is never enough to establish any wrongdoing.
- Matthew 18:16 (BSB)“But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’”Jesus applies the two-or-three-witness principle to confronting sin.
- Hebrews 10:28 (BSB)“Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”Recalls that under Moses' law death required two or three witnesses.
General
What does 35:31-32 forbid Israel to accept?
Answer: Payment to spare a murderer or to free a manslayer early
Israel was forbidden to take a ransom, a payment in exchange for a life, to spare a murderer who deserved death; he had to die (35:31). Nor could a manslayer pay to leave his refuge city and return home before the high priest died (35:32). This stands out because in another case, where a man's ox killed someone, the owner could buy back his life with money (Exodus 21:30). But for deliberate murder, no money could substitute for justice, because human life bears God's image (Genesis 9:6).
- Numbers 35:31-32 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.”Forbids accepting a ransom for a murderer or for a manslayer's early return.
- Exodus 21:30 (BSB)“If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.”Shows a different case in which a man could redeem his life by payment.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”Grounds the penalty for murder in mankind being made in God's image.
Theological
What does Numbers 35:31-32 prohibit Israel from accepting?
Answer: A ransom for a murderer's life or a manslayer's early release
No ransom may be accepted to spare a murderer deserving to die (35:31), nor to let a manslayer return home before the high priest's death (35:32). The contrast with Exodus 21:30, where the owner of a goring ox may buy back his life with a payment, highlights that deliberate murder admits no monetary commutation. The prohibition flows from the image of God in man (Genesis 9:6): no payment can stand in for a murdered life.
- Numbers 35:31-32 (BSB)“You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death. Nor should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to a city of refuge and allow him to return and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.”Forbids accepting a ransom for a murderer or for a manslayer's early return.
- Exodus 21:30 (BSB)“If payment is demanded of him instead, he may redeem his life by paying the full amount demanded of him.”Shows a different case in which a man could redeem his life by payment.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”Grounds the penalty for murder in mankind being made in God's image.
General
According to 35:4, how far out from each Levitical town's wall did its pasturelands reach?
Answer: A thousand cubits
The pasturelands were to reach a thousand cubits, roughly 1,500 feet or about 450 meters, out from the town wall in every direction (35:4). Verse 5 adds a second measurement of two thousand cubits on each of the four sides, with the town at the center (35:5). Every Levitical town was to have this grazing land (Joshua 21:42), and Leviticus makes it a permanent possession of the Levites that could never be sold (Leviticus 25:34).
- Numbers 35:4-5 (BSB)“The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side. You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.”Gives the measurements of the pasturelands around the Levites' towns.
- Joshua 21:42 (BSB)“Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.”Confirms that every Levitical town had its own surrounding pasturelands.
- Leviticus 25:34 (BSB)“But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.”The pastureland around Levitical towns may not be sold, since it is their permanent possession.
Theological
What distance does Numbers 35:4 give for the pasturelands around a Levitical town?
Answer: A thousand cubits
The pasturelands reach a thousand cubits outward from the town wall in all directions (35:4), and 35:5 supplements this with a measurement of two thousand cubits along each of the four sides, with the town in the center. Joshua 21:42 confirms that each Levitical town received its pasturelands, and Leviticus 25:34 makes them an inalienable possession of the Levites.
- Numbers 35:4-5 (BSB)“The pasturelands around the cities you are to give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the wall on every side. You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east, two thousand on the south, two thousand on the west, and two thousand on the north, with the city in the center. These areas will serve as larger pasturelands for the cities.”Gives the measurements of the pasturelands around the Levites' towns.
- Joshua 21:42 (BSB)“Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.”Confirms that every Levitical town had its own surrounding pasturelands.
- Leviticus 25:34 (BSB)“But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.”The pastureland around Levitical towns may not be sold, since it is their permanent possession.
General
According to 35:11-12, what were the refuge cities for?
Answer: Sheltering someone who killed by accident until his trial
The refuge cities were places where a person who had killed someone without meaning to could run for safety (35:11). There he was protected from the avenger, the relative responsible for avenging a death, so that he would not be killed before facing trial before the community (35:12). God had promised such a place in the earliest laws given at Sinai (Exodus 21:13), and Joshua later set these cities apart as refuges from the avenger (Joshua 20:1-3). The law protected innocent life while still taking bloodshed seriously.
- Numbers 35:11-12 (BSB)“designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.”Designates cities where an unintentional killer may flee from the avenger until trial.
- Exodus 21:13 (BSB)“If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”God had promised a place of flight for one who killed without lying in wait.
- Joshua 20:1-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.”Joshua later designates these cities as refuges from the avenger of blood.
- Joshua 20:4-5 (BSB)“When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.”The elders of a refuge city were to take in the manslayer and not hand him over to the avenger.
Theological
What function does Numbers 35:11-12 assign to the refuge cities?
Answer: Protecting an unintentional killer until his trial
The cities provide asylum for one who has killed unintentionally (35:11), shielding him from the avenger, lest he die before the assembly could try him (35:12). The provision fulfills the promise of Exodus 21:13 that God would appoint a place of flight for the one who had not ambushed his victim, and Joshua 20:1-3 records its implementation. Asylum guarantees due process without trivializing the shedding of blood.
- Numbers 35:11-12 (BSB)“designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.”Designates cities where an unintentional killer may flee from the avenger until trial.
- Exodus 21:13 (BSB)“If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”God had promised a place of flight for one who killed without lying in wait.
- Joshua 20:1-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.”Joshua later designates these cities as refuges from the avenger of blood.
- Joshua 20:4-5 (BSB)“When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.”The elders of a refuge city were to take in the manslayer and not hand him over to the avenger.
General
True or False: The refuge cities were only for native-born Israelites, not for foreigners living among them.
Answer: False
This is false. The six cities were to shelter not only Israelites but also foreigners and strangers who lived with them, so any person who killed someone unintentionally could run there (35:15). Joshua repeats that the cities were appointed for all Israel and the foreigners among them (Joshua 20:9). This fits God's wider rule that Israel was to have one standard of justice for the native-born and the foreigner alike (Leviticus 24:22).
- Numbers 35:15 (BSB)“These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.”Opens the refuge cities to Israelites and to foreigners living among them.
- Joshua 20:9 (BSB)“These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”Confirms that the cities were appointed for Israelites and foreigners alike.
- Leviticus 24:22 (BSB)“You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’””God requires the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native.
Theological
True or False: Numbers 35:15 restricts the protection of the refuge cities to native Israelites.
Answer: False
This is false. Asylum extends to Israelites and equally to the foreigner and sojourner in their midst, so any unintentional killer may flee there (35:15). Joshua 20:9 reaffirms the same scope, in keeping with the principle of one law for native and foreigner alike (Leviticus 24:22).
- Numbers 35:15 (BSB)“These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the foreigner or stranger among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.”Opens the refuge cities to Israelites and to foreigners living among them.
- Joshua 20:9 (BSB)“These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”Confirms that the cities were appointed for Israelites and foreigners alike.
- Leviticus 24:22 (BSB)“You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’””God requires the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native.
General
According to 35:25, how long did a person who killed by accident have to stay in his refuge city?
Answer: Until the anointed high priest had died
After the community judged between the killer and the avenger and found the killing accidental, they sent him back to the refuge city he had fled to, and he had to remain there until the high priest, the one anointed with holy oil, died (35:24-25). Only after that could he go home to his own land (35:28; Joshua 20:6). Many Christians see a picture here, though the chapter itself does not draw it: the manslayer's release came when the high priest died, and Jesus, the great High Priest, secured eternal redemption for His people through His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12). Hebrews also speaks of believers as those who have fled in order to grasp the hope offered to them (Hebrews 6:18), which echoes the picture of fleeing to a refuge city.
- Numbers 35:24-25 (BSB)“then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.”The assembly returns the manslayer to his refuge city to live there until the high priest dies.
- Numbers 35:28 (BSB)“because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.”The manslayer may return home only after the high priest's death.
- Joshua 20:6 (BSB)“He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.””Repeats that the manslayer stays in the city until the death of the serving high priest.
- Hebrews 9:11-12 (BSB)“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.”Christ, as High Priest, secured eternal redemption by His own blood.
- Hebrews 6:18 (BSB)“Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.”Describes believers as those who have fled to take hold of the hope set before them.
Theological
What event ends the manslayer's confinement to the refuge city in Numbers 35:25, 28?
Answer: The anointed high priest's death
Once the congregation adjudicates between the killer and the avenger and finds the killing unintentional, it restores him to the refuge city, where he must remain until the high priest, anointed with sacred oil, dies (35:24-25); only afterward can he go back to his property (35:28; Joshua 20:6). Many interpreters read this typologically, though the chapter itself does not state it: release comes through the high priest's death, and Christ, our High Priest, has obtained eternal redemption through His own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12). Hebrews 6:18 describes believers as those who fled in order to grasp the hope placed before them, echoing refuge language.
- Numbers 35:24-25 (BSB)“then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. The assembly is to protect the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.”The assembly returns the manslayer to his refuge city to live there until the high priest dies.
- Numbers 35:28 (BSB)“because the manslayer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to the land he owns.”The manslayer may return home only after the high priest's death.
- Joshua 20:6 (BSB)“He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.””Repeats that the manslayer stays in the city until the death of the serving high priest.
- Hebrews 9:11-12 (BSB)“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.”Christ, as High Priest, secured eternal redemption by His own blood.
- Hebrews 6:18 (BSB)“Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.”Describes believers as those who have fled to take hold of the hope set before them.
General
According to 35:14, how were the six refuge cities to be divided?
Answer: Three in Canaan and three east of the Jordan
God said to select three refuge cities in Canaan itself and three on the far side of the Jordan (35:13-14). That way, the tribes east of the Jordan had the same protection as those west of it. Moses set apart the three eastern cities, Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan (Deuteronomy 4:41-43), and after the conquest Israel set apart Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron west of the Jordan (Joshua 20:7-8).
- Numbers 35:13-14 (BSB)“The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.”Requires six refuge cities, three east of the Jordan and three in Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 4:41-43 (BSB)“Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities: Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.”Moses sets apart the three eastern refuge cities.
- Joshua 20:7-9 (BSB)“So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”Israel sets apart all six cities, three on each side of the Jordan, open to Israelites and foreigners.
Theological
How does Numbers 35:14 distribute the six refuge cities?
Answer: Three in Canaan and three across the Jordan
The six cities are divided evenly, three in the Transjordan and three in Canaan proper (35:13-14), so that asylum was accessible to all the tribes. Moses designated the eastern three, Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan (Deuteronomy 4:41-43), and Joshua 20:7-8 records the western three, Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron, alongside them.
- Numbers 35:13-14 (BSB)“The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. Select three cities across the Jordan and three in the land of Canaan as cities of refuge.”Requires six refuge cities, three east of the Jordan and three in Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 4:41-43 (BSB)“Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east to which a manslayer could flee after killing his neighbor unintentionally without prior malice. To save one’s own life, he could flee to one of these cities: Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.”Moses sets apart the three eastern refuge cities.
- Joshua 20:7-9 (BSB)“So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”Israel sets apart all six cities, three on each side of the Jordan, open to Israelites and foreigners.
General
According to 35:2-3, what did the LORD tell Israel to hand over to the Levites from the land they would inherit?
Answer: Towns to live in, with grazing land around them
The LORD told Moses that the other tribes must give the Levites towns to live in, along with the surrounding grazing land for their cattle, sheep, and other animals (35:2-3). The Levites were the tribe set apart for service at the tabernacle, and they received no territory of their own; instead, the LORD Himself was their inheritance (Deuteronomy 18:1-2), and they lived on the tithes Israel brought (18:23-24). Giving them towns scattered through every tribe provided homes for them while keeping their portion in the LORD. Joshua records the Levites later asking for these towns and receiving them just as Moses had commanded (Joshua 21:1-3).
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The LORD commands Israel to give the Levites towns and surrounding grazing land.
- Numbers 18:23-24 (BSB)“The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites. For I have given to the Levites as their inheritance the tithe that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.””The Levites receive no inheritance of land; the tithe is given to them instead.
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The whole tribe of Levi has no portion of land because the LORD is their inheritance.
- Joshua 21:1-3 (BSB)“Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.” So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”The Levites later ask for and receive their towns and pasturelands as Moses commanded.
Theological
What provision does Numbers 35:2-3 make for the Levites from Israel's inheritance?
Answer: Towns for residence, with surrounding grazing land
The tribes are to cede to the Levites towns for residence together with surrounding grazing land for their livestock (35:2-3). This follows from the Levites' status: they receive no territorial allotment because the LORD Himself is their portion (Deuteronomy 18:1-2) and the tithe is their portion (18:23-24). Dispersed Levitical towns thus house the tribe devoted to God's service without giving it a territory. Joshua 21:1-3 records the implementation at Shiloh in accordance with the command through Moses.
- Numbers 35:2-3 (BSB)““Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance they will possess, cities for the Levites to live in and pasturelands around the cities. The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.”The LORD commands Israel to give the Levites towns and surrounding grazing land.
- Numbers 18:23-24 (BSB)“The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites. For I have given to the Levites as their inheritance the tithe that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.””The Levites receive no inheritance of land; the tithe is given to them instead.
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (BSB)“The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.”The whole tribe of Levi has no portion of land because the LORD is their inheritance.
- Joshua 21:1-3 (BSB)“Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribes of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said to them, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities in which to live, together with pasturelands for our livestock.” So by the command of the LORD, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands out of their own inheritance:”The Levites later ask for and receive their towns and pasturelands as Moses commanded.
General
According to 35:16-21, what marked a killer as a murderer who deserved execution?
Answer: Using a deadly weapon, or acting out of hostility or malice
The law gave clear signs of murder. If someone struck and killed another with an object of iron, a stone big enough to kill, or a deadly wooden object, he was a murderer (35:16-18). So was someone who shoved or threw something at another out of malice, or struck him in hostility (35:20-21). Such a person was to be executed, and the avenger was to carry it out (35:19, 21). Behind this law stands God's word to Noah: whoever sheds human blood will have his own blood shed, because God made mankind in His image (Genesis 9:6). A deliberate killer could not hide even at God's altar (Exodus 21:14).
- Numbers 35:16-18 (BSB)“If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.”Names deadly instruments that mark a killing as murder.
- Numbers 35:20-21 (BSB)“Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.”Adds malice and hostility as marks of murder.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”God requires the life of one who sheds human blood, because man is made in His image.
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”A man who kills willfully is to be taken even from God's altar and put to death.
- Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (BSB)“If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.”A killer who hated his neighbor and lay in wait is not protected by a refuge city.
Theological
By what criteria does Numbers 35:16-21 identify a killer as a murderer?
Answer: A lethal weapon, or hostile and malicious intent
The chapter identifies murder by objective and subjective marks: the instrument (an iron object, a lethal stone, or a lethal wooden implement, 35:16-18) and the disposition (pushing or throwing with malice, or striking in enmity, 35:20-21). The murderer must be executed, with the avenger as the agent (35:19, 21). The law rests on Genesis 9:6, where the shedding of human blood is answered with the shedder's blood because man bears God's image, and on Exodus 21:14, which denies even the altar's sanctuary to the willful killer.
- Numbers 35:16-18 (BSB)“If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.”Names deadly instruments that mark a killing as murder.
- Numbers 35:20-21 (BSB)“Likewise, if anyone maliciously pushes another or intentionally throws an object at him and kills him, or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death; he is a murderer. When the avenger of blood finds the murderer, he is to kill him.”Adds malice and hostility as marks of murder.
- Genesis 9:6 (BSB)“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.”God requires the life of one who sheds human blood, because man is made in His image.
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”A man who kills willfully is to be taken even from God's altar and put to death.
- Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (BSB)“If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.”A killer who hated his neighbor and lay in wait is not protected by a refuge city.