Deuteronomy19
World English Bible · Public Domain
1 When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
2 you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess.
3 You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.
4 This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—
5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.
6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.
7 Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8 If Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;
9 and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.
10 This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.
11 But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
12 then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.
14 You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
16 If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17 then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
18 and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
19 then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
20 Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.
21 Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
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Deuteronomy 19Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 19. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The cities of refuge, The man-slayer, The murderer. (1–13). Landmarks not to be removed. (14). The punishment of false witnesses. (15–21).
vv1-13
Here is the law settled between the blood of the murdered, and the blood of the murderer; provision is made, that the cities of refuge should be a protection, so that a man should not die for that as a crime, which was not his willing act. In Christ, the Lord our Righteousness, refuge is provided for those who by faith flee unto him. But there is no refuge in Jesus Christ for presumptuous sinners, who go on still in their trespasses. Those who flee to Christ from their sins, shall be safe in him, but not those who expect to be sheltered by him in their sins.
v14
Direction is given to fix landmarks in Canaan. It is the will of God that every one should know his own; and that means should be used to hinder the doing and suffering of wrong. This, without doubt, is a moral precept, and still binding. Let every man be content with his own lot, and be just to his neighbours in all things.
vv15-21
Sentence should never be passed upon the testimony of one witness alone. A false witness should suffer the same punishment which he sought to have inflicted upon the person he accused. Nor could any law be more just. Let all Christians not only be cautious in bearing witness in public, but be careful not to join in private slanders; and let all whose consciences accuse them of crime, without delay flee for refuge to the hope set before them in Jesus Christ.
Key Words
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
כָּרַת: to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)
גּוֹי: a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יָרַשׁ: to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
Cross References
Deuteronomy 19Establishes the foundation of lex talionis (life for life, eye for eye) for civil justice.
Supported by JFB
Expressly forbids removing ancient landmarks, reinforcing the permanence of ancestral property boundaries.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Condemns the wicked who remove landmarks, demonstrating the moral weight of this law.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic warning comparing the princes of Judah to those who remove landmarks.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct law parallel for retribution of injuries, specifying eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
Supported by JFB
Specifies setting aside three cities beyond Jordan and three in Canaan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Records Moses already setting apart the first three cities east of Jordan.
Supported by JFB
The historical fulfillment of setting apart the remaining three cities west of Jordan.
Supported by JFB
The original Abrahamic covenant promise regarding the full enlargement of Israel's borders.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Reiterates the promised enlargement of Israel's border to the River Euphrates.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Christ applies the two-or-three witnesses rule to church discipline.
Paul cites this law to establish judicial order in spiritual matters.
Contrasts accidental manslaughter with premeditated murder, where the killer is dragged from God's altar.
Pronounces a formal curse on anyone who removes their neighbor's landmark.
Applies the witness rule to show the severity of rejecting Moses' law.