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Deuteronomy 19

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1When Yahweh your God shall cut off the nations, whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;

2you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.

3You shall prepare you the way, and divide the borders of your land, which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee there.

4This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn't hate him in time past;

5as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of these cities and live:

6lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he didn't hate him in time past.

7Therefore I command you, saying, You shall set apart three cities for yourselves.

8If 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;

9if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three:

10that innocent blood not be shed in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, and so blood be on you.

11But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him, and strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;

12then 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.

13Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall put away the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you.

14You 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 it.

15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

16If an unrighteous witness rise up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,

17then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

18and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;

19then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.

20Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of you.

21Your eyes shall not pity; life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

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Deuteronomy 19:1-13 Verses 1-13

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.

Deuteronomy 19:14 Verse 14

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.

Deuteronomy 19:15-21 Verses 15-21

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.

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Avenger of Blood: Scriptures Relating To Deuteronomy 19:4–13

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.

Ax: An Implement Deuteronomy 19:5

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.

Canaanites: To be Destroyed Deuteronomy 19:1

When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

Church: Rules of Discipline In, Mosaic and Christian Deuteronomy 19:16–21

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

Evidence: Laws Concerning Deuteronomy 19:15–21

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. / If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

False Accusations Deuteronomy 19:18, 19

The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, / you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.

False Teachers: False Witness Deuteronomy 19:16–20

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

Fear of God: A Motive of Obedience Deuteronomy 19:16–20

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

Highways: Made to all Cities of Refuge Deuteronomy 19:2, 3

then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. / You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.

Homicide: Accidental Deuteronomy 19:2–10

then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess. / You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities. / 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:

Homicide: Punishment of Deuteronomy 19:11–13

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.

Homicide: Unjustifiable, Described as Killing by Accident Deuteronomy 19:5

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.

Judge: Character of, and Precepts Relating To Deuteronomy 19:16–19

If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

Landmarks: Protected from Fraudulent Removal Deuteronomy 19:14

You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

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Avenger of blood (Heb. goel, from verb gaal, "to be near of kin,"… Testimony (1.) Witness or evidence (2 Thess. 1:10). (2.) The Scriptures,… Manslayer One who was guilty of accidental homicide, and was entitled… Brother (1.) In the natural and common sense (Matt. 1:2; Luke… Witness More than one witness was required in criminal cases (Deut.… Forest Heb. ya'ar, meaning a dense wood, from its luxuriance. Thus… Israel The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at… Blade Applied to the glittering point of a spear (Job 39:23)… Blood (1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use… Tooth One of the particulars regarding which retaliatory punishment was to… Lord There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered. (1.)… Rest (1.) Gr. katapausis, equivalent to the Hebrew word noah (Heb.… City The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which… Hand Called by Galen "the instrument of instruments." It is the… Mark The evangelist; "John whose surname was Mark" (Acts 12:12, 25).… Well (Heb. beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Heb. ain).… Life Generally of physical life (Gen. 2:7; Luke 16:25, etc.); also…