Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Overview
Num 35:1, Eight and forty cities for the Levites, with their suburbs, and measure thereof; Num 35:6, Six of them are to be cities of refuge; Num 35:9, The laws of murder and manslaughter; Num 35:31, No satisfaction for murder.
Num 22:1, Num 26:63, Num 31:12, Num 33:50, Num 36:13
Lev 25:32, Lev 25:33; Jos 14:3, Jos 14:4, 21:2-42; Eze 45:1-8, Eze 48:8, Eze 48:22; Co1 9:10-14
Jos 21:11; Ch2 11:14; Eze 45:2
thousand cubits: The Septuagint reads δισχιλιους πηχεις "two thousand cubits," as in the following verse; but this reading is not acknowledged by any other ancient version, except the Coptic, nor by any of the manuscripts collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. Various modes have been proposed for reconciling the accounts in these two verses, which appear in general to require full as much explanation as the text itself. The explanation of Maimonides is the only one that is intelligible, and appears perfectly satisfactory. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the law to be 3,000 cubits on every side, from the wall of the city and outwards. The first 1,000 cubits are the suburbs; and the 2,000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the following diagram:
Land Usage Fields and vineyards Suburbs City 1,000; Cubits 2,000; Cubits
six cities for refuge: Num 35:13, Num 35:14; Deu 4:41-43; Jos 20:2-9, Jos 21:3, Jos 21:13, Jos 21:21, Jos 21:27, Jos 21:32, Jos 21:36, Jos 21:38; Psa 9:9; Psa 62:7, Psa 62:8, Psa 142:4, Psa 142:5; Isa 4:6; Mat 11:28; Heb 6:18
to them ye shall add: Heb. above them ye shall give
Josh. 21:3-42; 1Chr. 6:54-81
possession: Gen 49:7; Exo 32:28, Exo 32:29; Deu 33:8-11; Jos 21:3
from them: Num 26:54, Num 33:54; Exo 16:18; Co2 8:13, Co2 8:14
he inheriteth: Heb. they inherit
Num 34:2; Lev 14:34, Lev 25:2; Deu 12:9, Deu 19:1, Deu 19:2
ye shall appoint: As the goel, or kinsman, had a right to avenge the death of his relation, by slaying the murderer wherever he found him, the appointment of these cities was a humane institution for the protection of the involuntary homicide; for they were designed only for the protection of such Num 35:6; Jos 20:2
unawares: Heb. by error, Num 35:22, Num 35:23; Exo 21:13; Deu 4:42, Deu 19:4, Deu 19:5
from the avenger: Num 35:19, Num 35:25-27; Deu 19:6; Jos 20:3-6, Jos 20:9; Sa2 14:7
until he stand: Num 35:24; Deu 19:11, Deu 19:12; Jos 20:4-6
six cities: Num 35:6
three cities: Deu 4:41-43, Deu 19:8-10; Jos 20:7-9
Num 15:16; Exo 12:49; Lev 24:22; Rom 3:29; Gal 3:28
if he smite: Num 35:22-24; Deu 19:11-13
the: Num 35:30-33; Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6; Exo 21:12-14; Lev 24:17
throwing a stone: Heb. a stone of the hand, Exo 21:18
Num 35:12, Num 35:21, Num 35:24, Num 35:27; Deu 19:6, Deu 19:12; Jos 20:3, Jos 20:5
if he thrust: Gen 4:5, Gen 4:8; Sa2 3:27, Sa2 13:22, Sa2 13:28, Sa2 13:29, Sa2 20:10; Kg1 2:5, Kg1 2:6, Kg1 2:31-33; Pro 26:24; Pro 28:17; Luk 4:29
by laying: Exo 21:14; Deu 19:11; Sa1 18:10, Sa1 18:11, Sa1 18:25, Sa1 19:9-12, Sa1 20:1, Sa1 23:7-9, Sa1 24:11; Psa 10:7-10, Psa 11:2, Psa 35:7, Psa 35:8, Psa 57:4-6; Pro 1:18, Pro 1:19; Mar 6:19, Mar 6:24-26; Act 20:3, Act 23:21
Num 35:11; Exo 21:13; Deu 19:5; Jos 20:3, Jos 20:5
abide in it: Num 35:28; Jos 20:6; Rom 3:24-26; Eph 2:16-18; Heb 4:14-16, Heb 7:25-28; Heb 9:12-15, Heb 10:19-22
anointed: Exo 29:7; Lev 4:3, Lev 8:12, Lev 21:10
After the manslayer had been received into the city of refuge, the avenger of blood could only act as prosecutor; and the magistrates, in the presence of the people, were appointed to decide the cause according to the rules here laid down. Probably the accused person was tried at or near the place where the deceased had been slain, and where evidence could most easily be brought, and in case he was acquitted by the decision of the judges, and with the approbation of the people, he was conveyed back to the city of refuge, where he was protected as a kind of prisoner at large, till the death of the high priest; when the public loss, and the grief occasioned by it, might be supposed to swallow up all personal regrets and resentments, and then he was permitted to return to his house and estate. But if, in the mean while, he ventured to leave the city, and the avenger met him and slew him, he was supposed to merit his doom by thus neglecting the appointment of God for his preservation, and the avenger must not be punished. This shews that in other cases, if the avenger slew an innocent man on surmise, he was liable to the punishment of a murderer; but if, by the testimony of two credible witnesses, the man who had fled to the city of refuge was adjudged guilty, he must without fail be put to death.
he shall not be guilty of blood: Heb. no blood shall be to him, Exo 22:2; Deu 19:6, Deu 19:10
he should: Joh 15:4-6; Act 11:23, Act 27:31; Heb 3:14, Heb 6:4-8, Heb 10:26-30, Heb 10:39
after the death: Heb 9:11, Heb 9:12, Heb 9:15-17
Deu 17:6, Deu 17:7, Deu 19:15; Mat 18:16; Joh 8:17, Joh 8:18; Co2 13:1; Ti1 5:19; Heb 10:28; Rev 11:3
Moreover: Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6; Exo 21:14; Deu 19:11-13; Sa2 12:13; Kg1 2:28-34; Psa 51:14
guilty of death: Heb. faulty to die
Act 4:12; Gal 2:21, Gal 3:10-13, Gal 3:22; Rev 5:9; The region east of Jordan was nearly as long as that on the west, and therefore three cities were appointed in each division. One or other of these cities would be within half a day's journey of every part of the land; and as it would rarely happen that the avenger of blood would be on the spot, and none had a right to assault or detain the manslayer, at least if no malicious intention was manifest, the unhappy men would, therefore, get the start of their adversaries, and very few of them be overtaken before they gained the place of refuge. But then they must forsake their families, employments, most important interests, and dearest comforts; and they must neither loiter nor yield to weariness, nor regard difficulties, nor slacken their pace, till they had got safe within the walls of the city. The Jewish writers inform us, that to afford every facility to those who thus fled for their life, the road to these cities was always preserved in good repair; and way-posts, upon which was inscribed REFUGE were placed wherever needful, that they might not so much as hesitate for a moment.
it defileth: Lev 18:25; Deu 21:1-8, Deu 21:23; Kg2 23:26, Kg2 24:4; Psa 106:28; Isa 26:21; Eze 22:24-27; Hos 4:2, Hos 4:3; Mic 4:11; Mat 23:31-35; Luk 11:50, Luk 11:51
the land cannot be cleansed: Heb. there can be no expiation for the land
Defile not: Num 5:3; Lev 20:24-26
I dwell: Psa 135:21; Isa 57:15; Hos 9:3; Co2 6:16, Co2 6:17; Rev 21:3, Rev 21:27
dwell among: Num 5:3; Exo 25:8, Exo 29:45, Exo 29:46; Kg1 6:13; Psa 132:14; Isa 8:12