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—
Parallel Translations
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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—
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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;
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And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in time past;
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 19:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Numbers 35:15-24 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the foreigner living among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there. “ ‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. If he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he struck him with a weapon of wood in the hand, by which a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death. If he shoved him out of hatred, or hurled something at him while lying in wait, so that he died, or in hostility struck him with his hand, so that he died, he who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. “ ‘But if he shoved him suddenly without hostility, or hurled on him anything without lying in wait, or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him so that he died, and he was not his enemy and not seeking his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the striker and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances.
- Deuteronomy 4:42 that the man slayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally and didn’t hate him in time past, and that fleeing to one of these cities he might live:
- Genesis 31:2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
- Deuteronomy 19:6 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.
- Joshua 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.”
- 1 Chronicles 11:2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’ ”
- Isaiah 30:33 For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood. Yahweh’s breath, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Deu 19:4 And this [is] the case of the…
Deu 19:4 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;
Ver. 4. Whom he hated not in time past.] There is, first, a passion of hatred. This is a kind of averse ness and rising of the heart against a man, when one sees him, so that he cannot away with him, nor speak to him, nor look courteously or peaceably upon him, and by his goodwill he would have nothing to do with him. Secondly, there is a habit of hatred, when the heart is so settled in this alienation and estrangement, that it grows to wish, and desire, and seek his hurt. Both these must be mortified.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And this is the case of the slayer, which…
And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live,.... It was not any slayer that might have protection in these cities, but such who were thus and thus circumstanced, or whose case was as follows:
whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly; without intention, as the Targum of Jonathan, did not design it, but was done by him unawares:
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whom he hated not in time past; had never shown by words or deeds that he had any hatred of him or enmity to him three days ago; so that if there were no marks of hatred, or proofs of it three days before this happened, it was reckoned an accidental thing, and not done on purpose, as this phrase is usually interpreted; see Exo 21:29.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. And this is the case of] See note…
4. And this is the case of] See note on Deu_15:2, and the introd. to this law.
whoso smiteth his neighbour unawares … time past] See Deu_4:42, which has slayeth for smiteth.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 4-7. (cf. Num_35:11, etc.)
Vers. 4-7. (cf. Num_35:11, etc.)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 This is the law
This is the law
"These are the instructions" or "These are the directions"
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for the one who kills another
The word "person" is understood. AT: "for a person who kills another person" (See: Ellipsis)
who flees there
"and who escapes to one of these cities" or "who runs to one of these cities"
to live
"to save his own life." The full meaning of this statement can be made explicit. AT: "so the family of the man who died does not kill him to get revenge" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally
Here "neighbor" means any person in general. AT: "any person who kills another person by accident"
and did not previously hate him
"but did not hate his neighbor before he killed him." This implies there was no cause for him to kill his neighbor purposely. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
For example, if a man goes into the forest ... to cut wood
The author gives a hypothetical situation where a person accidentally kills another person. (See: Hypothetical Situations)
the ax head slips off of the handle
The iron part of the ax comes off the wooden handle.
strikes his neighbor and kills him
This means the head of the ax hits and kills the neighbor.
to one of these cities and save his life
It is implied that the family of the dead man may try to get revenge. The man who killed him can flee to one of these cities, and the people there would protect him. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
law, laws
life
neighbor
ax
die
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 19:4 A slayer who kills . . . unintentionally…
19:4 A slayer who kills . . . unintentionally does not plan ahead of time to commit the act (see 17:8).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.