Deuteronomy Chapter 19 — Cities of Refuge and Laws of Justice
Moses instructs Israel to establish cities of refuge to protect those who commit unintentional manslaughter and defines laws regarding property and witnesses.
1When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
2you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.
3You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.
4This 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—
5as 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.
6Otherwise, 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.
7Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8If the LORD 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;
9and if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.
10This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.
11But 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;
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 purge 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 the LORD your God gives you to possess.
15One 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.
16If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, 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 remove the evil from among you.
20Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.
21Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Deuteronomy 19:10
“This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.”
It explains the moral necessity of providing a safe haven for those who have not committed a capital crime.
Deuteronomy 19:15
“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.”
This verse establishes a foundational principle of biblical and modern jurisprudence regarding the burden of proof.
Deuteronomy 19:21
“Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
This describes the law of retaliation, designed to ensure the punishment fits the crime and is not excessive.
Chapter Summary
In Deuteronomy 19, Moses provides specific laws to ensure justice within the Promised Land. He commands the Israelites to set apart three cities of refuge, strategically located so that anyone who accidentally kills another person can flee there to escape the 'avenger of blood.' This provision applies specifically to unintentional acts, such as a tool head accidentally slipping from its handle, rather than acts of malice or hatred. Conversely, those who commit intentional murder are not protected and must be handed over for judgment. The chapter also prohibits the removal of a neighbor's landmark, ensuring property rights are respected. To prevent false accusations, Moses mandates that a conviction requires the testimony of at least two or three witnesses. If a witness is found to be lying, they must receive the same punishment they intended for the accused, reinforcing the principle of 'life for life, eye for eye,' which aims to deter evil and ensure fair treatment under the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
A city of refuge is a designated location where someone who kills another person unintentionally can flee to find safety from the victim's relatives. This prevents 'blood guilt' and ensures that a person who did not act out of hatred isn't killed in a moment of hot-tempered revenge.
The city of refuge only protects those who kill unintentionally. If a person commits a premeditated murder and flees there, the elders of their home city are required to bring them back and hand them over to the avenger of blood to face justice.
Deuteronomy 19 states that a single witness is not sufficient to convict someone of a crime or sin. At least two or three witnesses are required to establish a matter and ensure a fair trial.
If the judges determine that a witness has testified falsely against their neighbor, the witness must receive the exact punishment they intended for the accused person. This law was meant to deter people from lying in court and to maintain the integrity of the justice system.
Study Note
The command not to remove a neighbor's landmark reflects the importance of ancestral land inheritance, which was seen as a permanent gift from God to specific families.
Related Chapters
Numbers Chapter 35
This chapter provides further details on the specific locations and regulations for the cities of refuge.
Joshua Chapter 20
This chapter describes the actual implementation of these laws as Israel designates the cities after entering the land.
Matthew Chapter 18
Jesus references the principle of two or three witnesses in the context of communal accountability.
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