Six Cities of Refuge
(Numbers 35:9–34; Deuteronomy 4:41–43; Deuteronomy 19:1–14)
Then the LORD said to Joshua, Jos 13:1-7Jos 5:14Jos 6:2Jos 7:10 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, Deu 19:2-13Deu 4:41-43Num 35:11-24Num 35:6Rom 8:1Exo 21:13-14Heb 6:18-19Rom 8:33-34 so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. Jer 38:7Rut 4:1-2Heb 6:18Job 29:7Job 5:4Pro 31:23Psa 26:9
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. Num 35:12Num 35:25 He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.” Num 35:12Heb 9:26Num 35:24-25
So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. Jos 21:111Ch 6:76Jos 21:32Luk 1:39Jos 14:15Jos 21:13Jos 21:212Ch 10:1
And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 1Ch 6:78Jos 21:36Jos 21:27Jos 21:381Ch 6:801Ki 22:3-41Ki 22:6Deu 4:43
These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly. Num 35:15Jos 20:4Jos 20:6