Joshua 20 5

Joshua 20:5 kjv

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

Joshua 20:5 nkjv

Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.

Joshua 20:5 niv

If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.

Joshua 20:5 esv

And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.

Joshua 20:5 nlt

If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

Joshua 20 verses

Joshua 20 5 Meaning

Joshua 20:5 articulates a specific protection afforded by the cities of refuge: if a slayer who has accidentally caused death, without premeditation or prior malice, is pursued by the avenger of blood, the authorities within the city are obligated not to surrender him. This verse emphasizes the crucial distinction in God's law between premeditated murder, which incurs the death penalty, and unintentional killing, which, while a grave matter, warrants sanctuary rather than immediate retribution, ensuring a just process before judicial assembly.

Joshua 20 5 Context

Joshua chapter 20 specifically details the establishment of the cities of refuge as commanded by the Lord. This command was first given through Moses (Num 35; Deut 19) and reiterated to Joshua as Israel entered the promised land. Following the allocation of tribal lands, the selection and designation of these six cities (three on each side of the Jordan) were crucial for the newly organized nation. Joshua 20:5 fits directly within the description of the purpose and function of these cities, particularly how they protect individuals who have unintentionally caused a death. The historical and cultural context is vital, as ancient societies often practiced a "blood feud" where family members were duty-bound to avenge the death of a kinsman without formal legal process. God's institution of the cities of refuge provided a divinely appointed system that distinguished between willful murder and accidental killing, ensuring due process, tempering vengeance with justice, and upholding the sanctity of human life within a structured legal framework, countering arbitrary retribution common in surrounding nations.

Joshua 20 5 Word analysis

• And if the avenger of blood pursue him:

  • Avenger of blood (גֹאֵל הַדָּם - go'el haddam): The nearest male relative of a slain person who was obligated by custom and law to seek vengeance upon the killer. This was a deep-rooted cultural norm in the ancient Near East. The system of refuge cities limited the unrestrained exercise of this right.
  • Pursue: Implies an active pursuit driven by grief and a sense of duty, underscoring the urgency for the slayer to reach a refuge city.

• Then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand:

  • They: Refers to the elders or judicial assembly within the city of refuge, who were responsible for adjudicating the case and protecting the individual seeking refuge.
  • Not deliver: A direct divine command, safeguarding the individual from immediate, extra-judicial execution by the avenger, ensuring a legal process takes precedence over raw vengeance.
  • Slayer (הַמַּכֶּה - hamakkeh): The one who smites or strikes, resulting in death. The term here does not carry the connotation of malicious murder (for which other Hebrew terms exist, like rotseah), emphasizing the unintentional nature.
  • His hand: The hand of the avenger of blood, symbolizing his authority to carry out retribution.

• Because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not aforetime:

  • Smote: The action of striking or hitting.
  • Neighbour (רֵעֵהוּ - re'ehu): Anyone of the Israelite community, indicating that the incident was between fellow covenant people.
  • Unwittingly (בִּבְלִי דַּעַת - bivli da'at): Literally "without knowledge" or "ignorantly." This is the core condition for sanctuary. It emphasizes the absence of intent, forethought, or negligence. This contrasts sharply with malicious intent.
  • Hated him not aforetime (וְהוּא לֹא־שׂוֹנֵא ל֣וֹ מֵאֶתְמ֑וֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם - vehū lōʾ-śōnēʾ lōʾ mēʾetmōl shilshōm): This phrase is crucial. "Hated him not aforetime" (lit. "not hating him from yesterday, the day before yesterday") firmly establishes the lack of premeditation or existing animosity. It's the litmus test for distinguishing accident from murder. A prior existing hatred would transform even an seemingly accidental act into one viewed as malicious. This goes beyond the physical act to judge the heart and motive.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And if the avenger of blood pursue him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand;": This phrase highlights the divine institution of order over chaotic vengeance. It demonstrates God's legal structure designed to protect individuals from unmitigated tribal retribution, establishing due process even in severe cases of accidental death. It asserts the judicial authority of the designated cities over personal vengeance.
• "because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not aforetime.": This part provides the foundational reason for the protection. It precisely defines the criteria: death must be accidental ("unwittingly") and demonstrably lacking any underlying malice or prior animosity ("hated him not aforetime"). This emphasizes God's focus not just on the action but on the intention and condition of the heart, setting a high standard for justice and discerning culpability.

Joshua 20 5 Bonus section

The institution of the cities of refuge, as detailed in this verse, points to deeper theological truths. It foreshadows God as the ultimate refuge (Ps 46:1), the safe harbor for those who, like the unintentional slayer, flee for their lives. Just as the slayer had to physically run to the city, believers are called to flee to Christ for salvation and protection from spiritual death. The distinction between premeditated murder and unintentional killing, based on the presence or absence of hatred, reveals that God looks beyond external actions to the heart's true state, a theme consistently seen in both Old and New Testaments (e.g., Matt 5:21-22). The "death of the high priest" as the term of release (Josh 20:6) symbolically points to the atoning work of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, whose death truly sets free those who "flee for refuge" to Him (Heb 6:18), for their transgressions, both intentional and unintentional, are covered by His blood. This verse also implicitly stands against a common practice of blood feuds that led to endless retaliatory cycles, showcasing God's desire for an orderly and just society governed by His principles, not by raw human passion.

Joshua 20 5 Commentary

Joshua 20:5 is a critical verse that encapsulates the just and merciful aspect of God's law regarding accidental death. It highlights a core principle in the divine legal system: intent matters significantly when assigning guilt. Unlike many ancient legal codes that often mandated strict "eye for an eye" retribution regardless of intent, God's law through the cities of refuge provided a unique framework. It did not ignore the loss of life, but it differentiated between premeditated murder (for which there was no refuge, Num 35:31) and truly accidental killing. The phrase "hated him not aforetime" (or "neither hated him in time past" KJV) serves as the indispensable evidence of the absence of malicious intent, reinforcing that the incident was a genuine accident, not a culmination of simmering animosity. This system tempered the deeply ingrained social obligation of the go'el haddam, or blood avenger, placing a divinely ordained legal process above the right of private vengeance, thereby preventing an escalating cycle of violence and ensuring a measure of restorative justice rather than unchecked retribution within the Israelite community.