Numbers 35 17

Numbers 35:17 kjv

And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 nkjv

And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 niv

Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 esv

And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 nlt

Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death.

Numbers 35 verses

Numbers 35 17 Meaning

Numbers 35:17 sets forth a specific criterion for distinguishing intentional murder, requiring capital punishment. It declares that if a person strikes another with a hand-held stone, and this stone is of a type or used in a manner that could fatally wound, and death ensues, the perpetrator is definitively deemed a murderer and must face immediate execution. This establishes a clear legal standard based on the instrument, its potential lethality, and the resulting death, equating the act with malicious intent and culpable recklessness.

Numbers 35 17 Context

Numbers chapter 35 details the allocation of specific cities to the Levitical tribe (Num 35:1-8) and, most importantly, the establishment of Cities of Refuge for Israel (Num 35:9-34). These cities served as safe havens for individuals who had unintentionally caused another's death, providing asylum from the "avenger of blood" until their case could be fairly adjudicated by the community. The overall purpose of these laws was to establish a rigorous, divinely ordained legal framework to differentiate between premeditated murder and accidental killing, ensuring that justice was rightly applied and that only those truly culpable of murder faced execution. Verses 16-21, which include verse 17, define various instruments and actions—such as striking with an iron object, a stone capable of killing, or a wooden weapon capable of killing—that unequivocally classify an act as murder, thereby demanding capital punishment. The entire chapter underscores the sanctity of human life as made in God's image and the imperative to cleanse the land of Israel from the defilement of innocent bloodshed, thereby maintaining its purity before God.

Numbers 35 17 Word analysis

• And if: (W'im, וְאִם) - A conditional particle, introducing a specific scenario to be adjudicated within the divine legal code for homicide.

• he strike him: (hikah', הִכָּה) - From the verb nakah (נָכָה), meaning to strike, smite, or hit forcefully. It indicates a deliberate physical assault or impact.

• with a stone: (bĕ'even, בְּאֶבֶן) - 'eben (אֶבֶן) signifies a "stone." This identifies the specific, common object used as the lethal instrument in the striking action.

• in the hand: (bĕyad, בְּיָד) - yad (יָד) means "hand." This specifies that the stone was actively held and wielded by the perpetrator, implying direct control and application of force, differentiating it from an accidental impact or falling object.

• wherewith he may die: ('asher yamut bah, אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בָּהּ) - Literally, "that by it one dies." This is a crucial phrase denoting the inherent lethal potential of the instrument and the manner of its use. It establishes that the stone, as used, was objectively capable of causing death, highlighting the dangerous and culpable nature of the act.

• and he die: (wĕmet, וָמֵת) - From mut (מֻת), "to die." This simply states the tragic and definitive outcome: the victim's death, which is a necessary condition for the charge of murder under this specific statute.

• he is a murderer: (hu rotseakh, הוּא רֹצֵחַ) - rotseakh (רוֹצֵחַ) from ratsach (רָצַח), signifies a person who commits unjustified, intentional, or highly culpable killing—a "murderer." This term distinctly sets apart an intentional killer from one who kills by accident (shogeg).

• the murderer: (ha-rotseakh, הָרֹצֵחַ) - The definite article ha- emphasizes and reiterates the already established legal status of the perpetrator, removing all ambiguity.

• shall surely be put to death: (mot yumat, מוֹת יוּמָת) - This powerful Hebrew idiom (infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect verb) literally translates as "dying he shall die" or "he shall certainly die." It conveys the absolute certainty and uncompromising nature of the divine judgment and the required capital punishment for intentional murder.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • And if he strike him with a stone in the hand: This phrase meticulously outlines the physical action, the specific weapon used, and the direct, controlled manner of its application. "Striking" implies a deliberate physical assault, and "a stone in the hand" defines a common, yet purposefully wielded, lethal instrument, indicating an intent to cause significant harm if not death. The presence of the "hand" further underscores the active and responsible agency of the perpetrator.
  • wherewith he may die, and he die: This clause focuses on the deadly capability of the chosen instrument and the consequential death. "Wherewith he may die" establishes the objective lethality of the weapon or the manner in which it was used. It implies the inherent danger of the act, regardless of specific malice. "And he die" confirms that the potential lethality of the weapon was indeed actualized, resulting in the fatality, which triggers the capital charge.
  • he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death: This segment emphatically declares the legal verdict and the mandated sentence. "He is a murderer" (rotseakh) directly assigns the legal status of an intentional killer, rigorously differentiating him from someone who caused an accidental death. The immediate repetition of "the murderer" powerfully reinforces this verdict. "Shall surely be put to death" (mot yumat) uses a formidable idiom that mandates execution without reprieve, underscoring the absolute and divine certainty of the judgment and the necessity to cleanse the land of the pollution caused by the shedding of innocent blood.

Numbers 35 17 Bonus section

The detailed distinctions made in Numbers 35 between different forms of homicide (e.g., intentional murder by various means vs. unintentional killing eligible for Cities of Refuge) reveal God's profound commitment to justice, tempered with a meticulous concern for legal fairness. This level of legislative detail surpassed many contemporary legal systems in the ancient Near East, which often allowed blood feuds without such legal scrutiny or distinctions based on culpability. These laws safeguarded the integrity of Israel's legal system by requiring concrete evidence and testimony (Num 35:30) rather than allowing immediate, indiscriminate vengeance. The focus on mot yumat ("shall surely be put to death") signifies a divine mandate that cannot be circumvented, preventing blood price payments (like a ransom for a murderer, Num 35:31-32) and ensuring that the ultimate price for murder is exacted to prevent the defilement of the land.

Numbers 35 17 Commentary

Numbers 35:17 stands as a foundational statute in Israel's legal code concerning homicide. It explicitly categorizes an act as intentional murder not necessarily solely by "malice aforethought" but by the very nature of the weapon used (a hand-held stone), its lethal potential, and the resulting death. This reflects the seriousness with which God views the sanctity of human life, made in His image. The law here focuses on actions that, by their very method, demonstrate extreme recklessness or an intent to cause fatal injury, such that if death occurs, it is deemed culpable murder. The unwavering command, "the murderer shall surely be put to death," underscores the absolute demand for justice for the crime of taking an innocent life. This punitive measure was designed not only to avenge the deceased but also to cleanse the land from defilement (Num 35:33-34), thereby maintaining the purity and holiness of the covenant community and deterring further bloodshed.