1 The cities of refuge. 4 The privilege thereof for the manslayer. 14 The landmark is not to be removed. 15 Two witnesses at the least. 16 The punishment of a false witness.
Deu 19:1 When the LORD your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses,
Deu 19:2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
Settled. The matters to be discussed would apply particularly to the situation in Palestine itself, once Israel had settled within the land of God’s choice.
What follows applies to a settled order of social life (see ch. 6:10).
Three cities. God had previously so commanded Moses (Num. 35:14, 15). The three on the west side of Jordan were appointed by Joshua after the conquest (Joshua 20). The three on the east of Jordan had already been designated by Moses, namely, Bezer, Ramoth Gilead, and Golan (Deut. 4:41–43).
The cities of refuge point fearful hearts to security in Jesus Christ.
Deu 19:3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
Access to the cities of refuge was to be made easy. The road was to be clearly marked and kept in good repair (PP 515), for men’s lives were at stake.
Thus, it should be with the “way” to our refuge in Jesus Christ—so plain that none need err therein (see Isa. 35:8).
Each city of refuge would then serve as the convenient center for the district in which it was situated, and no place would be unduly remote from a city of refuge.
Equal arrangements were to be made for all parts of the country.
The devout Christian will certainly think of the sinner’s privilege of fleeing to Christ. As the gates of the cities of refuge were never to be closed to one who sought entrance, so Christ never refuses one who comes to Him contrite and repentant (Ps. 51:17; Isa. 57:15).
Deu 19:4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice knowingly.
The man responsible had acted unintentionally (see Num. 35:23). To require the life of such an unintentional slayer would be to shed innocent blood.
Deu 19:5 For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.
This is a vivid symbolic word picture of the security the sinner may find in Christ Jesus. The bloodstained person is cleansed in Jesus (1 John 1:7). There is “no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1); for, “being justified by faith,” they have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
Deu 19:6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.
The same concern over the length and inconvenience of the road had been shown by God in relation to duties at the central altar (chs. 12:21; 14:24).
Deu 19:7 This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
It was to prevent an unfortunate situation like that mentioned in the previous verses that the three cities were established in different parts of the country.
Deu 19:8 If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your ancestors, and gives you the whole land he promised them,
Enlarges. The fulfillment of the promises of enlargement was dependent on obedience (ch. 11:22–24). Compare the promise made to Abraham (Gen. 15:18).
Deu 19:9 because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities.
That would be nine in all, as three on each side of the Jordan had already been stipulated (v. 2; ch. 4:41–43). There is, however, no record of the additional three ever having been designated in the after history of the nation.
Deu 19:10 Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
The innocent blood upon them would be that of the manslayer who had killed a man accidentally, and then could not find a place of refuge before he himself was slain.
Deu 19:11 But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,
Hate kills a neighbour. For details see Num. 35:16–24. Hatred in the heart of man causes him to “lie in wait,” then “rise up” at the opportune moment, and “smite … mortally” his neighbor whom he detests (see Ex. 21:14).
Deu 19:12 the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.
The elders. Those properly appointed and authorized were to act in this important matter. Compare ch. 21:2, 4, 6, 19, for examples of elders legally appointed.
Handed over. If found guilty of premeditated murder he was to be handed over to the avenger of blood; otherwise, he was to receive protection (Num. 35:12, 24, 25).
Deu 19:13 Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
Deu 19:14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
Do not move. Literally, “move back,” that is, to enlarge one’s own piece of property, and leave one’s neighbor correspondingly less.
Not referring to generations of past time reaching into antiquity, but to those who originally divided the land and marked out the boundaries.
Deu 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
One witness. A man could not be condemned on the testimony of one witness, in either a civil or a criminal charge (cf. Deut. 17:6; Num. 35:30).
Deu 19:16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime,
A false witness was to be punished (v. 19).
Deu 19:17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
Presence of the Lord. A difficult case could be brought to a higher court at the door of the sanctuary of the Lord, where the parties would be in the presence of God (ch. 17:8–12).
Deu 19:18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,
Perjury is a most heinous crime, yet many do not hesitate to lie even under oath. One who thus publicly violates truth sins against himself, his enemy, and God.
Deu 19:19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.
Intended to do. A false witness would have to suffer the penalty he thought to inflict upon the accused (see Deut. 19:21; cf. Ex. 23:1; Ps. 35:11). This is the law of just retribution.
Deu 19:20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.
Never again. This law was bound to restrain selfishness and tended to bring in a higher sense of public duty and morality (see chs. 13:11; 17:13).
Deu 19:21 Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
No pity. This advice is spoken to the judges, lest they be tempted to be more lenient than strict justice required.
Life for life. For further details, see Ex. 21:23–25; Lev. 24:19, 20.
A conspiracy to give false testimony and thereby bring an innocent man into jeopardy is unforgivable, for it represents potential murder in the heart of the false witness (see Matt. 5:22).
The pit that he dug for his innocent neighbor was to be his own grave.