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The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho:
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“Command the Israelites that from the inheritance of their possession they give cities to the Levites to dwell in; and you shall also give the Levites pasture lands around those cities.
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The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasture lands for their livestock and for all their other animals.
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The pasture lands of the cities that you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward one thousand cubits all around.
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Outside the city you shall measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand cubits on the south side, two thousand cubits on the west side, and two thousand cubits on the north side, with the city in the middle; these shall be their pasture lands for the cities.
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As for the cities that you shall give to the Levites, there shall be six cities of refuge, which you shall give, so that the manslayer may flee there; and besides these you shall give forty-two cities.
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All the cities that you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.
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Concerning the cities that you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribe you shall take more, and from the smaller tribe you shall take less. Each tribe shall give some of its cities to the Levites according to the inheritance allotted to it.”
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The LORD spoke to Moses:
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“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
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then you shall choose some cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that the manslayer who has killed a person unintentionally may flee there.
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These cities shall be a refuge for you from the avenger, so that the manslayer may not die before he stands before the congregation for judgment.
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The cities that you appoint shall be six cities of refuge for you.
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You shall appoint three cities beyond the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.
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These six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites, for the foreigner, and for the sojourner among you, so that anyone who has killed a person unintentionally may flee there.
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But if he struck him with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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And if he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which one may die, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which one may die, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.
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The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
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Likewise, if he thrusts him in hatred, or throws something at him deliberately, so that he dies,
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or if in enmity he strikes him with his hand, so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
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But if he suddenly thrusts him, without enmity, or throws any object at him unintentionally,
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or without seeing him drops upon him a stone that may cause death, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,
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then the congregation shall judge between the one who struck him and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances,
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and the congregation shall deliver the murderer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of refuge, to the place where he had fled; and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
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But if the murderer at any time goes outside the boundary of the city of refuge where he fled,
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and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundary of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the murderer, he shall not be guilty of blood,
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because the murderer must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the murderer may return to his own land.
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These things shall be for you a statute of judgment throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
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Whoever kills any person shall be put to death as a murderer on the testimony of witnesses; but the testimony of one witness alone is not enough to convict a person in a case of death.
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You shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
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Also you shall not accept a ransom for one who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in his land before the death of the high priest.
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So you shall not defile the land in which you live, for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land because of the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
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You shall not defile the land in which you dwell, in the midst of which I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.”
🏙️⚖️🙏 Summary of Numbers 35 – Cities for the Levites and Cities of Refuge
Numbers 35 sets out two important matters:
- The giving of cities to the tribe of Levi, which had no share in the inheritance of the land like the other tribes.
- The appointment of six cities of refuge, places where one who killed unintentionally could seek shelter from the avenger of blood.
This chapter shows how God established a system of justice and spiritual service among the people of His covenant.
📌 1. Cities for the Levites (verses 1–8)
- The LORD commanded that from the land belonging to all the tribes, 48 cities be given to the Levites, including 6 cities of refuge.
- Each city was provided with pasture land around it.
- The tribes with larger territories gave more cities, and the smaller ones gave fewer.
🎯 The Levites were called to spiritual service, not to farming. Therefore, their needs were supported by the community — a principle of ministry and support.
📌 2. Cities of Refuge (verses 9–34)
🛑 Purpose:
- A place where one who killed without intent could flee and live in safety, while awaiting judgment.
🏛️ Main Rules:
- 6 cities of refuge were appointed: 3 on the east side of the Jordan, 3 on the west.
- A killer who killed unintentionally could remain there until the high priest died.
🎯 This reflects the balance between justice and mercy, as well as the value of human life in God’s sight.
📖 Main Teaching
- Spiritual service must be supported by the community in a fair and orderly way.
- God’s justice is not blind — there is a clear distinction between intent and accident.
- God provides a place of refuge for those who are guilty without intent, showing His mercy.
- The city of refuge portrays a legal system that protects people from rash vengeance.
- The penalty for deliberate killing cannot be negotiated — human life is holy.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
- The city of refuge is a picture of Jesus Christ.
“We who have sought refuge will receive comfort to hold fast to hope…” (Hebrews 6:18)
- Christ is the perfect place of refuge — for those who are guilty, yet come with repentant hearts.
- The high priest’s death = symbol of atonement
When the high priest died, the accidental killer was set free — pointing to Christ’s death that removes sin and punishment for us.
