Numbers 35:9-34

NUMBERS—NOTE ON Numbers 35:9 Canaan is the holy land because God dwells there. He is the holy one, and sin and death are in absolute opposition to him (see note on 5:1–6:27). If the land is made unclean by violent death, atonement must be made. Otherwise the Lord will not protect the land, and Israel will be exiled. The cities of refuge and the laws associated with them show how cases of homicide are to be handled. The Israelite legal system involved the injured person seeking justice in court. A manslayer is someone who kills any person without intent. The manslayer is protected from the victim’s angry relatives (the avenger of blood). He may flee to one of the cities of refuge. There, the judges will decide whether the killer deserves to be executed for his crime. The guidelines for these decisions are stated in Numbers 35:16.