Deuteronomy 19:1

_WHEN THE LORD THY GOD HATH CUT OFF THE NATIONS, WHOSE LAND THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE, AND THOU SUCCEEDEST THEM, AND DWELLEST IN THEIR CITIES, AND IN THEIR HOUSES;_ No JFB commentary on this verse....

1._When the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations_. Moses repeats the same precepts which we have just been considering, that, in regard to murders, the people should distinguish between inadvertency and crime. With this view, he assigns six cities, wherein those who have proved their innocence before the judges should rest in peace and concealment. In one word, however, he defines who is to be exempt from punishment, viz., he who has killed his neighbor _ignorantly_, as we have previously seen; and this is just, because the will is the sole source and cause of criminality, and therefore, where there is no malicious feeling, there is no crime. But, lest under the pretext of inadvertency those who are actually guilty should escape, a mark of distinction is added, i.e., that no hatred should have preceded; and of this an instance is given, if two friends should have gone out together into...

1-13 Here is the law settled between the blood of the murdered, and the blood of the murderer; provision is made, that the cities of refuge should be a protection, so that a man should not die for that as a crime, which was not his willing act. In Christ, the Lord our Righteousness, refuge is provided for those who by faith flee unto him. But there is no refuge in Jesus Christ for presumptuous sinners, who go on still in their trespasses. Those who flee to Christ from their sins, shall be safe in him, but not those who expect to be sheltered by him in their sins....

CHAPTER XIX _Three cities of refuge to be appointed in the midst of the_ _promised land; the land being divided into three parts, a city_ _is to be placed in each, a proper way to which is to be_ _prepared_, 1-3. _In what cases of manslaughter the benefit of those cities may be_ _claimed_, 4-6. _Three cities more to be added should the Lord enlarge their_ _coasts, and the reasons why_, 7-10. _The intentional murderer shall have no benefit from these_ _cities_, 11-13. The landmark is n

This and the next two chapters contain enactments designed to protect human life, and to impress its sanctity on Israel. In Deuteronomy 19:1 the directions respecting the preparation of the roads to the cities of refuge, the provision of additional cities in case of an extension of territory, and the intervention of the elders as representing the congregation, are unique to Deuteronomy and supplementary to the laws on the same subject given in the earlier books (compare the marginal reference). Deuteronomy 19:1, Deuteronomy 19:2 The three cities of refuge for the district east of Jordan had be

EXPOSITION LAWS CONCERNING CITIES OF REFUGE. LANDMARKS NOT TO BE REMOVED. LAWS CONCERNING WITNESSES. DEUTERONOMY 19:1 Moses had before this enunciated the law concerning cities of refuge for manslayers, and had already pointed out the cities on the east of the Jordan that were to be set apart for this (Numbers 35:11, etc.; Deuteronomy 4:41, etc.), he here repeats the law with special reference to the appointment of such cities "in the midst of the

WHEN THE LORD THY GOD HATH CUT OFF THE NATIONS WHOSE LAND THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE,.... The seven nations of the land of Canaan, whose destruction was of the Lord for their sins, and whose land was a gift of him that had a right to dispose of it to the children of Israel; see Deuteronomy 12:29 AND THOU SUCCEEDEST THEM, AND DWELLEST IN THEIR CITIES, AND IN THEIR HOUSES; should possess their land in their stead, by virtue of the gift of it to them by the Lord, and inhabit their cities and houses built by them....

The cities of refuge (lit. of reception, Numbers 35:12 P) were in criminal law the substitute for the local, now disestablished, sanctuaries, each sanctuary in ancient times affording temporary protection for criminals whose guilt was not obvious (Numbers 35*, Joshua 20*). British churches have served the same purpose, (_cf._ the Sanctuary Knocker of Durham Cathedral and Frithstool of Beverley Minster and of Hexham Abbey). Blood revenge was the police of the primitive Aryan and Semitic peoples, and it needed such restraint as the law of asylum supplied. For the earlier law, see Exodus 21:12 * (JE), and for the later, Numbers 35 and Joshua 20:1 (both P). The need for this law arose through the operation of the principle of o

WHEN. Compare Numbers 35:10; Numbers 35:11. succeedeth. dispossessest....

contain several formulas. On _shall cut off_, etc., see Deuteronomy 12:29; on _whose land the Lord thy God_ IS TO GIVE _thee_and _giveth thee to possess it_, see Deuteronomy 18:9; on _succeed_(dispossess), see Deuteronomy 12:29; on _causeth thee to inherit_, see Deuteronomy 1:38....