Deuteronomy 19

Of appointing the cities of refugee in the land of Canaan and for whom they were to be refugee verse 1 &c. of appointing three other cities of refuge in after times 8 of the punishment of the willful murderers 11 a prohibition against removing the neighbor landmark 14 of the number of witnesses to be produced before the judgment of the seat and the promise of the false witness 15.

1. When the Lord thy God shall have destroyed the nations whose land the Lord thy God shall give thee and thou shalt hereditarily possess them [to wit those nations that is their land see above chapter 9.1 &c.] and dwell in their cities and in their houses.

2. Then thou shalt separate three cities from thee [compare above chapter 4.41 and Numbers 35:14] in the middest of thy land which the Lord thy God shall give thee to possess it hereditarily.

3. Thou shalt prepare thee way [towards the cities] and divide the border of thy land [that is divide thy land which the Lord thy god shall cause thee to inherit into three part that every slayer may flie thither [that is every third part of the land a city might be appointed in a fit and convenient place unto which the slayer in that quarter or division might fliwith the greatest speed that might be see below verse 6.]

4. And let this be the case of the slayer [that is this shall be the right or manner of this thing thus shall deal therewith so above chapter 15.2] which shall flee thither that he may live whoso shall have ignorantly smitten his neighbor not withstanding he hated not from yesterday [that is before in time past as above chapter 4.42 and below verse 6.]

5. As he that is gone into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood and his hand is driven on [or having swung it self freeth itself] with the axe to cut down wood and the iron slippeth off [others then he casteth] from the helve [Heb. Out of or from the wood] and hitteth [Heb. Findeth his neighbor that he dieth he shall flee into one of those cities and live.

6. Lest the avenger of the blood [one of the kinsmen of the dead [pursue the slayer when his heart is heated and overtake him because would too far off and smite him mortally [Heb. Smite him on the soul that is so that his soul departed from him or so that he teeth away his life see Genesis 37:21 so below verse 11 Jeremiah 40:14,15] whereas no sentence of death as below chapter21,22 Jeremiah 26:11,16 Luke 24:20] for he hated him not from yesterday and there yesterday [as above verse 4.]

7. Therefore I command thee saying thou shalt separate three cities from thee.

8. And if the Lord thy god shall enlarge the border according as he hath sworn unto thy fathers and shall give thee all that land which he hath spoken to give unto thy fathers.

9. When thou shalt observe this same command to do it which I command thee this day loving the Lord thy god and walking all days or at all times in the ways then shalt thou add for thee three cities more unto these three.

10. That the blood of the innocent be not shed into the midst of thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance and so blood guiltness [Heb. Blood] should be upon thee.

11. but when there shall be any man that hateth his neighbor and lieth in wait for him and riseth up against him and smitten him mortally [Heb. On the soul as above verse 6 and below verse 21] that he die and flieth to one of those cities.

12. Then the eldest of his city [that is the eldest of the place where the slayer dwelleth or unto which he belongeth] shall send and take him thence shall deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die.

13. Thou eye shall not spare him but thou shalt put away of the innocent in Israel that it may go well with thee.

14. Thou shalt not remove neighbors landmark which the ancestors [Heb. The first] have bordered in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it hereditarily.

15. one single witness shall not rise up against any man for any iniquity or for any sin of all sin [that is all manner of sin] that he might commit at the mouth of the witness or mouth of three witnesses shall the matter [or the word] be established [compare Numbers 35:30 above chapter 17.6 Matthew 18:16 John 8:17 2 Corinthians 13:1 Hebrews 10:28.]

16. When a rash witnesses shall rise up against any man [Heb. A witness of rashness or willfulness or by any other putting on seeketh to ruine and destroy his neighbor to offer wrong and violence unto him] to witness a backsliding unto him.

17. Then those two men that have controversy shall stand before the faceoff the Lord before the face of the priest and of the judges [others of the priests of the judges see above chapter 117.9,12] which shall be in those days.

18. And the judges shall make the diligent inquiry and behold the witness is a false witness [Heb. A witness of falsehood or of lying] he hath witnessed falsehood against his brother.

19. Then shall you do unto him according as he had thought to do unto his brother so shalt thou put the evil out of the midst of thee [see above chapter 13 on verse 5.]

20. That the rest [that is others all the people see above chapter 13.11 and 17.13] may hear it and fear and not proceed to do any more according to this wicked crime [Heb. Word thing matter] in the midst of thee.

21. And thine eye shall not spare soul shall go for soul [that is life for life] eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot see Leviticus 24 on verse 20.]