The cities of refuge are appointed on both sides of the Jordan, that the manslayer who kills any person through error unawares may flee from the avenger of blood and stand before the congregation for judgment.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·Joshua" (אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 217x in Joshua); "saying" (root אמר, 140x in Joshua); "to·Joshua" (root איל, 135x in Joshua). Full calculation: וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר [and·spoke] (222) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ [to·Joshua] (422) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 941.
’Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by the hand of Moses;
verse value 4101
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "speak" (דַּבֵּ֛ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "which·I·spoke" (אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "give" (תְּנ֤וּ), "the·cities·of" (אֶת־עָרֵ֣י), "refuge" (הַמִּקְלָ֔ט). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which·I·spoke" (root אשר, 271x in Joshua); "saying" (root אמר, 140x in Joshua); "to·sons·of" (root איל, 135x in Joshua). First appearance of the root מקלט ("refuge") in Joshua. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: דַּבֵּ֛ר [speak] (206) + אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י [to·sons·of] (93) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [Israel] (541) + לֵאמֹ֑ר [saying] (271) + תְּנ֤וּ [give] (456) + לָכֶם֙ [to·you] (90) + אֶת־עָרֵ֣י [the·cities·of] (681) + הַמִּקְלָ֔ט [refuge] (184) + אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי [which·I·spoke] (1117) + אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם [to·you] (101) + בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה [in·hand·of·Moses] (361) = 4101.
Radak
"Give yourselves the cities [of refuge]." Since it stated, "When they had finished dividing the land," it commanded them concerning the cities of refuge — [teaching us] that they were not commanded to establish them, even through Moses, except after inheritance and settlement, as it is stated, "When the Lord your God cuts off…"
Ralbag
And after it is mentioned that the cities of refuge were given beyond the Jordan, as the commandment came in this in the Torah. And we did not need to explain in this place anything of this commandment, for we already explained this in our commentary on the words of the Torah. And they also gave to the Levites cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their cattle, as is mentioned in the Torah. And this also was by the word of God. And in this was completed for the Levites what is said, 'I will divide them in Jacob' -- for they were scattered among all the tribes.
Metzudat David
To you. For your benefit:
Metzudat Zion
הַמִּקְלָט (ha-miklat, cities of refuge). Named because it receives those who have killed someone, for it is not the custom of other cities to allow murderers to dwell in them.
Malbim
It is explained in the Sifrei (Parashat Masei) that they were not obligated to set aside the Cities of Refuge until after the conquest and settlement, as it is written (Deuteronomy 19:1): “When the Lord your God will cut off the nations... and you shall inherit them...”; therefore, He did not command them until the division of the land was completed.
that the manslayer that kills any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
verse value 2570
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "name" (שָׁ֙מָּה֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "without·knowledge" (בִּבְלִי־דָ֑עַת, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "manslayer" (רוֹצֵ֔חַ), "slayer·of·a·person" (מַכֵּה־נֶ֥פֶשׁ), "to·refuge" (לְמִקְלָ֔ט). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·shall·be" (root היה, 150x in Joshua); "to·you" (root לכם, 43x in Joshua); "slayer·of·a·person" (root נכה, 38x in Joshua). First appearance of the root רצח ("manslayer") in Joshua. First appearance of the root גאל ("from·the·avenger") in Joshua. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'without·knowledge', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: לָנ֥וּס [to·flee] (146) + שָׁ֙מָּה֙ [name] (345) + רוֹצֵ֔חַ [manslayer] (304) + מַכֵּה־נֶ֥פֶשׁ [slayer·of·a·person] (495) + בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה [in·error] (313) + בִּבְלִי־דָ֑עַת [without·knowledge] (518) + וְהָי֤וּ [and·they·shall·be] (27) + לָכֶם֙ [to·you] (90) + לְמִקְלָ֔ט [to·refuge] (209) + מִגֹּאֵ֖ל [from·the·avenger] (74) + הַדָּֽם [blood] (49) = 2570.
Metzudat David
"To a place of refuge." To take in the murderer from the hand of the blood avenger, so that he will not kill him when his heart is hot.
Metzudat Zion
To flee. The matter of flight:
בִּבְלִי דַעַת (bivli da'at, without knowledge). Without intent.
"Go'el" (the redeemer/avenger). From the language of redemption, for when the vengeance of the murdered person is exacted, it is considered a redemption for him.
Malbim
"Unintentionally" and "without knowledge." In the Parashah of Mas'ei (Numbers 35:11), it is written "unintentionally," and in the Parashah of Shoftim (Deuteronomy 19:4), it is written "without knowledge." Our Sages of blessed memory (Makkot 7b) state: "Unintentionally" excludes one who acted deliberately; "without knowledge" excludes one who acted with intent. Therefore, the verse here mentions both. The laws of this Parashah I have explained in my commentary on the Torah, God willing.
And he shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
verse value 5941
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 5941 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "and·will·flee" (וְנָ֞ס, 3 letters) and the longest is "elders·of·the·city" (זִקְנֵֽי־הָעִ֥יר, 8 letters). 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "and·will·flee" (וְנָ֞ס), "to·one·of" (אֶל־אַחַ֣ת), "from·the·cities" (מֵהֶעָרִ֣ים). The root עיר appears 3 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·the·cities" (root עיר, 138x in Joshua); "to·one·of" (root איל, 135x in Joshua); "and·shall·give·to·him" (root נתן, 86x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·words', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 8 words.
Radak
"And they shall give him a place." Our Sages of blessed memory expounded that one should not rent a house for the entirety of his stay there, as it is stated: "And they shall give him a place."
Metzudat David
Regarding his words: How he had erred unintentionally in the killing.
"And they shall gather him" – even though they did not know that the truth was with him.
Metzudat Zion
וְאָסְפוּ (ve'asfu, and they shall take him in). A matter of admitting [him into the city], like (Judges 19:15), "received them in."
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.
verse value 4568
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 75 letters. Notable word values: "and·for" (וְכִ֨י) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·deliver·up" (וְלֹא־יַסְגִּ֥רוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 36: and·for, to·him. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "he·pursues" (יִרְדֹּ֜ף), "and·not·deliver·up" (וְלֹא־יַסְגִּ֥רוּ), "the·manslayer" (אֶת־הָרֹצֵ֖חַ). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he" (root הוא, 77x in Joshua); "and·for" (root כי, 70x in Joshua); "after·him" (root אחר, 43x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·hand', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 9 words.
Metzudat David
"Goel ha-dam" – the kinsman of the slain who desires to avenge his blood.
After him. To his city of refuge:
"And they shall not deliver him up." This means that the inhabitants of the city shall assist the murderer and shall not hand him over into the hands of the blood avenger.
"Because [he did so] unintentionally." If he killed [him] unintentionally:
"And he was not an enemy" – meaning that he was scheming in the matter.
Metzudat Zion
"Yisagru." The meaning of "masirah" (handing over) is like that of (Amos 1:6), "to hand over to Edom."
Shilshom. The third day from this day:
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled.’
verse value 5582
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 101 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָ֣ז, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·house" (וְאֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 318: and·he·shall·remain, he·will·return. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "to·the·judgment" (לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט), "until·the·death·of" (עַד־מוֹת֙), "abundance" (הָהֵ֑ם). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 271x in Joshua); "it·will·be" (root היה, 150x in Joshua); "in·the·city" (root עיר, 138x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'abundance', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 9 words.
Rashi
Until he stand and hear his cause, in the hearing of the congregation. If he is acquitted from exile he will be acquitted, and if he is liable to exile he will return to his city of refuge (Numbers 35:25): and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest.
Radak
Until they stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the High Priest. The murderer would flee to one of the cities, and the court would send after him and bring him, and he would stand for judgment. If he was liable for death, they would execute him; if he was liable for exile, they would return him there, as it is stated: "And he shall dwell there until the death of the High Priest." The verse is abbreviated, and the meaning of "until the death of the High Priest" our Sages of blessed memory explained: Rabbi Meir says: The murderer shortens a person's days, and the High Priest lengthens them. Is it not fitting that the one who shortens should precede the one who lengthens? Rebbi says: The murderer defiles the land and causes the Divine Presence to depart, and the High Priest purifies and causes the Divine Presence to dwell upon a person in the land. Is it not fitting that this one should be alongside that one?
Metzudat David
"To judgment." To judge him, whether he is liable for exile; and when he has been found liable, he shall return to the city of refuge and dwell there until the death of the High Priest.
Then. After the death of the High Priest:
And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba—the same is Hebron—in the hill-country of Judah.
verse value 5297
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "in·mountain·of" (בְּהַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Kiriath" (וְאֶת־קִרְיַ֥ת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 207: in·mountain·of, in·mountain·of, in·mountain·of. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "and·they·set·apart" (וַיַּקְדִּ֜שׁוּ), "and·Shechem" (וְאֶת־שְׁכֶ֖ם), "and·Kiriath" (וְאֶת־קִרְיַ֥ת). The root הר appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "she" (root הוא, 77x in Joshua); "in·mountain·of" (root הר, 39x in Joshua); "four" (root ארבע, 20x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Ephraim', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיַּקְדִּ֜שׁוּ [and·they·set·apart] (426) + אֶת־קֶ֤דֶשׁ [Kedesh] (805) + בַּגָּלִיל֙ [in·Galilee] (75) + בְּהַ֣ר [in·mountain·of] (207) + נַפְתָּלִ֔י [Naphtali] (570) + וְאֶת־שְׁכֶ֖ם [and·Shechem] (767) + בְּהַ֣ר [in·mountain·of] (207) + אֶפְרָ֑יִם [Ephraim] (331) + וְאֶת־קִרְיַ֥ת [and·Kiriath] (1117) + אַרְבַּ֛ע [four] (273) + הִ֥יא [she] (16) + חֶבְר֖וֹן [Hebron] (266) + בְּהַ֥ר [in·mountain·of] (207) + יְהוּדָֽה [Judah] (30) = 5297.
Metzudat Zion
"And they set apart." [Meaning] they designated/summoned [these cities], as (Joel 2:16), "Summon a solemn assembly" [קִדְשׁוּ קָהָל].
In the Galilee. In the land of the Galilee, and it is the name of a region in the Land of Israel:
Malbim
"And they sanctified." Regarding the question of how it is possible that the two and a half tribes were given three cities equally with the nine and a half tribes, Ramban, of blessed memory, answered that since the Levitical cities also served as cities of refuge, and the Levitical cities numbered forty-two, making a total of forty-eight together with the cities of refuge, each tribe is allotted four cities. This amounts to ten cities for the two and a half tribes, and indeed this is how they were given, as explained in section 21. And if you ask that nevertheless they should have been given more Levitical cities, because the Levitical cities provide refuge only with the residents' consent, he answered that the majority of the Levites' dwelling places were in the land, for it is more suitable for their residence there on account of the service of the House of God.
And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the table-land out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
verse value 6144
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 89 letters. The shortest word is "they·gave" (נָתְנ֞וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·Ramoth" (וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 94: from·tribe·of, from·tribe·of. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "and·from·beyond" (וּמֵעֵ֜בֶר), "Bezer" (אֶת־בֶּ֧צֶר), "and·Ramoth" (וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת). The root מטה appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·gave" (root נתן, 86x in Joshua); "and·from·beyond" (root עבר, 82x in Joshua); "to·the·Jordan" (root ירדן, 70x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Reuben', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 8 words.
Rashi
"And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they gave." In the days of Moses, as it is said (Deuteronomy 4:43): 'Bezer in the wilderness,' etc.
These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person through error might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
verse value 4454
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 88 letters. Notable word values: "these" (אֵ֣לֶּה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "these" (אֵ֣לֶּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "every·slayer·of·a·person" (כׇּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Joshua. Unique to this verse in Joshua (hapax): "cities·appointed" (הַמּוּעָדָ֜ה), "and·to·the·sojourner" (וְלַגֵּר֙), "that·sojourns" (הַגָּ֣ר). 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "son" (root בן, 156x in Joshua); "were" (root היה, 150x in Joshua); "cities·of" (root עיר, 138x in Joshua). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·error', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 8 words.
Rashi
The appointed. The preparation, appointed for it.
Radak
"The appointed cities [arei ha-mo'adah]." [So called] because all who killed a person unintentionally would gather there. And the word is of the same pattern as "mosadah" [foundation], from [the phrase] "the foundations of the side-chambers" [Ezekiel 41:8].
Metzudat David
"Until he stands." Until he stands for judgment to be tried, whether he is liable to death; and when he is found guilty, then it is in the power of the blood avenger to put him to death.
Metzudat Zion
הַמּוּעָדָה (ha-mu'adah, appointed). From the words assembly and gathering, for the murderers gather in them, like (Isaiah 14:13) on the mount of assembly.
Malbim
"Cities of refuge (הַמּוּעָדָה)." The word is of the same pattern (mishkal) as מוסדה ["founded"], [meaning] that they were designated as a place for anyone who killed a person unintentionally to gather [i.e., flee for refuge] there.
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim