36 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer,.... Not only shall have power to do it, but, as it seems, should be obliged to do it; be the executioner of the murderer; but not before his case has been heard, examined, tried, and judged; wherefore the Targum of Jonathan adds, "in judgment,'' that is, as Onkelos explains it, "when he is...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if he thrust him of hatred,.... Or, "and if" (r), since the Scripture is still speaking of such that shall die for murder, though in another instance, without having the privilege of a city of refuge; if he thrusts him with a sword or knife, or rather, since, if anything of that kind is included in the first instance of smiting with an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die,.... Give him a blow with his fist, on some part of his body where life is most in danger, and which issues in death: he that smote him shall surely be put to death, for he is a murderer; and therefore, according to the original law, ought to die, without reprieve or pardon; and notwithstanding...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if he thrust him suddenly, without enmity,.... Push him from a precipice, before he is aware, without any malicious design against his life, but merely through accident: or have cast upon him anything; from the top of a house, or from a building he is pulling down, or pushes a bowing wall upon him, not knowing that he is passing by it: and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Or with any stone wherewith a man may die,.... Which is sufficient to kill a man, if thrown at him: seeing him not; and so without intention: the Jews (s) from hence gather, that a blind man is to be acquitted and dismissed, and not banished and so stands in no need of a city of refuge; though others say he is to be banished, and needs it, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the congregation,.... That is, the court of judicature, assembled together to hear and try this cause: shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood; shall hear what both have to say, and pass sentence: according to these judgments; these judicial laws and rules of judgment before delivered, exemplified in various cases.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood,.... Put him under the care of proper persons, to conduct him to one of the cities of refuge, or put him in the way to it; and restrain the avenger of blood from pursuing him, until such time that it may be judged he is safe arrived there: and the congregation...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge,.... Which seems to be the three thousand cubits assigned to every city of the Levites, and so to the cities of refuge; and which, according to the Jewish writers, were a refuge, as the city itself; and it is said (x), "he, that kills a man there, is killed for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge,.... Without the suburbs, fields, and vineyards belonging to it: and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; being exasperated against him, and to avenge the blood of his relation on him: he shall not be guilty of blood; or be reckoned murderer, or die for it.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest,.... Nothing could give him his liberty but his death; so that though this was a merciful provision made in such cases for such persons, and was a considerable benefit and privilege, yet it carried in it some appearance of a punishment; since such a person...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you,.... A judicial law, according to which they were to proceed in all the above cases: throughout your generations in all your dwellings; throughout all ages, as long as they dwelt in the land of Canaan, even unto the times of the Messiah, in whom the things figured hereby had their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Whoso killeth any person,.... Willingly, and through enmity and malice: the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of two witnesses; which is repeated partly to show, that this law concerning the cities of refuge was not designed to screen a murderer, who was guilty through malice prepense; and partly for the sake of what is added to it, that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer,.... Though he would give all his wealth and substance, all his estates and possessions, and whatever he is worth in the world; for all that a man has he will give for his life; but these are not to be taken, nor anything, and everything his friends may offer for him; all is to be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge,.... Though for killing a man unawares: that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest; the high priest; such a man's liberty was not to be purchased with money, nor even his life to be bought off, should he be taken without his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are,.... The land of Canaan, as it had been by the old inhabitants of it, by idolatry, adultery, and murder: for blood it defileth the land: the shedding of innocent blood defiles a nation, and the inhabitants of it, brings guilt thereon, and subjects to punishment: and the land cannot be cleansed of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inherit,.... By the commission of such atrocious crimes, or suffering them to go unpunished, or by taking a compensation for the life of the guilty person: wherein I dwell; which is added to strengthen the exhortation, and as giving a reason why care should be taken not to pollute it, because the Holy...