I intend to consider another description of cities of refuge to fortify the conviction that Genesis 9:5, 6 was God’s description of his own attitude and behavior toward murderers post-flood. But first I want to consider the reason given in Deuteronomy for cities of refuge.
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Deuteronomy 19:10 (Tanakh) | Deuteronomy 19:10 (NET) | Deuteronomy 19:10 (NETS) |
Deuteronomy 19:10 (English Elpenor) |
| that innocent (נָקִ֔י) blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. | You must not shed innocent (nāqî, נקי) blood in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty. | and innocent (ἀναίτιον) blood shall not be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment, and there shall not be among you one guilty of blood. | So innocent (ἀναίτιον) blood shall not be spilt in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit, and there shall not be in thee one guilty of blood. |
The first occurrence of נָקִ֖י (nāqî) is instructive in this context. Abraham had put his servant under oath (Genesis 24:1-4) to find a wife for Isaac among his own people. Abraham’s servant explained his mission and the limits of the oath to Rebekah’s brother Laban (Genesis 24:28-33):
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Genesis 24:41 (Tanakh) Table | Genesis 24:41 (NET) | Genesis 24:41 (NETS) |
Genesis 24:41 (English Elpenor) |
| then shalt thou be clear (תִּנָּקֶה֙) from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear (נָקִ֖י) from my oath. | You will be free (nāqâ, תנקה) from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free (nāqî, נקי) from your oath.’ | Then you will be free (ἀθῷος) from my curse; indeed, when perchance you come to my tribe and they do not give her to you, then you will be free (ἀθῷος) from my adjuration.’ | Then shalt thou be clear (ἀθῷος) from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear (ἀθῷος) from my oath. |
Abraham didn’t want his servant to abduct a young woman from his relatives to fulfill that oath. The innocent (nāqî, נקי) blood above refers primarily to those who have killed someone but were not deserving of death:
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Deuteronomy 19:6 (Tanakh) Table | Deuteronomy 19:6 (NET) | Deuteronomy 19:6 (NETS) |
Deuteronomy 19:6 (English Elpenor) |
| lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not deserving (מִשְׁפַּט) of death (מָ֔וֶת), inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. | Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, and kill him, though this is not a capital case (Note 16: “no judgment [mišpāṭ, משפט] of death [māveṯ, מות]”) since he did not hate him at the time of the accident. | lest the avenger of blood pursue after the murderer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him—if the road was rather long—and he strike his soul, and he dies, and to this one there is not a death (θανάτου) sentence (κρίσις), since he did not hate him before yesterday and before the third day. | Lest the avenger of blood pursue after the slayer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him, if the way be too long, and slay him, though there is to this man no sentence (κρίσις) of death (θανάτου), because he hated him not in time past. |
Everything about the cities of refuge sounds like an attempt to rein in an ongoing killing spree. I don’t really doubt or dispute that. The Lord’s instruction to Joshua bears it out:
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Joshua 20:1-3 (Tanakh) | Joshua 20:1-3 (NET) | Joshua 20:1-3 (NETS) |
Joshua 20:1-3 (English Elpenor) |
| The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, | The Lord instructed Joshua: | And the Lord spoke to Iesous, saying, | And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, |
| Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: | “Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses. | “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Give the cities of places of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moyses, | Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses. |
| That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. | Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. | a place of refuge for the slayer who has smitten a soul involuntarily, and the cities shall be for you a place of refuge, and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. | [Even] a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment. |
There is some additional instruction in the Masoretic text that is not found in the BLB Septuagint. The Elpenor Septuagint has verses 4-6 in Greek at the end of the chapter with the note Εκ τοῦ κώδ. Α, which I have understood as “from codex A.”
The Codex Alexandrinus…is a fifth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible…containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament and the Greek New Testament.[1]
These verses were not translated into English in the Elpenor Septuagint, so I have placed the portion of verse 3 that was not in the Masoretic text in the table below.
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Joshua 20:4-6 (Tanakh) | Joshua 20:4-6 (NET) | Joshua 20:3b (NETS) |
Joshua 20:3b (English Elpenor) |
| And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. | The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there. | and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. | and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment. |
| And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. | When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation. | ||
| And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. | He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly, and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.” | ||
Here are the cities of refuge by name:
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Joshua 20:7, 8 (Tanakh) | Joshua 20:7, 8 (NET) | Joshua 20:7, 8 (NETS) |
Joshua 20:7, 8 (English Elpenor) |
| And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. | So they selected Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. | And he set apart Kades in Galilee in the mountain of Naphtali. And Sychem in the mountain of Ephraim and the city of Arbok (this is Chebron) in the mountain of Ioudas. | And Joshua separated Cades in Galilee in the mount Nephthali, and Sychem in the mount Ephraim, and the city of Arboc; this is Chebron, in the mountain of Juda. |
| And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain 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. | Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. | And beyond the Jordan he gave Bosor in the wilderness on the plain, out of the tribe of Rouben, and Aremoth in Galaad, out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Basantis, out of the tribe of Manasse. | And beyond Jordan he appointed Bosor in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Ruben, and Aremoth in Galaad out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in the country of Basan out of the tribe of Manasse. |
A final statement of purpose follows:
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Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Joshua 20:9 (Tanakh) | Joshua 20:9 (NET) | Joshua 20:9 (NETS) |
Joshua 20:9 (English Elpenor) |
| These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. | These were the cities of refuge appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly. | These were the cities designated for the sons of Israel and for the guest abiding among them, that anyone who smites a soul involuntarily may flee there so that he will not die by the hand of the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. | These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee thither, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment. |
The entry—AVENGER OF BLOOD—in the Jewish Encyclopedia online offers an evolutionary explanation of all this:
Among primitive peoples of low political development—such as the ancient Greeks, Germans, and Slavs, some North American tribes, the modern Sicilians, Corsicans, and Arabs—the clan or family had to assume the right to protect itself. One of the most important clan duties then was plainly for the nearest of kin to hunt down and carry out the death-penalty on a person that had slain a member of the sept or family. That this idea of family retribution—which even to-day is by no means extinct in some comparatively civilized communities—was also current among the ancient Hebrews may be seen from Gen. xxvii. 45, where the existence of the custom is clearly taken for granted….
Such a stern system, however, could not, of course, survive unmodified after the community had begun to advance from the purely savage state. Abuses of the privilege of blood-revenge must have soon become evident to the tribal chiefs, as one finds in Ex. xxi. 12 (compare Gen. ix. 6) that the commonly accepted formula that a life must be given for a life is modified by a careful legal distinction between wilful murder and accidental manslaughter….
The later codes develop at some length the very just distinction between wilful murder and accidental homicide (see Murder). Six Cities of Refuge were appointed for the purpose of affording an asylum to the homicide, where he might be secure from the hand of the avenger (Deut. xix. 12) until the elders of the community of which the accused was a member should decide whether the murder was intentional or accidental (Num. xxxv. 9-34; Deut. xix. 1-13; Josh. xx.).
God knew “the very just distinction between wilful murder and accidental homicide” when he warned every man on the planet of his own changed attitude and behavior toward murderers. By “changed” I mean different than both his mercy shown to Cain after Abel’s murder (Genesis 4:8-16) and his own decision to never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done[2] in the flood. Abraham didn’t want to involve his servant in the abduction of a young woman. I’m sure God didn’t want to involve his servants in the shedding of innocent blood.
In other words, I’m fairly confident now that בָּֽאָדָ֖ם, translated by man (Tanakh, KJV) and by other humans (NET), was added to the Masoretic text sometime after the Septuagint was translated from Hebrew. God warned Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:5, 6 NETS):
For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human [Table]. As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed. For by divine image I made humankind [Table].
There is a listing in Genesis 10 of several generations from Noah after the flood without any mention of a murder. While I realize that no mention of murder is not quite the same thing as no murder for all of those generations, it prompts me to recognize that I don’t need any evolutionary speculation here. All I need do is consult the human heart. Once murder began to occur again would people trust God to avenge it? How often do people trust God to do anything? much less revenge when it’s personal?
Paul wrote of the love that is the fulfillment of the law, an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, springing up to eternal life in all born from above through Jesus’ faithfulness (Romans 12:16-21 NET):
Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends (ἀγαπητοί, a form of ἀγαπητός), but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head[3] [Table]. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Tables comparing Deuteronomy 19:10; Genesis 24:41; Joshua 20:1; 20:2; 20:3; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; 20:7; 20:8 and 20:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 19:10; Genesis 24:41; Joshua 20:1; 20:2; 20:3; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; 20:7; 20:8 and 20:9 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.
| Deuteronomy 19:10 (KJV) | ||
| that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. | That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. | You must not shed innocent blood in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty. |
| καὶ οὐκ ἐκχυθήσεται αἷμα ἀναίτιον ἐν τῇ γῇ σου ᾗ κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι ἐν κλήρῳ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ αἵματι ἔνοχος | καὶ οὐκ ἐκχυθήσεται αἷμα ἀναίτιον ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου δίδωσί σοι ἐν κλήρῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ αἵματι ἔνοχος |
| and innocent blood shall not be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment, and there shall not be among you one guilty of blood. | So innocent blood shall not be spilt in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit, and there shall not be in thee one guilty of blood. |
| Genesis 24:41 (KJV) | ||
| then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath. | Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. | You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ |
| τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν φυλὴν καὶ μή σοι δῶσιν καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου | τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου· ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ μή σοι δῶσι, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου |
| Then you will be free from my curse; indeed, when perchance you come to my tribe and they do not give her to you, then you will be free from my adjuration.’ | Then shalt thou be clear from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear from my oath. |
| Joshua 20:1 (KJV) | ||
| The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, | The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, | The Lord instructed Joshua: |
| καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος τῷ Ἰησοῗ λέγων | ΚΑΙ ἐλάλησε Κύριος τῷ ᾿Ιησοῖ λέγων |
| And the Lord spoke to Iesous, saying, | And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, |
| Joshua 20:2 (KJV) | ||
| Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: | Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: | “Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses. |
| λάλησον τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ λέγων δότε τὰς πόλεις τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων ἃς εἶπα πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ Μωυσῆ | λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγων· δότε τὰς πόλεις τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων, ἃς εἶπα πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ Μωυσῆ |
| “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Give the cities of places of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moyses, | Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses. |
| Joshua 20:3 (Tanakh) | Joshua 20:3 (KJV) | |
| That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. | That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. | Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood. |
| φυγαδευτήριον τῷ φονευτῇ τῷ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῗν αἱ πόλεις φυγαδευτήριον καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῗται ὁ φονευτὴς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἐναντίον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν | φυγαδευτήριον τῷ φονευτῇ τῷ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως, καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῖν αἱ πόλεις φυγαδευτήριον, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται ὁ φονευτὴς ὑπό τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἐναντίον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν |
| a place of refuge for the slayer who has smitten a soul involuntarily, and the cities shall be for you a place of refuge, and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. | [Even] a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment. |
| Joshua 20:4 (KJV) | ||
| And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. | And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. | The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there. |
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n/a |
Καὶ φεύξεται εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων καὶ στήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τῆς πόλεως καὶ λαλήσει ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσιν αὐτὸν ἡ συναγωγὴ πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ δώσουσιν αὐτῷ τόπον καὶ κατοικήσει μετ’ αὐτῶν |
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| Joshua 20:5 (KJV) | ||
| And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. | And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. | When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation. |
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καὶ ὅτι διώξεται ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ συγκλείσουσι τὸν φονεύσαντα ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰδὼς ἐπάταξε τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μισῶν αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἀπ’ ἐχθὲς καὶ τῆς τρίτης |
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| Joshua 20:6 (KJV) | ||
| And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. | And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. | He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly, and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.” |
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καὶ κατοικήσει ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ ἕως στῇ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν ἕως ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὃς ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις· τότε ἐπιστρέψει ὁ φονεύσας καὶ ἐλεύσεται εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς πόλιν ὅθεν ἔφυγεν ἐκεῖθεν |
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| Joshua 20:7 (KJV) | ||
| And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. | And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. | So they selected Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. |
| καὶ διέστειλεν τὴν Καδης ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Νεφθαλι καὶ Συχεμ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Εφραιμ καὶ τὴν πόλιν Αρβοκ αὕτη ἐστὶν Χεβρων ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Ιουδα | καὶ διέστειλε τὴν Κάδης ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Νεφθαλὶ καὶ Συχὲμ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ᾿Αρβὸκ (αὕτη ἐστὶ Χεβρών) ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ᾿Ιούδα. |
| And he set apart Kades in Galilee in the mountain of Naphtali. And Sychem in the mountain of Ephraim and the city of Arbok (this is Chebron) in the mountain of Ioudas. | And Joshua separated Cades in Galilee in the mount Nephthali, and Sychem in the mount Ephraim, and the city of Arboc; this is Chebron, in the mountain of Juda. |
| Joshua 20:8 (KJV) | ||
| And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain 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. | And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain 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. | Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. |
| καὶ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἔδωκεν Βοσορ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλῆς Ρουβην καὶ Αρημωθ ἐν τῇ Γαλααδ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Γαδ καὶ τὴν Γαυλων ἐν τῇ Βασανίτιδι ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Μανασση | καὶ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου ἔδωκε Βοσὸρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλῆς Ῥουβὴν καὶ ᾿Αρημὼθ ἐν τῇ Γαλαὰδ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Γάδ, καὶ τὴν Γαυλὼν ἐν τῇ Βασανίτιδι ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Μανασσῆ |
| And beyond the Jordan he gave Bosor in the wilderness on the plain, out of the tribe of Rouben, and Aremoth in Galaad, out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Basantis, out of the tribe of Manasse. | And beyond Jordan he appointed Bosor in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Ruben, and Aremoth in Galaad out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in the country of Basan out of the tribe of Manasse. |
| Joshua 20:9 (KJV) | ||
| These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. | These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. | These were the cities of refuge appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly. |
| αὗται αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἐπίκλητοι τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ τῷ προσκειμένῳ ἐν αὐτοῗς καταφυγεῗν ἐκεῗ παντὶ παίοντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν | αὗται αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἐπίκλητοι τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ τῷ προσκειμένῳ ἐν αὐτοῖς καταφυγεῖν ἐκεῖ παντὶ παίοντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν. |
| These were the cities designated for the sons of Israel and for the guest abiding among them, that anyone who smites a soul involuntarily may flee there so that he will not die by the hand of the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment. | These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee thither, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment. |
[2] Genesis 8:21b (NET) Table
[3] See a comparison of the Greek of this quotation with that of the the Septuagint.
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