Deuteronomy 19:11

19:1-13 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.

But if any man hate his neighbour,.... Has conceived enmity in his heart against him, bears him a mortal hatred, and has formed a scheme in his mind to take away his life: and lie in wait for him knowing and expecting he will come by in such a way at such a time: and rise up against him; out of the place where he lay in wait, just at the time he is passing by: and smite him mortally that he die; or smite him in soul or life (z); in such a part where life is in danger, and the consequence of it is that he dies: and fleeth into one of these cities; for shelter from the avenger of blood. (z) "anima", Montanus, Vatablus.

Verses 11-13. - These cities, however, were not to be places of refuge for murderers, for those who from hatred and with wicked intent had slain others; if such fled to one of these cities, they were not to be suffered to remain there; the elders of their own city were to require them to be delivered up, that the avenger might put them to death ( Numbers 35:16-33 , etc.). In the earlier legislation, it is enacted that the congregation shall judge in such matters, and that by their decision it should be determined in any case whether the person who had slain another was to be allowed to remain in a city of refuge or be delivered over to the avenger of blood. With this the ordinance here is not inconsistent; the elders were not to act as judges, but merely as magistrates, to apprehend the man and bring him to trial. Deuteronomy 19:11

8, 9. And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coast—Three additional sanctuaries were to be established in the event of their territory extending over the country from Hermon and Gilead to the Euphrates (see Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31). But it was obscurely hinted that this last provision would never be carried into effect, as the Israelites would not fulfil the conditions, namely, "that of keeping the commandments, to love the Lord, and walk ever in his ways." In point of fact, although that region was brought into subjection by David and Solomon, we do not find that cities of refuge were established; because those sovereigns only made the ancient inhabitants tributary, instead of sending a colony of Israelites to possess it. The privilege of sanctuary cities, however, was given only for Israelites; and besides, that conquered territory did not remain long under the power of the Hebrew kings.

5 . and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God ] Love, mentioned in JE as an affection between human beings (father and son, husband and wife, slave and master) and in H as a duty both to neighbour-Israelites and to strangers ( Leviticus 19:18 ; Leviticus 19:34 ), is never in the Hexateuch described as entering into the relation of man to God except in D and deuteronomic passages, where it is enforced with impressive frequency and fulness as the fundamental religious duty; in the deuteronomic expansion of the Decalogue Exodus 20:6 = Deuteronomy 5:10 ; cp. Deuteronomy 7:9 , also Deuteronomy 10:12 ; Deuteronomy 11:1 ; Deuteronomy 11:13 ; Deuteronomy 11:22 ; Deuteronomy 13:3 ; Deuteronomy 19:9 ; Deuteronomy 30:6 ; Deuteronomy 30:16 ; Deuteronomy 30:20 (of which only Deuteronomy 11:13 ; Deuteronomy 11:22 and Deuteronomy 13:3 are Pl.), and the deuteronomic passages Joshua 22:5 ; Joshua 23:11 . It must be noted that prophecy had already used the term ethically ( Amos 5:15 love the good ) and religiously, for Hosea, besides frequently emphasising God’s love to Israel ( Deuteronomy 3:1 , Deuteronomy 9:15 , Deuteronomy 11:1 ; Deuteronomy 11:4 , Deuteronomy 14:4 ), and in terms so warm as to inevitably excite their love to God, describes also the relation of men to their gods as one of love and calls Jehovah the husband of Israel ( Deuteronomy 2:7 ; Deuteronomy 2:13 , Deuteronomy 9:10 ).

But whatever care was to be taken by means of free cities to prevent the shedding of blood, the cities of refuge were not to be asyla for criminals who were deserving of death, nor to afford protection to those who had slain a neighbour out of hatred. If such murderers should flee to the free city, the elders (magistrates) of his own town were to fetch him out, and deliver him up to the avenger of blood, that he might die. The law laid down in Numbers 35:16-21 is here still more minutely defined; but this does not transfer to the elders the duty of instituting a judicial inquiry, and deciding the matter, as Riehm follows Vater and De Wette in maintaining, for the purpose of proving that there is a discrepancy between Deuteronomy and the previous legislation. They are simply commanded to perform the duty devolving upon them as magistrates and administrators of local affairs. (On Deuteronomy 19:13 , see Deuteronomy 8:8 and Deuteronomy 8:5 .)