Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of the Cities of Refuge is rooted in the Mosaic Law, serving as a divine provision for justice and mercy within the Israelite community. These cities were designated as safe havens for individuals who had committed unintentional manslaughter, allowing them protection from the avenger of blood until a fair trial could be conducted.
Biblical FoundationThe establishment of the Cities of Refuge is detailed in several passages of the Old Testament. In
Numbers 35:9-15, the LORD instructs Moses regarding the allocation of these cities: "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there" . This directive underscores the importance of distinguishing between premeditated murder and accidental killing, ensuring that justice is tempered with mercy.
Purpose and FunctionThe primary purpose of the Cities of Refuge was to provide a legal and safe environment for the accused until due process could be observed.
Deuteronomy 19:4-6 elaborates on the conditions under which a person might seek refuge: "Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, without prior hatred, as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies." This passage illustrates the accidental nature of the act, differentiating it from murder.
Locations and AdministrationSix cities were appointed as Cities of Refuge, three on each side of the Jordan River.
Joshua 20:7-8 lists these cities: "So they set apart 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 beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh" . These cities were strategically located to be accessible to all Israelites, ensuring that anyone in need could reach them without undue delay.
The administration of these cities was entrusted to the Levites, who were responsible for maintaining the sanctity and order of the refuge. The Levites, being set apart for religious duties, were well-suited to oversee the legal and spiritual aspects of the refuge system.
Legal ProceedingsUpon reaching a City of Refuge, the accused was required to present his case to the city elders at the gate. If the elders deemed the killing accidental, the individual was granted asylum within the city.
Numbers 35:24-25 outlines the judicial process: "Then the congregation must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. The congregation is to release the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood and return him to the city of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil" .
The death of the high priest marked a significant turning point, as it allowed the manslayer to return home without fear of retribution, symbolizing a new beginning and the restoration of peace.
Theological SignificanceThe Cities of Refuge reflect God's justice and mercy, providing a foreshadowing of the ultimate refuge found in Christ. Just as the cities offered protection and a place of safety, so does Christ offer spiritual refuge and salvation to those who seek Him.
Hebrews 6:18-20 draws a parallel between the refuge cities and the hope found in Christ: "We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and steadfast. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf" .
In summary, the Cities of Refuge were a vital part of the Israelite legal system, embodying the balance of justice and mercy. They served as a precursor to the redemptive work of Christ, offering a glimpse of the ultimate refuge available to all believers.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Cities of RefugeCITIES OF REFUGE
SeeREFUGE, CITIES OF.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Cities of Refugesix Levitical cities specially chosen for refuge to the involuntary homicide until released from banishment by the death of the high priest. (Numbers 35:6,13,15;Joshua 20:2,7,9) There were three on each side of Jordan.
- KEDESH, in Naphtali. (1 Chronicles 6:76)
- SHECHEM, in Mount Ephraim. (Joshua 21:21;1 Chronicles 6:67;2 Chronicles 10:1)
- HEBRON, in Judah. (Joshua 21:13;2 Samuel 5:5;1 Chronicles 6:55;29:27;2 Chronicles 11:10)
- On the east side of Jordan -BEZER IN THE WILDERNESS, in the tribe of Reuben, in the plains of Moab. (4:43;Joshua 20:8;21:36) 1Macc. 5:26.
- RAMOTH-GILEAD, in the tribe of Gad. (4:43;Joshua 21:38;1 Kings 22:3)
- GOLAN, in Bashan, in the half-tribe of Manasseh. (4:43;Joshua 21:27;1 Chronicles 6:71)
ATS Bible Dictionary
Cities Of RefugeTo provide security for those who should undesignedly kill a man, the Lord commanded Moses to appoint six cities of refuge, or asylums, that any one who should thus shed blood might retire thither, and have time to prepare his defence before the judges, and that the kinsmen of the deceased might not pursue and kill him,Exodus 21:13Numbers 35:11-34. Of such cities there were three on each side Jordan. On the west were Kedesh of Naphtali, Shechem, and Hebron; on the east, Golan, Ramoth-Gilead, and Bezer,Joshua 20:7,8. These cities served not only for Hebrews, but for all strangers who resided in the country, De 19:1-10. The Lord also commanded that when the Hebrews should multiply and enlarge their land, they should add three other cities of refuge. But this command was never fulfilled.
The custom of blood-revenge appears to have been an institution or principle very early introduced among the nomadic oriental tribes. So firmly was this practice established among the Israelites before their entrance into the promised land, and probably also even before their sojourning in Egypt, that Moses was directed by Jehovah not to attempt to eradicate it entirely, but only to counteract and modify it by the institution of cities of refuge. The custom of avenging the blood of a member of a family or tribe upon some member of the tribe or family of the slayer, still exists in full force among the modern Bedaweens, the representatives in a certain sense of the ancient Israelites in the desert. They prefer this mode of self-vengeance. Niebuhr informs us that "the Arabs rather avenge themselves, as the law allows, upon the family of the murderer; and seek an opportunity of slaying its head, or most considerable person, whom they regard as being properly the person guilty of the crime, as it must have been committed through his negligence in watching over the conduct of those under his inspection. From this time the two families are in continual fears, till some one or other of the murderer's family be slain. No reconciliation can take place between them, and the quarrel is still occasionally renewed. There have been instances of such family feuds lasting forty years. If in the contest a man of the murdered person's family happens to fall, there can be no peace until two others of the murderer's family have been slain." How far superior to this was the Mosaic institution of cities of refuge, where the involuntary homicide might remain in peace till the death of the high-priest, and then go forth in safety, while a really guilty person did not escape punishment.
Among most of the nations of antiquity, temples, and particularly the altars within them, were regarded as proffering an asylum for fugitives from violence. Among the Hebrews we find indications of the custom on the part of the culprit of fleeing to the Lord's altar. But this was not allowed to screen the guilty from deserved punishment,Exodus 21:141 Kings 2:28-34.
There is an appointed city of refuge for sinners exposed to the second death, and an altar of refuge sprinkled with atoning blood. Happy the soul that flees and is safe in Christ, ere it is overtaken by the avenging law of God.
Library
TheCities ofRefuge.
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When travelling lately through the Simplon
TheCities ofRefuge: or, The Name of Jesus.... TheseCities ofRefuge form one of the
Old Testament PICTURES of the sinner, and of the coming gospel salvation....
My Dear Young Friends,
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Jesus, My Rock.
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Resources
What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did Abraham bargain with God in regard to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18)? | GotQuestions.orgWho were the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites? | GotQuestions.orgCities: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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