Numbers 35 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Numbers 35:1-28

1 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasture-lands around the towns. 3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasture-lands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.

4 ‘The pasture-lands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall. 5 Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the centre. They will have this area as pasture-land for the towns.

6 ‘Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7 In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasture-lands. 8 The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.’

9 Then the Lord said to Moses: 10 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11 select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. 13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14 Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

16 ‘“If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17 Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18 Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20 If anyone with malice aforethought pushes another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21 or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

22 ‘“But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23 or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24 the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with holy oil.

26 ‘“But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27 and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28 The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

A. Find out:

1. To whom was Moses commanded to give what? v.1-5
2. How many towns were to be given? v.6,7
3. How were they to be divided? v.8
4. What were 6 of those towns to become? v.6,9-15
5. What was to happen to a murderer? v.16-21
6. How was it to be different for manslaughter? v.22-28

B. Think:

1. Why do you think these rules were given for Levites?
2. What was the purpose of the cities of refuge?

C. Comment:

     In this last study of this particular series, we find the Lord giving Moses instructions to pass on to the people to cover two different situations.

     The first situation was in respect of the Levites, the tribe chosen to look after the tabernacle (and eventually the Temple). They were a tribe set apart to God to specifically be available to maintain the location of God’s meeting place with his people. Because of this they were to consider themselves available to the Lord at all times and were not, as a tribe, allocated a portion of the land in which to settle. Instead there were to be forty-eight towns set apart with surrounding pasture land for them. In this way they would be looked after and in this way they would be spread around the land and be a constant reminder of the Lord.

     The second situation was in respect of ordering society in the years and centuries to follow, in respect of people being killed. There is a clear distinction in God’s commands between murder and manslaughter. Murder is where there was a clear intention to harm someone (not necessarily kill them) in that weapons were involved. Where that was so, then the murderer was to be put to death. Manslaughter was when someone was accidentally killed, and in that case there were these 6 cities where the person could flee until the anger of the family abated, a recognition of human emotions and a counter of them.

D. Application:

1. Those who minister before the Lord are to be cared for.
2. Law distinguishes according to intent.