Deuteronomy 19:2
◄  Deuteronomy 19:2  ►
New International Version (©2011)
then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then you must set apart three cities of refuge in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

English Standard Version (©2001)
you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
you are to set apart three cities for yourselves within the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

International Standard Version (©2012)
You must reserve three cities within the land that the LORD your God is about to give you to possess.

NET Bible (©2006)
you must set apart for yourselves three cities in the middle of your land that the LORD your God is giving you as a possession.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
When all this is done, set aside three cities in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
You shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.

American King James Version
You shall separate three cities for you in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.

American Standard Version
thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt separate to thee three cities in the midst of the land, which the Lord will give thee in possession,

Darby Bible Translation
thou shalt separate three cities for thyself in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess.

English Revised Version
thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

World English Bible
you shall set apart three cities for you in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.

Young's Literal Translation
three cities thou dost separate for thee in the midst of thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee to possess it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land,.... From the cities they took possession of and dwelt in; and indeed from the cities of the Levites, which were given to them to inhabit; three were before ordered to be separated from those inhabited by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 4:41 but these were to be in the midst of the land of Canaan; see Joshua 20:7,

which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it: which as it is often mentioned when this land is spoken of, so it carries in it a reason here why this order of the Lord's should be readily complied with, the whole land and all the cities of it being the gift of his to them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land—Goelism, or the duty of the nearest kinsmen to avenge the death of a slaughtered relative, being the customary law of that age (as it still is among the Arabs and other people of the East), Moses incorporated it in an improved form with his legislative code. For the protection of the unintentional homicide, he provided certain cities of refuge—three had been destined for this purpose on the east of Jordan (De 4:41; Nu 35:11); three were to be invested with the same privilege on the west of that river when Canaan should be conquered.

in the midst of thy land—in such a position that they would be conspicuous and accessible, and equidistant from the extremities of the land and from each other.

Deuteronomy 19:2 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Cities of Refuge
1When the LORD your God has cut off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses; 2You shall separate three cities for you in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it. 3You shall prepare you a way, and divide the coasts of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. …

Deuteronomy 4:41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan,
Deuteronomy 19:3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
Joshua 20:2 "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,