King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
Complete Jewish Bible:
An example would be if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood and takes a stroke with the axe to fell a tree, but the head of the axe flies off the handle, hits his neighbor and kills him. Then he is to flee to one of these cities and live there.
Berean Standard Bible:
If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
American Standard Version:
as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
As when a man goeth{H935} into the wood{H3293} with his neighbour{H7453} to hew{H2404} wood{H6086}, and his hand{H3027} fetcheth a stroke{H5080} with the axe{H1631} to cut down{H3772} the tree{H6086}, and the head{H1270} slippeth{H5394} from the helve{H6086}, and lighteth{H4672} upon his neighbour{H7453}, that he die{H4191}; he shall flee{H5127} unto one{H259} of those cities{H5892}, and live{H2425}:
Cross-References (KJV):
2 Kings 6:5
- But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
2 Kings 6:7
- Therefore said he, Take [it] up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
Proverbs 27:12
- ¶ A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, [and] hideth himself; [but] the simple pass on, [and] are punished.
Isaiah 32:2
- And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Numbers 35:25
- And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Deuteronomy 19:5
Deuteronomy 19:5 is part of a larger section in the book of Deuteronomy that deals with the establishment of cities of refuge within the Promised Land. These cities were designated as safe havens for individuals who had unintentionally caused the death of another person, a concept known as manslaughter. The verse specifically illustrates a scenario where two men are working together, cutting wood, and one man accidentally kills the other when his axe head flies off the handle and strikes his neighbor fatally.
In the historical context of the ancient Near East, blood feuds and retaliatory justice were common practices among tribes and families. The establishment of cities of refuge was a legislative innovation intended to mitigate the cycle of vengeance by providing a place where an accidental killer could seek asylum from the avenger of blood—typically a relative of the deceased seeking to exact retribution.
The themes present in this verse include the sanctity of life, the importance of justice, and the need for a legal mechanism to differentiate between intentional murder and accidental death. By fleeing to a city of refuge, the person responsible for the unintentional killing could escape immediate revenge and have his case heard by the community, ensuring that justice was served according to the law rather than through personal vendettas. This system also highlights the themes of mercy and protection under the law, as it provided a way for individuals to escape the deadly consequences of an accident while still acknowledging the value of the life that was lost.
In summary, Deuteronomy 19:5 reflects the compassionate wisdom of the Mosaic Law, offering a provision for unintentional manslaughter that balanced the need for justice with the recognition of human fallibility, and sought to prevent endless cycles of retribution.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H3293
There are 58 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יַעַר
Transliteration: yaʻar
Pronunciation: yah'-ar
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to thicken with verdure; a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees); (honey-) comb, forest, wood. - Strong's Number: H7453
There are 173 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֵעַ
Transliteration: rêaʻ
Pronunciation: ray'-ah
Description: or רֵיעַ; from רָעָה; an associate (more or less close); brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other. - Strong's Number: H2404
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָטַב
Transliteration: châṭab
Pronunciation: khaw-tab'
Description: a primitive root; to chop or carve wood; cut down, hew(-er), polish. - Strong's Number: H6086
There are 288 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵץ
Transliteration: ʻêts
Pronunciation: ates
Description: from עָצָה; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks); [phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood. - Strong's Number: H3027
There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָד
Transliteration: yâd
Pronunciation: yawd
Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. - Strong's Number: H5080
There are 51 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָדַח
Transliteration: nâdach
Pronunciation: naw-dakh'
Description: a primitive root; to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.); banish, bring, cast down (out), chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H1631
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גַּרְזֶן
Transliteration: garzen
Pronunciation: gar-zen'
Description: from גָּרַז; an axe; ax. - Strong's Number: H3772
There are 280 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּרַת
Transliteration: kârath
Pronunciation: kaw-rath'
Description: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces); be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want. - Strong's Number: H1270
There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּרְזֶל
Transliteration: barzel
Pronunciation: bar-zel'
Description: perhaps from the root of בִּרְזוֹת; iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement; (ax) head, iron. - Strong's Number: H5394
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשַׁל
Transliteration: nâshal
Pronunciation: naw-shal'
Description: a primitive root; to pluck off, i.e. divest, eject or drop; cast (out), drive, loose, put off (out), slip. - Strong's Number: H4672
There are 425 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָצָא
Transliteration: mâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: maw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present; [phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with), [idiom] occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on. - Strong's Number: H4191
There are 694 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוּת
Transliteration: mûwth
Pronunciation: mooth
Description: a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. - Strong's Number: H5127
There are 143 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נוּס
Transliteration: nûwç
Pronunciation: noos
Description: a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver); [idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard. - Strong's Number: H259
There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶחָד
Transliteration: ʼechâd
Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, - Strong's Number: H5892
There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עִיר
Transliteration: ʻîyr
Pronunciation: eer
Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town. - Strong's Number: H2425
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָיַי
Transliteration: châyay
Pronunciation: khaw-yah'-ee
Description: a primitive root (compare חָיָה); to live; causatively to revive; live, save life.