Deuteronomy19

Deuteronomy 19 establishes laws for justice in the promised land, primarily concerning cities of refuge. These cities are designated to protect individuals who accidentally kill their neighbour from the avenger of blood, while ensuring that premeditated murderers face execution. The chapter also prohibits moving ancient property landmarks and mandates that legal matters be established by two or three witnesses. Furthermore, it prescribes that false witnesses receive the same penalty they intended for the accused, upholding the principle of proportionate justice.

The Law of Cities of Refuge

1
When the LORD your God cuts off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses; ​
2
you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it. ​
3
You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land, which the LORD your God causes you to inherit, into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there. ​
4
This is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live. Whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and didn’t hate him in time past;
5
as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and lights on his neighbor, so that he dies, he shall flee to one of these cities and live. ​
6
Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally; even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past. ​
7
Therefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8
If the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers; ​
9
if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three. ​
10
This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you. ​
11
But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
12
then the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13
Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with you. ​

Protecting Property Boundaries

14
You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess. ​

Judicial Fairness and Witnesses

15
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. ​
16
If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17
then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; ​
18
and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother; ​
19
then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from your midst. ​
20
Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil in your midst.
21
Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. ​

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 19

Verse 1

This law is contingent upon Israel successfully conquering and settling the land. The establishment of these cities is foundational to maintaining justice and holiness in the new territory.

Verse 2

Moses had previously established three Cities of Refuge east of the Jordan (Deut. 4:41-43). The three cities referenced here were to be chosen west of the Jordan, making a total of six (Joshua 20:7).

Verse 3

The command to 'prepare thee a way' suggests that the roads leading to the Cities of Refuge were to be maintained and clearly marked, ensuring the fleeing person could reach safety quickly before the avenger overtook them.

Verse 5

This detailed hypothetical scenario (the slipping axe head) emphasizes the crucial legal distinction between premeditated murder and accidental death (manslaughter).

Verse 6

The 'avenger of the blood' (Hebrew: *go’el haddam*) was typically the closest male relative of the deceased, tasked with ensuring retribution. The cities protected the innocent from this culturally mandated familial vengeance.

Verse 8

The provision to add three more cities demonstrates God’s commitment to ensuring that the availability of justice keeps pace with the nation’s territorial expansion.

Verse 9

This provision for expanded justice is conditional upon Israel’s faithful obedience to the covenant and commandments of God.

Verse 10

Shedding innocent blood pollutes the land and brings guilt upon the community. The refuge system is a means of cleansing the land and upholding the sanctity of human life.

Verse 13

The mandate not to pity the murderer underscores that justice must be applied firmly in capital cases to remove evil from the community and ensure national well-being.

Verse 14

Removing a neighbor’s landmark (property marker) was a serious offense, equivalent to theft, as it illegally reduced a family’s divinely granted inheritance. This law protects the stability of land tenure.

Verse 15

The requirement of two or three witnesses prevents conviction based on unreliable testimony or personal animosity, establishing a bedrock principle of fairness in biblical and subsequent legal systems.

Verse 17

To stand 'before the LORD' means to appear before the designated earthly representatives of God's authority (the priests and judges), signifying that the court was conducting divine justice.

Verse 18

The judges were required to make 'diligent inquisition' (thorough investigation) to ensure that the verdict was based on truth rather than mere accusation.

Verse 19

The punishment for a false witness was to suffer the penalty intended for the accused. This severe application of *lex talionis* served as a powerful deterrent against perjury and protected the judicial integrity.

Verse 21

This principle ('life for life, eye for eye') is not a mandate for personal vengeance, but a limiting legal standard (*lex talionis*) ensuring that judicial punishment is proportionate—no more and no less than the offense committed.

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