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Cities of Refuge (Cities of Asylum)
Meaning
When God gave the Laws to Moses, God assigned death to anyone who deliberately killed another person. However, if the death was the result of an accident, in other words the person “did not lie in wait” and the death was unintentional then God provided protection. The Lord appointed what was called “Cities of Refuge.” These were the cities where the man-slayer could go. Where he would be protected from a revenge killing until he went before the congregation and the High Priest in a fair trial. God instructed the people to create six such cities throughout the land of Israel. However, these cities were only to be used in cases of unintentional or accidental death. They did not protect the one who deliberately killed another person. In general the man-slayer waited in the city of refuge until a fair trial could be held to determine the their guilt or innocence.
These cities were meant to protect the man-slayer from avenging family members. The Old Testament scriptures gave the instructions to the people that “whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed.” Moreover, the Bible called for the family member closest to the victim to be the “avenger of blood.” These family members were to take on the responsibility of killing the perpetrator of the crime, but only in the cases of a premeditated murder. Because of the emotions and anger involved in such a loss God appointed these cities of refuge. These were used in cases where the man-slayer unintentionally killed another person and the death was also not caused by neglect on the man-slayer’s part.
When the man-slayer arrived at the city of refuge, they were to go to the city gates (the town hall of the times) and speak to the elders of the city. They were to present their case and explain the circumstances surrounding the death. The elders were to evaluate the situation and if appropriate, provide refuge until a fair trial could be held. Interestingly the protection only applied to the man-slayer, while in the city of refuge.” Once they left the city they could be killed by the waiting “avenger of blood.” Four cases of accidental death there was a statue of limitations, which was the life span of the High Priest. If the man-slayer left the city of refuge before the High Priest (who was ruling at the time of the death) had died and before a trial was held. Then they could be killed with impunity by the family member assigned the role of the “avenger of blood.”
It was with these laws and cities of refuge God sought to provide a moral character for Israel. A nation where revenge killings did not take place. Moreover, it helped fulfill God’s law for the nation to prevent innocent blood from being spilled in cases where a true accident had occurred. One of the provisions for God’s blessings on the people and on the land was that they did not intentionally spill innocent blood.
“Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.” (Book of Genesis 9:5-6)
“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.” (Book of Exodus 21:12-14)
“The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.'” (Book of Joshua 20:1-6)
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.'” (Book of Numbers 35:10-15)