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Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Joshua 20:2

"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avenger of Blood;   Communion;   Homicide;   Refuge;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cities;   Refuge, Cities of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - City of refuge;   Shechem;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Land (of Israel);   Motives;   Murder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Cities of Refuge;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avenger;   Blood;   Cities of Refuge;   Court Systems;   Joshua, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Joshua;   Refuge, Cities of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rainbow;   Refuge, Cities of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Refuge;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Cities of refuge;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Cities of Refuge,;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Appoint;   Cruel;   Goel;   Homicide;   Joshua (2);   Joshua, Book of;   Refuge, Cities of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Blood-revenge;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Tell the Israelites: Select your cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
Hebrew Names Version
Speak to the children of Yisra'el, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moshe,
King James Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Lexham English Bible
"Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through the hand of Moses.
English Standard Version
"Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New Century Version
"Tell the Israelites to choose the special cities of safety, as I had Moses command you to do.
New English Translation
"Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses.
Amplified Bible
"Speak to the Israelites, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New American Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Speake to the children of Israel, and say, Appoint you cities of refuge, whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses,
Legacy Standard Bible
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses,
Contemporary English Version
When Moses was still alive, I had him tell the Israelites about the Safe Towns. Now you tell them that it is time to set up these towns.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Tell the people of Isra'el, ‘Select the cities of refuge about which I spoke to you through Moshe;
Darby Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you through Moses,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Through Moses, I told you to choose some cities to be cities of safety.
George Lamsa Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Reserve for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through my servant Moses;
Good News Translation
to say to the people of Israel, "Choose the cities of refuge that I had Moses tell you about.
Literal Translation
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Give cities of refuge for you, as I have spoken to you by the hand of Moses,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Speake to the children of Israel: Geue amonge you fre cities, wherof I spake vnto you by Moses,
American Standard Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by Moses,
Bible in Basic English
Say to the children of Israel, Let certain towns be marked out as safe places, as I said to you by the mouth of Moses,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Speake to the children of Israel, and saye: Appoint out fro amog you cities of refuge, wherof I spake vnto you by the hande of Moyses:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Speak to the children of Israel, saying: Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses;
King James Version (1611)
Speake to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake vnto you by the hand of Moses:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses.
English Revised Version
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Departe ye the citees of fugytyues, `ether of men exilid for vnwilful schedyng of blood, of whiche citees Y spak to you bi the hond of Moises,
Young's Literal Translation
`Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Give for you cities of refuge, as I have spoken unto you by the hand of Moses,
Update Bible Version
Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Assign for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moses,
Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
World English Bible
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you by Moses,
New King James Version
"Speak to the children of Israel, saying: "Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New Living Translation
"Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.
New Life Bible
"Say to the people of Israel, ‘Choose the cities where you may go and be safe when you are in trouble, as I said to you through Moses.
New Revised Standard
"Say to the Israelites, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, - Set out for you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you, by the hand of Moses:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:
Revised Standard Version
"Say to the people of Israel, 'Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'Designate the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses,

Contextual Overview

1Then the LORD said to Joshua, 2"Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,3so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. 5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not deliver the manslayer into his hands, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. 6He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Appoint: Exodus 21:13, Exodus 21:14, Numbers 35:6, Numbers 35:11-14, Deuteronomy 4:41-43, Deuteronomy 19:2-13, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:33, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 6:19

you refuge: Numbers 35:15-24

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, "I thought to myself, 'Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.'
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father-though not the daughter of my mother-and she became my wife.
Genesis 20:13
So when God had me journey from my father's house, I said to Sarah, 'This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me: He is my brother.'"
Genesis 26:1
Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham's time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
Genesis 26:7
But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister." For he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," since he thought to himself, "The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful."
Genesis 26:16
Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us."
2 Chronicles 19:2
Then Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
2 Chronicles 20:37
Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah's heart.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Speak to the children of Israel, saying,.... Whom the affair concerned the Lord spake to Joshua about, they having now the whole land divided among them:

appoint out for you cities of refuge; of the name, nature, use, and number of these cities, :-;

whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: Numbers 35:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 20:2. Cities of refuge — An institution of this kind was essentially necessary wherever the patriarchal law relative to the right of redemption and the avenging of blood was in force; we have already seen that the nearest of kin to a deceased person had not only the right of redeeming an inheritance that had been forfeited or alienated, but had also authority to slay on the spot the person who had slain his relative. Now, as a man might casually kill another against whom he had no ill-will, and with whom he had no quarrel, and might have his life taken away by him who was called the avenger of blood, though he had not forfeited his life to the law; therefore these privileged cities were appointed, where the person might have protection till the cause had been fully heard by the magistrates, who certainly had authority to deliver him up to the avenger, if they found, on examination, that he was not entitled to this protection. On this subject see the notes on Numbers 35:11 to the end.


 
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