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Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Joshua 20:6

He 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 Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avenger of Blood;   Communion;   Homicide;   Refuge;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He 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 one who committed manslaughter may return home to his own city from which he fled.”
Hebrew Names Version
He shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the Kohen Gadol that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled.
King James Version
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
Lexham English Bible
The killer will stay in that city until he stands before the congregation for the trial, until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the killer will return to his city and to his house, to the city from which he fled.'"
English Standard Version
And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'"
New Century Version
The killer must stay in the city until a court comes to a decision and until the high priest dies. Then he may go back home to the town from which he ran away."
New English Translation
He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped."
Amplified Bible
'He shall live in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment [and if acquitted of murder he must stay there], until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the offender (manslayer) shall return to his own city and his own house from which he fled.'"
New American Standard Bible
'And he shall remain in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then he shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
But hee shall dwell in that citie vntill hee stande before the Congregation in iudgement, or vntill the death of the hie Priest that shall be in those daies: then shall the slaier returne, and come vnto his owne citie, and vnto his owne house, euen vnto the citie from whence he fled.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
Contemporary English Version
The citizens of that Safe Town must come together and hold a trial. They may decide that the victim was killed accidentally and that the accused is not guilty of murder. Everyone found not guilty must still live in the Safe Town until the high priest dies. Then they can go back to their own towns and their homes that they had to leave behind.
Complete Jewish Bible
So he will live in that city until he stands trial before the community, until the death of the cohen hagadol who is in office at the time. When that time comes, the killer may return to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"
Darby Translation
And he shall dwell in that city, until he have stood before the assembly in judgment, until the death of the high-priest that shall be in those days; then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
Easy-to-Read Version
You should stay in that city until the court has judged you and until the high priest dies. Then you may go back to your hometown."
George Lamsa Translation
And he shall dwell in that city until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then the slayer shall return, and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.
Good News Translation
You may stay in the city until you have received a public trial and until the death of the man who is then the High Priest. Then you may go back home to your own town, from which you had run away."
Literal Translation
And he shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest who is in those days. Then the manslayer shall return and come to his city, and to his house, to the city from where hefled.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but he shall dwell in ye cite, tyll he stonde before the congregacion in iudgment, vntyll the hye prest dye, which shall be at that tyme. Then shall the deedsleyer returne, and go vnto his awne cite, and vnto his house to the cite, from whence he was fled.
American Standard Version
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
Bible in Basic English
And he is to go on living in that town till he has to come before the meeting of the people to be judged; (till the death of him who is high priest at that time:) then the taker of life may come back to his town and to his house, to the town from which he had gone in flight.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he shall dwell in the sayd citie vntyl he stande before the congregation in iudgement, or vntyll the death of the hye priest that shall be in those dayes: for then shall the slear returne, and come vnto his owne citie, and vnto his owne house, and vnto the citie from whence he fled.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then may the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.'
King James Version (1611)
And hee shall dwell in that citie, vntill he stand before the Congregation for iudgement, and vntill the death of the high Priest that shall bee in those dayes: then shall the slayer returne, and come vnto his owne city, and vnto his owne house, vnto the citie from whence he fled.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
These were the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee thither, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgement.
English Revised Version
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he schal dwelle in that citee, til he stonde bifor the doom, and yelde cause of his dede. And he that killide a man, dwelle `in that citee, til the grete preest die, which is in that tyme; thanne the mansleere schal turne ayen, and he schal entre in to his citee and hows, `fro which he fledde.
Young's Literal Translation
and he hath dwelt in that city till his standing before the company for judgment, till the death of the chief priest who is in those days -- then doth the man-slayer turn back and hath come unto his city, and unto his house, unto the city whence he fled.'
Update Bible Version
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then the manslayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from where he fled.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall dwell in that city, until he shall stand before the congregation for judgment, [and] until the death of the high-priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled.
World English Bible
He shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the manslayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled.
New King James Version
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."'
New Living Translation
But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled."
New Life Bible
He will live in that city until he has been tried in front of the people. And he will live there until the death of the one who is the head religious leader at the time. Then the one who killed the person may return to his own city and his own house, to the city he ran away from.'"
New Revised Standard
The slayer shall remain in that city until there is a trial before the congregation, until the death of the one who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may return home, to the town in which the deed was done.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
so shall he remain in that city, until he standeth before the assembly, for judgment, until the death of the high-priest who shall be in those days, - then, shall the manslayer return, and enter into his own city, and into his own house, within the city from whence he fled.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he shall dwell in that city, till he stand before judgment to give an account of his fact, and till the death of the high priest, who shall be at that time: then shall the manslayer return, and go into his own city and house from whence he fled.
Revised Standard Version
And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"

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

until: Numbers 35:12, Numbers 35:24, Numbers 35:25, Hebrews 9:26

Reciprocal: Joshua 20:9 - until he stood

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Genesis 20:6
Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 20:7
Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die-you and all who belong to you."
Genesis 20:18
for on account of Abraham's wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech's household.
Genesis 26:11
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death."
Genesis 31:7
And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.
Genesis 35:5
As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob's sons.
Genesis 39:9
No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?"
Exodus 34:24
For I will drive out the nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.
Leviticus 6:2
"If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he shall dwell in that city until he shall stand before the congregation for judgment,.... That is, until his cause was heard in the court of judicature in his own city, or in any other to which the avenger of blood should appeal: see Numbers 35:24; who if they found him guilty of death, they put him to death; but if only guilty of accidental manslaughter, then they delivered him up to his city of refuge for safety, where he was to abide

until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; see

Numbers 35:25;

then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled; and live with his family in the enjoyment of his possessions and estates, honours, and privileges belonging to him, as before; see Numbers 35:28.


 
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