Deuteronomy 4:41

JPS Old Testament

Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising;

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Then Moshe set apart three cities beyond the Yarden toward the sunrise;

King James Version
Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

Lexham English Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities on the other side of the Jordan, toward the east,

English Standard Version
Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan,

New Century Version
Moses chose three cities east of the Jordan River,

New English Translation
Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east.

Amplified Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities [of refuge] beyond the Jordan toward the rising of the sun (eastward),

New American Standard Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Moses separated three cities on this side of Iorden toward the sunne rising:

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east toward the sunrise,

Contemporary English Version
Moses said, "People of Israel, you must set aside the following three towns east of the Jordan River as Safe Towns: Bezer in the desert highlands belonging to the Reuben tribe; Ramoth in Gilead, belonging to the Gad tribe; and Golan in Bashan, belonging to the Manasseh tribe. If you kill a neighbor without meaning to, and if you had not been angry with that person, you can run to one of these towns and find safety." The Israelites had come from Egypt and were camped east of the Jordan River near Beth-Peor, when Moses gave these laws and teachings. The land around their camp had once belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. But Moses and the Israelites defeated him and King Og of Bashan, and took their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River from the town of Aroer on the edge of the Arnon River gorge, north to Mount Hermon. Their land included the eastern side of the Jordan River valley, as far south as the Dead Sea below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.

Complete Jewish Bible
(A: iii) Then Moshe separated three cities on the east side of the Yarden, toward the sunrise,

Darby Translation
Then Moses separated three cities on this side the Jordan toward the sun-rising,

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Moses chose three cities on the east side of the Jordan River.

George Lamsa Translation
Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward the rising sun;

Good News Translation
Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan River

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east.

Literal Translation
Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan, toward the sunrising,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then separated Moses thre cities beyonde Iordane, towarde the Sonne rysinge,

American Standard Version
Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising;

Bible in Basic English
Then Moses had three towns marked out on the far side of Jordan looking to the east;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Moyses seuered three cities on the other side Iordane towarde the sunne rysyng:

King James Version (1611)
Then Moses seuered three cities on this side Iordan, toward the Sunne rising:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then Moses separated three cities beyond Jordan on the east,

English Revised Version
Then Moses separated three cities beyond Jordan toward the sunrising;

Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses set aside three cities across the Jordan to the east

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Moises departide thre citees biyende Jordan at the eest coost,

Young's Literal Translation
Then Moses separateth three cities beyond the Jordan, towards the sun-rising,

Update Bible Version
Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising;

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Moses set apart three cities on the side of Jordan, towards the sun-rising;

World English Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise;

New King James Version
Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun,

New Living Translation
Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River.

New Life Bible
Then Moses set apart three cities east of the Jordan

New Revised Standard
Then Moses set apart on the east side of the Jordan three cities

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, did Moses set apart three cities, over the Jordan, - towards the rising of the sun:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Moses set aside three cities beyond the Jordan at the east side,

Revised Standard Version
Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan,

THE MESSAGE
Then Moses set aside three towns in the country on the east side of the Jordan to which someone who had unintentionally killed a person could flee and find refuge. If the murder was unintentional and there was no history of bad blood, the murderer could flee to one of these cities and save his life:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east,

Contextual Overview

⁴¹ Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising; ⁴² that the manslayer might flee thither, that slayeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in time past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: ⁴³ Bezer in the wilderness, in the table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. ⁴⁴ And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel; ⁴⁵ these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt; ⁴⁶ beyond the Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, when they came forth out of Egypt; ⁴⁷ and they took his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising; ⁴⁸ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even unto mount Sion--the same is Hermon-- ⁴⁹ and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 35:6, Numbers 35:14, Numbers 35:15, Joshua 20:2-9

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:13 - I will appoint Deuteronomy 19:2 - separate three cities 1 Chronicles 6:78 - Bezer

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Moses severed three cities,.... To be cities of refuge, according to the command of God, Numbers 35:14 this he did when he had conquered the two kingdoms of the Amorites, that God had given them for an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 4:38 though Jarchi says, and so other Jewish writers, that persons were not received into them until the three cities appointed in the land of Canaan were separated for the like use;

Deuteronomy 4:38- : and these were,

on this side Jordan, toward the rising sun; on that side of the river on which the plains of Moab lay, and the kingdoms of the Amorites, and to the east of Jordan: so Jarchi remarks,

"on that side which is on the east of Jordan;''

see Joshua 20:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

These verses are inserted between two distinct and complete discourses for the reason to which they themselves call attention (“Then Moses severed three cities,” etc.); i. e., the fact narrated took place historically after Moses spoke the one discourse and before he delivered the other. In thus severing the three cities of refuge Moses carried out a previous command of God (see the marginal references); and so followed up his exhortations to obedience by setting a punctual example of it, as far as opportunity was given him.

Deuteronomy 4:43

In the plain country - literally, “in the land of the Mishor.” The word means a level tract of land; but when used (Deuteronomy 3:10; Joshua 13:9, etc.) with the article, seems to be the proper name for the smooth downs of Moab, which reach from the Jordan eastward of Jericho far into the Desert of Arabia, and which form a striking contrast alike to the rugged country west of the river, and to the higher and remarkable districts belonging to Bashan northward.

Bezer is, with little certainty, identified with Bostra, or (1 Macc. 5:36) Bosor. Golan gave the name of Gaulonitis to a district of some extent east of the sea of Galilee and north of the Hieromax; but the exact site of the city if uncertain.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 4:41. Then Moses severed three cities — See the law relative to the cities of refuge explained, Numbers 35:11, &c.