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Deuteronomy 19

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Deuteronomy 19 Overview

Deuteronomy 19 establishes three cities of refuge in Canaan, with provision to add three more if Israel’s territory expands as promised. The law distinguishes accidental killing from intentional murder. The chapter also protects property boundaries, requires multiple witnesses in serious cases, and commands careful judgment of a false witness.

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Before you read Deuteronomy 19

Coming from

Chapter 18 distinguished legitimate prophetic revelation from forbidden occult guidance.

In this chapter

Moses turns again to public justice, showing how Israel must protect the innocent without shielding the murderer or rewarding false testimony.

Leads into

Chapter 20 applies covenant order to warfare, including courage before battle, exemptions, treatment of distant cities, judgment on Canaanite nations, and protection of fruit trees.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The refuge system prevents blood vengeance from immediately killing someone who caused death without hatred or premeditation. The roads are to be prepared so refuge is realistically accessible. At the same time, the sanctuary city cannot become a loophole for murder; deliberate killers are to be removed and judged. The witness law requires more than accusation, and a malicious witness faces the penalty he intended for the accused.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Biblical justice distinguishes accident from intent.

Truth 2

Protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty are both required; one must not cancel the other.

Truth 3

Property boundaries are protected from quiet encroachment.

Truth 4

Truthful testimony is essential because false witness can weaponize the legal system against an innocent person.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 35 gives the earlier and fuller cities-of-refuge legislation.

Connection 2

Joshua 20 records the appointment of the refuge cities in the land.

Connection 3

2 Corinthians 13:1 and 1 Timothy 5:19 reuse the multiple-witness principle in church contexts, while not transferring Israel’s entire civil code.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

A city of refuge is not an asylum from lawful judgment for intentional murder.

Keep this clear 2

The 'eye for eye' principle here governs proportionate judicial penalty and should not be reduced to a command for private revenge.

Keep this clear 3

Moving a landmark is a property injustice in an agrarian inheritance system, not merely a symbolic offense.

Read Deuteronomy 19 watching for…

The examples used to distinguish accidental killing from murder.

The reason roads to refuge cities must be prepared.

The protection of inherited property boundaries.

The number of witnesses required to establish a matter.

What happens when a witness is proved malicious and false.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-13Cities of refuge distinguish accidental killing from murder 14A neighbor’s landmark must not be moved 15-21Witnesses are required and false witnesses are judged justly

When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

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Deuteronomy 19:14

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