Joshua 20:1-9 Meaning: Why God Waited to Appoint Refuge
1Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,
3that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
4He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.
5If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.
6He 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 man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’”
7They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
8Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.
1The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
3That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
6And 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.
7And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath–arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
1And Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by Moses,
3that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
4And he shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unawares, and hated him not beforetime.
6And 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.
7And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill-country of Judah.
8And beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person unwittingly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
1And Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,
2`Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Give for you cities of refuge, as I have spoken unto you by the hand of Moses,
3for the fleeing thither of a man-slayer smiting life inadvertently, without knowledge; and they have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer of blood.
4`When one hath fled unto one of these cities, and hath stood at the opening of the gate of the city, and hath spoken in the ears of the elders of that city his matter, then they have gathered him into the city unto them, and have given to him a place, and he hath dwelt with them.
5`And when the redeemer of blood doth pursue after him, then they do not shut up the man-slayer into his hand, for without knowledge he hath smitten his neighbour, and is not hating him hitherto;
6and 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.'
7And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it is Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
8and beyond the Jordan, at Jericho eastward, they have given Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These have been cities of meeting for all the sons of Israel, and for a sojourner who is sojourning in their midst, for the fleeing thither of any one smiting life inadvertently, and he doth not die by the hand of the redeemer of blood till his standing before the company.
1And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you through Moses,
3that the slayer who unwittingly without intent smiteth any one mortally may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4And he shall flee unto one of those cities and stand at the entrance of the city-gate, and shall declare his matter in the ears of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; for he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not previously.
6And 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.
7And they hallowed Kedesh in Galilee in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba, that is, Hebron, in the hill-country of Judah.
8And beyond the Jordan from Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, in the plateau, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan of the tribe of Manasseh.
9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever smiteth any one mortally without intent might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the assembly.
Meaning in one sentence
What do the cities of refuge mean in Joshua 20? Discover why God commanded them at this moment and what they reveal about His justice and mercy.
Context
The book of Joshua tells how God led Israel into the promised land. By chapter 20, the major battles are over, and the land has been divided among the tribes. But before the people settle into their new homes, God tells Joshua to set aside six cities as places of refuge. He had given this command earlier through Moses, but only now was the time to act. The cities were spread across the land so that anyone who killed another person by accident could flee there and be safe from the avenger of blood. This command came at just the right moment, after the land was allotted, so each tribe could share in providing protection.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this passage. The word for refuge is miqlat, a place that takes in someone in need. It is not a hiding spot but a shelter where you are received. The word for unintentionally is shgagah, which comes from a root meaning to go astray or wander off course. It describes an act done without intent or knowledge, not a planned wrong. And when the cities were appointed, the Hebrew verb qadash means to consecrate, to set apart as holy. These six cities were not just practical arrangements. They were sacred spaces, dedicated to mercy and ordered justice. Together these words show that God cares about the difference between a mistake and a malicious act. He provides a way out for those who have stumbled.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this passage in different ways. John Calvin noted that Israel did not appoint the cities until God reminded them, suggesting a gentle rebuke for slowness. Others, like Matthew Henry, emphasise that the timing shows God's perfect plan: only after the land was divided could the cities be placed at fair distances. Many across Protestant and Catholic traditions have seen these cities as a picture of Christ, the ultimate refuge for sinners. The high priest's death, which set the manslayer free, is seen by many as a foreshadowing of Jesus' death that brings full freedom. Both readings honour the text, one stressing human forgetfulness, the other divine provision.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume the cities of refuge were a way for murderers to avoid punishment. In fact, the cities only protected those who killed accidentally. The elders held a preliminary hearing at the gate, and later the case came before the full congregation. Wilful murderers were handed over to the avenger. The cities were about distinguishing intent, not hiding guilt.
Living This Out
The cities of refuge remind you that God distinguishes between intent and accident. This week, when a mistake you made weighs on your heart, something you did without meaning to harm, you can remember that God has made a way for you to be safe. He does not abandon you to the full weight of your error. Christians have long seen Christ as that refuge: the One you can run to when guilt or fear pursues you. On the other side of the gate, the elders listened before they acted. Perhaps this week you can do the same, pause and listen before you judge someone else's blunder.
Main takeaway: God provides a safe place for those who have wronged others unintentionally, and He calls us to extend that same justice and mercy.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told Joshua to pick out some special cities. If someone accidentally hurt another person, they could run there and be safe. God wanted everyone to have a place to go.
For ages 9, 12
In ancient Israel, if someone hurt another person by mistake, the victim's family might try to get revenge. God commanded that there be cities of refuge where the person could get a fair trial and be protected from revenge. The cities show that God cares about justice and mercy at the same time. He wants to protect those who didn't mean to do wrong.
Questions People Ask
Why was the high priest's death so important for the person in the city of refuge?
When the high priest died, the manslayer was free to return home. Some Christians see this as a picture of how Christ's death sets us free from guilt. The high priest's death marked a full release, the old case was closed.
Did the cities of refuge protect people who committed murder on purpose?
No. The law was clear: if someone killed another with hatred or planning, they were to be handed over to the avenger of blood. The cities only sheltered those who killed accidentally, without prior malice.
Why were there six cities of refuge instead of one?
Six cities were spread across the land, three on each side of the Jordan, so that every tribe had access to a refuge within a day's journey. This made it possible for anyone to flee quickly, whether Israelite or foreigner.
Does this passage teach anything about God's character?
Yes. It shows that God is both just and merciful. He insists that wilful murder be punished, but He also protects the innocent who made a mistake. He sets up a system that restrains revenge and provides a fair hearing.
For pastors & researchers
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