among the rest, the appointing of sanctuaries for the protecting of those that were guilty of casual murder; which was a privilege to all Israel, since no man could be sure but some time or other it might be his own case; and it was for the interest of the land, that the blood of an innocent person, whose hand only was guilty, but not his heart, should not be shed, no not by the avenger of blood: of this law God here reminds them, which was so much for their advantage, that they might remind themselves of the other laws he had given them, which concerned his honour.
I. Orders are given for the appointing of these cities, v. 2. and very seasonably at this time when the land was surveyed, and so they were the better able to divide the coasts of it into three parts, as God had directed them, in order to the more convenient situation of these cities of refuge, Deut. 19. 3. Yet, it is probable that it was not done till after the Levites had their portion assigned them in the next chapter, because the cities of refuge were all to be Levites' cities. As soon as ever God had given them cities of rest, he bade them appoint cities of refuge, to which none of them knew but they might be glad to escape. Thus God provided, not only for their ease at all times, but for their safety in time of danger, and such times we must expect and prepare for in this world. And it intimates what God's spiritual Israel have, and shall have in Christ and heaven, not only to repose themselves in, but refuge to secure themselves in. And we cannot think these cities of refuge would have been so often and so much spoken of in the law of Moses, and have had so much care taken about them, (when the intention of them might have been effectually answered, as it is in our law, by authorising the courts of judgment to protect and acquit the manslayer in all those cases wherein he was to have privilege of sanctuary,) if they were not designed to typify the relief which the gospel provides for poor penitent sinners, and their protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God, in our Lord Jesus, to whom believers flee for refuge, Heb. 6. 18. and in whom they are found, Phil. 3. 9. as in a sanctuary, where they are privileged from arrests, and there is now no condemnation to them, Rom. 8. 1.
II. Instructions are given for the using of these cities. The laws in this matter we had before, Numb. 35. 10, &c. where they were opened at large.
1. It is supposed that a man might possibly kill a person, it may be, his own child, or dearest friend, unawares and unwittingly, v. 3. not only whom he hated not, but whom he truly loved, beforetime, v. 5, for the way of man is not in himself. What reason have we to thank God who has kept us both from slaying, and from being slain by accident! In this case, it is supposed that the relations of the person slain would demand the life of the slayer, as a satisfaction to that ancient law, that who sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
2. It is provided, that if upon trial it appeared, that the murder was done purely by accident, and not by design, either upon an old grudge, or a sudden passion, then the slayer should be sheltered from the avenger of blood in any one of these cities, v. 4, 6. By this law he was entitled to a dwelling in that city, was taken into the care of the government of it, but was confined to it, as a prisoner at large; only if he survived the High Priest, then, and not till then, he might return to his own city. And the Jews say, "If he died before the High Priest in the city of his refuge and exile, and was buried there, yet at the death of the High Priest, his bones should be removed with respect to the place of his fathers' sepulchres."
7. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba (which is Hebron,) in the mountain of Judah. 8. And 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. 9. These 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.
We have here the nomination of the cities of refuge in the land of Canaan, which was made by the advice and authority of Joshua and the princes, v. 7. and upon occasion of the mention of this, is repeated the nomination of the other three in the lot of the other two tribes and a half, which was made by Moses, Deut. 4. 43. but (as Bishop Patrick thinks) they had not the privilege till now.
1. They are said to sanctify these cities, that is the original word for appointed, v. 7. Not that any ceremony was used to signify the consecration of them, only they did by a public act of court solemnly declare them cities of refuge; and, as such, sacred to the honour of God, as the protector of exposed innocency. If they were sanctuaries, it was proper to say, they were sanctified. Christ, our Refuge, was sanctified by his Father; nay, for our sakes he sanctified himself, John 17. 19.
2. These cities (as those also on the other side Jordan) stood in the three several parts of the country, so conveniently that a man might (they say) in half a day reach some one of them from any corner of the country: Kedesh was in Naphtali, the most northern tribe, Hebron in Judah, the most southern, and Shechem in Ephraim, which lay in the middle, about equally distant from the other two. God is a refuge at hand.
3. They were all Levites' cities, which put an honour upon God's tribe, making them judges in those cases wherein divine providence was so nearly concerned, and protectors to oppressed innocency; it was also a kindness to the poor refugee, that when he might not go up to the house of the Lord, nor tread his courts, yet he had the servants of God's house with him, to instruct him, and pray for him, and help to make up the want of public ordinances. If he must be confined, it shall be to a Levite-city, where he may, if he will, improve his time.
4. These cities were upon hills to be seen afar off, for a city on a hill cannot be hid; and this would both direct and encourage the poor distressed man that was making that way; and though therefore his way at last was up-hill, yet this would comfort him, that he would be in his place of safety quickly; and if he could but get into the suburbs of the city, he was well enough off.
5. Some observe a significancy in the names of these cities with application to Christ our Refuge. I delight not in quibbling upon names, yet am willing to take notice of these. Kedesh signifies holy, and our refuge is the holy Jesus. Shechem, a shoulder, and the government is upon his shoulder. Hebron, fellowship, and believers are called into the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, a fortification, for he is a Strong-hold to all them that
