The Meaning of Joshua 20:3 Explained

Joshua 20:3

KJV: That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

YLT: for 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.

Darby: that the slayer who unwittingly without intent smiteth any one mortally may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

ASV: that 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.

Discover Joshua 20:3

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Joshua 20:3?

MEANING: What does Joshua 20:3 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Joshua 20:3 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Joshua 20:3?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That the slayer  that killeth  [any] person  unawares  [and] unwittingly  may flee  thither: and they shall be your refuge  from the avenger  of blood. 

What does Joshua 20:3 Mean?

Study Notes

avenger
Heb. "goel," Redemp. (Kinsman type).
Redeemer
Redemption: Kinsman type, summary. The goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, is a beautiful type of Christ.
(1) The kinsman redemption was of persons, and an inheritance Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:25 ; Galatians 4:5 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; Ephesians 1:11 ; Ephesians 1:14
(2) The Redeemer must be a kinsman Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:49 ; Ruth 3:12 ; Ruth 3:13 ; Galatians 4:4 ; Hebrews 2:14 ; Hebrews 2:15 .
(3) The Redeemer must be able to redeem Ruth 4:4-6 ; Jeremiah 50:34 ; John 10:11 ; John 10:18
(4) Redemption is effected by the goel paying the just demand in full Leviticus 25:27 ; 1 Peter 1:18 ; 1 Peter 1:19 ; Galatians 3:13 . (See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ") See Scofield " Romans 3:24 "
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Romans 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Romans 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.

Context Summary

Joshua 20:1-9 - Cities Of Refuge
These arrangements carried out Numbers 35:9-34. Remember the distinction between deliberate murder and unintentional homicide. Only those who had committed the latter were eligible for refuge.
The fugitive told his story at the gate and was admitted provisionally, Joshua 20:4. His case was afterward investigated by the citizens or their delegates; and if his story were found correct, he might stay till the death of the high priest. This functionary was a type of our Lord; and thus the death of each high priest pre-signified that death by which captive souls are freed and the remembrance of sin made to cease.
The cities were placed so as to be within easy access from all parts of the country. See Proverbs 18:10; Hebrews 6:18. It is an urgent question for us all, Are we within the city, the walls and bulwarks of which are salvation? [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 20

1  God commands
7  and the children of Israel appoint the six cities of refuge

What do the individual words in Joshua 20:3 mean?

may flee there that the slayer who kills a person accidentally outside [or] unintentionally and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood
לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֙מָּה֙ רוֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־ נֶ֥פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה בִּבְלִי־ דָ֑עַת וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְמִקְלָ֔ט מִגֹּאֵ֖ל הַדָּֽם

לָנ֥וּס  may  flee 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
רוֹצֵ֔חַ  that  the  slayer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
מַכֵּה־  who  kills 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
נֶ֥פֶשׁ  a  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה  accidentally 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁגָגָה  
Sense: sin, sin of error or inadvertence, inadvertent sin.
בִּבְלִי־  outside 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb
Root: בְּלִי 
Sense: wearing out adv of negation.
דָ֑עַת  [or]  unintentionally 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.
וְהָי֤וּ  and  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶם֙  your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לְמִקְלָ֔ט  refuge 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִקְלָט  
Sense: refuge, asylum.
מִגֹּאֵ֖ל  from  the  avenger 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.
הַדָּֽם  of  blood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 20:3?

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