The Meaning of Numbers 35:16 Explained

Numbers 35:16

KJV: And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

YLT: And if with an instrument of iron he hath smitten him, and he dieth, he is a murderer: the murderer is certainly put to death.

Darby: And if he have smitten him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall certainly be put to death.

ASV: But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And if he smite  him with an instrument  of iron,  so that he die,  he [is] a murderer:  the murderer  shall surely  be put to death. 

What does Numbers 35:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 35:16-34 - The Penalty For The Murderer
For murder the penalty was death, Numbers 35:30-31; but for accidental homicide there was freedom within the city limits until the death of the high priest, when all these refugees might return to their homes with impunity. The institution of the blood-avenger was almost a necessity in those lands of scattered population and without communal organization. Here, without destroying the practice, it has been placed under careful limitations. We are our brethren's keepers, and instead of passing on a slander, we should stand for them against those who have wrongfully maligned them.
What an exquisite promise is contained in Numbers 35:34! To think that Jehovah actually dwelled in the Holy Land! He dwells also in each assembly of His saints and in our hearts. See Ezekiel 48:35; Matthew 18:20; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 35

1  Forty-eight cities for the Levites, with their suburbs, and measure thereof
6  Six of them are to be cities of refuge
9  The laws of murder and manslaughter
31  No satisfaction for murder

What do the individual words in Numbers 35:16 mean?

But if with an implement iron he strikes him so that he dies [is] a murderer he surely shall be put to death the murderer
וְאִם־ בִּכְלִ֨י בַרְזֶ֧ל ׀ הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת רֹצֵ֣חַֽ ה֑וּא מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת הָרֹצֵֽחַ

וְאִם־  But  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
בִּכְלִ֨י  with  an  implement 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
בַרְזֶ֧ל ׀  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
הִכָּ֛הוּ  he  strikes  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
וַיָּמֹ֖ת  so  that  he  dies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
רֹצֵ֣חַֽ  [is]  a  murderer 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
מ֥וֹת  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יוּמַ֖ת  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הָרֹצֵֽחַ  the  murderer 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.