Deuteronomy 19 · Verse 5

Deuteronomy 19:5

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:
Deuteronomy 19:5, King James Version

Deuteronomy 19:5 in other translations

BSBIf he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.
WEBas when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.
ASVas when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor 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 neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:
YLTeven he who cometh in with his neighbour into a forest to hew wood, and his hand hath driven with an axe to cut the tree, and the iron hath slipped from the wood, and hath met his neighbour, and he hath died--he doth flee unto one of these cities, and hath lived,
DARBYas when he 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 iron slippeth from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; such an one shall flee unto one of these cities, and live;
BBEFor example, if a man goes into the woods with his neighbour for the purpose of cutting down trees, and when he takes his axe to give a blow to the tree, the head of the axe comes off, and falling on to his neighbour gives him a wound causing his death; then the man may go in flight to one of these towns and be safe:
WebsterAs when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand maketh a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and falleth upon his neighbor, that he dieth: he shall flee to one of these cities, and live:

What does Deuteronomy 19:5 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

Chapter Outline The cities of refuge, The man-slayer, The murderer. (1-13) Landmarks not to be removed. (14) The punishment of false witnesses. (15-21) Verses 1-13 Here is the law settled between the blood of the murdered, and the blood of the murderer; provision is made, that the cities of refuge should be a protection, so that a man should not die for that as a crime, which was not his willing act. In Christ, the…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 19:1-13 →

Deuteronomy 19:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַאֲשֶׁר֩va.'a.Sherand whoH834
יָבֹ֨אya.Vo'he will goH935
אֶת\־'et-withH854
רֵעֵ֥הוּre.'E.hucompanion hisH7453
בַיַּעַר֮vai.ya.'Arin the forestH3293
לַחְטֹ֣בlach.Toto cutH2404
עֵצִים֒'e.Tzimwood<s>H6086
וְנִדְּחָ֨הve.ni.de.Chahand it will be impelledH5080
יָד֤וֹya.Dohand hisH3027
בַגַּרְזֶן֙va.gar.Zenby the axeH1631
לִכְרֹ֣תlikh.Rotto cut downH3772
הָעֵ֔ץha.'Etzthe treeH6086
וְנָשַׁ֤לve.na.Shaland it will slip offH5394
הַבַּרְזֶל֙ha.bar.Zelthe ironH1270
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הָעֵ֔ץha.'Etzthe treeH6086
וּמָצָ֥אu.ma.Tza'and it will findH4672
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
רֵעֵ֖הוּre.'E.hucompanion hisH7453
וָמֵ֑תva.Metand he will dieH4191
ה֗וּאHu'heH1931
יָנ֛וּסya.Nushe will fleeH5127
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אַחַ֥ת'a.Chatone ofH259
הֶעָרִים\־he.'a.rim-the citiesH5892
הָאֵ֖לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
וָחָֽי\׃va.Chaiand he will liveH2421

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 19:5

  • Proverbs 27:12

    A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

  • 2 Kings 6:5-7

    But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

  • Isaiah 32:2

    And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

  • Numbers 35:25

    And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
head. Heb. iron.
2Ki 6:5-7
helve. Heb. wood. lighteth. Heb. findeth. he shall flee.
Nu 35:25; Pr 27:12; Isa 32:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 19:4

    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;

  • Deuteronomy 19:5

    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:

  • Deuteronomy 19:6

    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.

Read all of Deuteronomy 19

Deuteronomy 19:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Como el que fué con su prójimo al monte á cortar leña, y poniendo fuerza con su mano en el hacha para cortar algún leño, saltó el hierro del cabo, y encontró á su prójimo, y murió; aquél huirá á una de aquestas ciudades, y vivirá;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
comme si quelqu’un va avec son prochain dans la forêt pour couper du bois, et que sa main lève la hache pour couper l’arbre, et que le fer échappe du manche et atteigne son prochain, et qu’il meure: il s’enfuira dans une de ces villes, et il vivra;
German
Elberfelder 1871
wie etwa wenn jemand mit seinem Nächsten in den Wald geht, um Holz zu hauen, und seine Hand holt aus mit der Axt, um das Holz abzuhauen, und das Eisen fährt vom Stiele und trifft seinen Nächsten, daß er stirbt: der soll in eine dieser Städte fliehen, damit er am Leben bleibe;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
sed abiisse cum eo simpliciter in silvam ad ligna cædenda, et in succisione lignorum securis fugerit manu, ferrumque lapsum de manubrio amicum ejus percusserit, et occiderit: hic ad unam supradictarum urbium confugiet, et vivet: