Joshua 20 · Verse 2

Joshua 20:2

Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
Joshua 20:2, King James Version

Joshua 20:2 in other translations

BSB“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,
WEB“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,
ASVSpeak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by Moses,
YLT‘Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Give for you cities of refuge, as I have spoken unto you by the hand of Moses,
DARBYSpeak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for yourselves the cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you through Moses,
BBESay to the children of Israel, Let certain towns be marked out as safe places, as I said to you by the mouth of Moses,
WebsterSpeak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses:

What does Joshua 20:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 20:1-3

Jos 20:1-6. The Lord Commands the Cities of Refuge. 1-3. The Lord spake unto Joshua ... Appoint out for you cities of refuge--(See Nu 35:9-28; De 19:1-13). The command here recorded was given on their going to occupy their allotted settlements. The sanctuaries were not temples or altars, as in other countries, but inhabited cities; and the design was not to screen criminals, but only to afford the homicide…

Read the full comment on Joshua 20:1-3 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Cities of refuge - An institution of this kind was essentially necessary wherever the patriarchal law relative to the right of redemption and the avenging of blood was in force; we have already seen that the nearest of kin to a deceased person had not only the right of redeeming an inheritance that had been forfeited or alienated, but had also authority to slay on the spot the person who had slain his relative. Now, as a man might casually kill another against whom he had no ill-will, and with whom he had no quarrel, and might have his life taken away by him who was called the avenger of blood, though he had not forfeited his life to the law; therefore these privileged cities were appointed, where the person might have protection till the cause had been fully heard by the magistrates, who certainly had authority to deliver him up to the avenger, if they found, on examination, that he was not entitled to this protection. On this subject see the notes on Num 35:11 to the end.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 20:1-6

When the Israelites were settled in their promised inheritance, they were reminded to set apart the cities of refuge, whose use and typical meaning have been explained, Nu 35; De 19. God's spiritual Israel have, and shall have in Christ and heaven, not only rest to repose in, but refuge to secure themselves in. These cities were designed to typify the relief which the gospel provides for penitent sinners, and their…

Read the full comment on Joshua 20:1-6 →

Joshua 20:2 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.

דַּבֵּ֛רda.BerspeakH1696
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
תְּנ֤וּte.NuassignH5414
לָכֶם֙la.Khemfor <the> yourselves
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עָרֵ֣י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
הַמִּקְלָ֔טha.mik.Lat<the> refugeH4733
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
דִּבַּ֥רְתִּיdi.Bar.tiI spokeH1696
אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם'a.lei.Khemto youH413
בְּיַד\־be.yad-by [the] hand ofH3027
מֹשֶֽׁה\׃mo.ShehMosesH4872

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

Cross references for Joshua 20:2

  • Deuteronomy 19:2-13

    Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. 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; 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: …

  • Numbers 35:6

    And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

  • Deuteronomy 4:41-43

    Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising; That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.

  • Numbers 35:11-24

    Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. …

  • Romans 8:1

    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  • Hebrews 6:18-19

    That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

  • Exodus 21:13-14

    And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

  • Romans 8:33-34

    Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Appoint.
Ex 21:13,14; Nu 35:6,11-14; De 4:41-43; 19:2-13; Ro 8:1,33,34
Heb 6:18,19
your refuge.
Nu 35:15-24

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

Context

  • Joshua 20:1

    The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying,

  • Joshua 20:2

    Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

  • Joshua 20:3

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

Read all of Joshua 20

Joshua 20:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Habla á los hijos de Israel, diciendo: Señalaos las ciudades de refugio, de las cuales yo os hablé por Moisés;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Parle aux fils d’Israël, en disant: Établissez-vous les villes de refuge dont je vous ai parlé par Moïse,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Rede zu den Kindern Israel und sprich: Bestimmet euch die Zufluchtstädte, von welchen ich durch Mose zu euch geredet habe,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Separate urbes fugitivorum, de quibus locutus sum ad vos per manum Moysi: