Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

on the Whole Bible

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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J O S H U A

CHAP. XX.

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This short chapter is concerning the cities of refuge, which we often

read of in the writings of Moses, but this is the last time that we

find mention of them, for now that matter was thoroughly settled. Here

is,

I. The law God gave concerning them,

ver. 1-6.

II. The people’s designation of the particular cities for that use,

ver. 7-9.

And this remedial law was a figure of good things to come.

The Cities of Refuge.	B. C. 1444.

     

1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

  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:

  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.

  4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall

stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare

his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take

him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may

dwell among them.

  5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall

not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his

neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

  6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the

congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high

priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return,

and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city

from whence he fled.

     

Many things were by the law of Moses ordered to be done when they came

to Canaan and this 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, which was so much for their advantage, God here reminds them,

that they might remind themselves of the other laws he had given them,

which concerned his honour.

1. Orders are given for the appointing of these cities

(v. 2),

and very seasonably at this time when the land was newly 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. xix. 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 times 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 rest 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 authorizing 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. vi. 18),

and in whom they are found

(Phil. iii. 9)

as in a sanctuary, where they are privileged from arrests, and there

is now no condemnation to them,
Rom. viii. 1.

2. Instructions are given for the using of these cities. The laws in

this matter we had before,

Num. xxxv. 10,

&c., where they were opened at large.

(1.) It is supposed that a man might possibly kill a person, it might

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 whoso 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 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. iv. 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 xvii. 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 those that trust in him. Ramoth, high or exalted,

for him hath God exalted with his own right hand. Golan, joy or

exultation, for in him all the saints are justified, and shall

glory. Lastly, Besides all these, the horns of the altar,

wherever it was, were a refuge to those who took hold of them, if the

crime were such as that sanctuary allowed. This is implied in that law

(Exod. xxi. 14),

that a wilful murderer shall be taken from God’s altar to be put to

death. And we find the altar used for this purpose.

1 Kings i. 50; ii. 28.

Christ is our altar, who not only sanctifies the gift, but

protects the giver.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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