Joshua 20:5
New International Version
If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.

New Living Translation
If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

English Standard Version
And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.

Berean Standard Bible
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.

New American Standard Bible
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.

NASB 1995
‘Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand.

NASB 1977
‘Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not surrender the manslayer into his hand because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand.

Amplified Bible
If the blood avenger pursues him, they shall not hand the offender (manslayer) over to him, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand.

Christian Standard Bible
And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, for he killed his neighbor accidentally and did not hate him beforehand.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, for he killed his neighbor accidentally and did not hate him beforehand.

American Standard Version
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unawares, and hated him not beforetime.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they shall take him in when the seeker of vengeance of blood will chase after him and they shall not deliver the slayer into his hands, because unknowingly he struck his neighbor and was not hating him from former days

Contemporary English Version
One of the victim's relatives might come to the town, looking for revenge. But the town leaders must not simply hand over the person accused of murder. After all, the accused and the victim had been neighbors, not enemies.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the avenger of blood shall pursue him, they shall not deliver him into his hands, because he slew his neighbour unawares, and is not proved to have been his enemy two or three days before.

English Revised Version
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
" 'If the relative who can avenge the death pursues him, the leaders must not hand him over to the relative because he didn't intend to kill the other person. He didn't even hate the person he killed.

Good News Translation
If the one looking for revenge follows you there, the people of the city must not hand you over to that one. They must protect you because you killed the person accidentally and not out of anger.

International Standard Version
Now if the closely related avenger pursues him, then they are not to hand the killer over to him, because he killed his neighbor without premeditation and without hating him beforehand.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unawares, and hated him not beforetime.

Literal Standard Version
And when the redeemer of blood pursues after him, then they do not shut up the manslayer into his hand, for he has struck his neighbor without knowledge, and is not hating him until now;

Majority Standard Bible
Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

New American Bible
Though the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver up to him the one who killed a neighbor unintentionally, when there had been no hatred previously.

NET Bible
When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.

New Revised Standard Version
And if the avenger of blood is in pursuit, they shall not give up the slayer, because the neighbor was killed by mistake, there having been no enmity between them before.

New Heart English Bible
If the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the manslayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and did not hate him before.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if the avenger of blood shall pursue him, then they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbor ignorantly, and had not hated him before.

World English Bible
If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.

Young's Literal Translation
'And when the redeemer of blood doth pursue after him, then they do not shut up the man-slayer into his hand, for without knowledge he hath smitten his neighbour, and is not hating him hitherto;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Six Cities of Refuge
4When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. 5Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. 6He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”…

Cross References
Leviticus 4:2
"Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD's commandments and does what is forbidden by them:

Numbers 35:12
You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.


Treasury of Scripture

And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

Numbers 35:12,25
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…

Jump to Previous
Aforethought Avenger Beforehand Beforetime Blood Cause Death Deliver Designing Enmity Hand Hate Hated Ignorantly Killed Malice Manslayer Neighbor Neighbour Neighbour's Past Premeditation Previously Punishment Pursue Pursues Redeemer Right Slayer Smote Struck Surrender Taker Times Unawares Unintentionally Unwittingly
Jump to Next
Aforethought Avenger Beforehand Beforetime Blood Cause Death Deliver Designing Enmity Hand Hate Hated Ignorantly Killed Malice Manslayer Neighbor Neighbour Neighbour's Past Premeditation Previously Punishment Pursue Pursues Redeemer Right Slayer Smote Struck Surrender Taker Times Unawares Unintentionally Unwittingly
Joshua 20
1. God commands
7. and the children of Israel appoint the six cities of refuge














Verse 5. - And if. Or, "and when." Deliver. Literally, cause to shut up (συγκλείσουσι, LXX.), implying the completeness of the deliverance, from which no escape was possible. And hated him not before time. Daun, cited in Keil's Commentary here, remarks on the difference between the Jewish law of sanctuary and that of the Greeks and Romans. The former was not designed to save the criminal from the penalty he had deserved, but only the victim of an accident from consequences far exceeding the offence. The Greeks and Romans, on the contrary, provided the real criminal with a mode of escape from a punishment which he had justly merited.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now if
וְכִ֨י (wə·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the avenger
גֹּאֵ֤ל (gō·’êl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1350: To redeem, act as kinsman

of blood
הַדָּם֙ (had·dām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

pursues him,
יִרְדֹּ֜ף (yir·dōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute

they must not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

deliver
יַסְגִּ֥רוּ (yas·gi·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5462: To shut up, to surrender

the manslayer
הָרֹצֵ֖חַ (hā·rō·ṣê·aḥ)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7523: To dash in pieces, kill, to murder

into his hands,
בְּיָד֑וֹ (bə·yā·ḏōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

because
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[that man] killed
הִכָּ֣ה (hik·kāh)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

his neighbor
רֵעֵ֔הוּ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

accidentally
בִבְלִי־ (ḇiḇ·lî-)
Preposition-b | Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as

without
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

prior
שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃ (šil·šō·wm)
Adverb
Strong's 8032: Three days ago, day before, yesterday

malice.
שֹׂנֵ֥א (śō·nê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8130: To hate


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OT History: Joshua 20:5 If the avenger of blood pursue after (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 20:4
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