Deuteronomy 19
Deuteronomy 19 deals with cities of refuge, respect for land boundaries, and standards for witnesses in court. The chapter shows concern for justice that protects both the innocent and the community from violence, fraud, and false accusation.
1verseWhen the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you succeed them and dwell in their cities and in their houses,
2verseyou shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the middle of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess.
3verseYou shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which the LORD your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.
4verseThis is the case of the man slayer who shall flee there and live: Whoever kills his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him in time past—
5verseas 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.
6verseOtherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the man slayer while hot anger is in his heart and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him mortally, even though he was not worthy of death, because he didn’t hate him in time past.
7verseTherefore I command you to set apart three cities for yourselves.
8verseIf the LORD your God enlarges your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers;
9verseand if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to walk ever in his ways, then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, in addition to these three.
10verseThis is so that innocent blood will not be shed in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, leaving blood guilt on you.
11verseBut if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
12versethen the elders of his city shall send and bring him there, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13verseYour eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you.
14verseYou shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which they of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit, in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.
15verseOne witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
16verseIf an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
17versethen both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
18verseand the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
19versethen you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
20verseThose who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.
21verseYour eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Purpose of the Cities of Refuge (Verses 1–13)
Cities of refuge are provided so that someone who kills another person unintentionally may be protected from immediate blood vengeance until proper judgment can occur. The text distinguishes accidental killing from intentional murder, showing a concern to prevent both injustice against the innocent and impunity for deliberate violence.
The Importance of Land Boundaries (Verse 14)
The command not to move a neighbor’s boundary marker protects inherited land and prevents quiet forms of theft. Even a small act of boundary manipulation could damage families and social trust, so the law treats property boundaries as part of communal justice.
False Witness and Fair Trials (Verses 15–21)
A matter cannot be established by a single witness; two or three witnesses are required. False witnesses are to be investigated and judged seriously because false testimony can destroy innocent people and corrupt the community’s justice.
Meditation Points
- How does the chapter hold together mercy for accidental wrongdoing and justice for deliberate violence?
- Why do small acts of dishonesty, such as moving a boundary, matter to the health of a community?
- How serious are words and testimony when another person’s life or reputation is at stake?
Applying It to Yourself
- Be careful not to judge a situation before the facts are known.
- Practice honesty in boundaries, agreements, property, and speech.
- When speaking about others, remember that testimony can protect or harm.
