This small group Deuteronomy 19 Bible study guide contains commentary, discussion questions, cross-references, and application to encourage life change. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Deuteronomy 19 Bible Study Commentary And Questions – Cities of Refuge and Principles for Today
Outline
I. Cities of refuge (1-13)
II. Property boundaries (14)
III. Multiple witnesses (15-21)
I. Cities of refuge (1-13)
Discussion Questions
• What is a city of refuge?
• Why did God command for cities of refuge to be established?
• What do these show us about God’s character?
• Why was it important to have these cities dispersed across the region?
• What kind of deaths might verse 4 refer to?
• Why is there a different punishment for crimes of premeditation versus manslaying?
• What does this show us about the importance of motives?
• What is an avenger of blood?
• What would the punishment be for these types of deaths?
• What can we learn about how God does or does not hold the perpetrator responsible for this?
• Do you feel the punishment is just? Why or why not?
• Why does the perpetrator have to suffer consequences when it was just an accident?
• What important lessons does this teach us about personal responsibility?
• How can we better avoid dangerous accidents?
• What types of irresponsible habits can cause accidents while driving?
• What are some specific ways you can be more careful to prevent accidents?
• What does this passage teach us about the value of human life?
Cross-References
Numbers 35 – More information about cities of refuge.
Joshua 20 – Joshua established the cities of refuge as he was commanded.
Genesis 9:5-6 – And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Cities of refuge – In this passage, God implemented a legal system for dealing with manslaughter cases. Cities of refuge were not an “escape from jail for free” card. The manslaughterer would still have to face the consequences of his actions, but the punishment would not be death.
Cities of refuge were a way to implement justice, not thwart it. Murderers would still be punished accordingly by following the law (Deuteronomy 19:11-13, Numbers 35:30).
A trial would have to be held by the elders of the city to determine the intent of the accused. The avenger of blood (the accuser) would also be present at this trial (Numbers 35:24).
Joshua 20:4 – He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them.
God laid out several ways that the judges could discern the intent of the accused.
Numbers 35:17-24 – And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.
If the perpetrator held a heavy object and used it to attack someone, then it is murder. Likewise, if he was already enemies of this person and, with premeditation, attacked them and they died, then it is murder. In these cases, the murderer would not be protected in the city of refuge.
But sometimes accidents happen. If a person accidentally killed someone else, then he could be protected in the city of refuge. Likewise, if there was a sudden disagreement and a person pushed someone else and then that person somehow fell and struck their head and died, the perpetrator could also find protection since it was not premeditated. Thus we see a clear distinction between accidental killing and intentional murder.
Both sides would be given the opportunity to make their case. The central question would be whether the killing was intentional and premeditated or an accident. If it was deemed to be an accident, the city would receive the accused and protect him from the avenger of blood. He would then have to stay within the city limits until the death of the high priest.
2. He would have to stay until the death of the high priest –
Joshua 20:6 – And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.
- Why until the death of the high priest?
- Time would dissipate the anger.
- A warning to others to be careful.
- To show the value of life.
- To point to Jesus as our high priest who died for our sins.
- A new high priest might be unaware of the case.
3. The avenger of blood – At this time in history, there was no active police force. Israel did not even have a standing army for most of the Old Testament period. So how would criminals be punished?
The family members of the deceased would appoint someone called an “avenger of blood.” That would generally be the closest mail relative of the deceased. It would be his job to see that justice was served.
The word “avenge” in Hebrew is similar to the word for “redeem,” “reclaim,” or “restore.”
“As a representative of God and the family, the avenger of blood “redeemed” or “reclaimed” the blood of the relative by killing the original blood-shedder.”
Source – https://www.gotquestions.org/avenger-of-blood.html
Avengers of Blood operated in a similar way to posses in the old American West. Sheriffs or marshals were too few to scour the vast plains to hunt down criminals. Therefore, law-abiding citizens would be appointed by law enforcement and given the right to help track down and bring the criminals to justice. The avenger of blood was appointed by God for this same task of bringing a criminal to justice.
We can see from Numbers 35:30 that these people also had to operate within the law.
Numbers 35:30 – If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
They were not allowed to kill an accused person without a proper trial and confirmation from witnesses. He would perhaps be a warrior, someone strong enough to force the return of the accused for trial. Perhaps Avengers of Blood could be hired to bring back a fleeing murderer. But the main point is that these avengers of blood did not have free reign to carry out their own revenge.
Reflect – Is it OK for us to take the law into our own hands to bring criminals to justice today? What if the government is not doing its job?
We should remember that this is a passage describing a unique period of history. God’s law allowed for avengers of blood then. But societies operate differently now and we are not permitted to take the law into our own hands.
Romans 12:19 – Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
God is our avenger. He is the ultimate Avenger of Blood. He will bring all to justice one day.
Revelation 6:10-11 – They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
In addition, we should remember what Jesus did for us. He could have come as an avenger of blood to seek judgment against those who rebelled against God. However, instead of judging the world, He came to save the world. He died as a sacrifice for the very people He who had sinned against Him and the Father. Jesus satisfied God’s just requirements that blood should be shed (Hebrews 9:22) while demonstrating His love in allowing His own innocent blood to be offered in exchange for us.
At every level, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law (Matthew 5:17-20).
Application – Do not take revenge, but leave it in the hands of God.
4. Man’s responsibility – The perpetrator had a responsibility to go to the city of refuge. God made provision for cities of refuge. These cities of refuge were very accessible. If you look at a map, it is clear that great care went into choosing cities that would be nearly evenly spaced throughout the country so that no matter where you were, a city of refuge would not be far away. There was a place of protection that a sinner could go to.
At the same time, that sinner was also responsible for getting up and going and finding his way to the city of refuge. In this aspect, cities of refuge are somewhat similar to salvation. God has provided a way for us to be saved and our sins to be covered. It is available for all. Yet each of us has a responsibility to respond to this offer and take steps to receive this salvation and grab hold of it. If a person made their way to the city of refuge, then credit goes to the Lord for His mercy on their behalf. If a person refused to go to the city of refuge, then his own punishment would be on his own head. The cities of refuge were close, so there was no good excuse for not taking God’s way out from the punishment that would come upon them.
Application – God is merciful and willing to forgive, but He always asks that we come to Him. The prodigal son returned to the father. We cannot just sin and live our lives doing what we want and expect to receive His mercy. We have to submit ourselves to Him and come to Him to ask for it. He offers an umbrella of protection. If we go outside of that, it is our responsibility.
Malachi 3:7 – Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
5. God’s mercy – God is patient and gracious. It pains His heart to see the lives He has created snuffed out and destroyed because of carelessness. He is slow to anger and abounding mercy. He doesn’t quickly strike down the sinner. Instead, He provides a place of protection, even a place of salvation. It is not through the person’s goodness that he can enter that city, but only through God’s mercy.
6. God’s justice – Although God is merciful, He is also just. Imagine what it would be like if there were no consequences for taking others’ lives, even accidentally. There would be little value placed on human life. A “so what” mentality would develop. People would become more and more careless. At the same time, an apathy toward life and death would spread.
God is the Creator of all life. It is just for Him to punish those who take away that life. The perpetrators of these accidental deaths might have to live in a city of refuge for decades after their crime. His life and career would be changed. His family would likely follow him to the city of refuge, meaning his crime would also deeply impact his family. But this is fair. After all, his carelessness impacted the life and family of the person he accidentally killed.
7. Taking personal responsibility –
Reflect – What important lessons do we learn about personal responsibility in this passage?
The manslayer would not have to be executed, but he still faced consequences for his carelessness. Unintentional sins are still sins (Leviticus 4:13).
God holds us responsible for everything we do, even accidents and mistakes. If you are driving down the road and look at your cell phone and cause an accident injuring others, you are responsible for this. If you are a doctor and make a mistake in a surgery or diagnosis and your patient suffers, you are responsible. If a friend asks for your help and you forget and cause trouble for him, you are responsible. If you accidentally allow your child to do something dangerous and he hurts himself seriously, you are responsible.
Many times, we like to excuse our behavior by saying, “I forgot,” or “It was an accident,” or “Oops.” But these phrases do not excuse us from taking responsibility for our actions.
Here are a number of Bible passages that show we have to take personal responsibility for our actions, even mistakes or accidents.
Matthew 12:36 – I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.
Exodus 21:33-34 – When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
Exodus 22:5-6 – If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.
Carelessness is sin. We must be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. This applies to every area of our life, including our kids, patients, students, money, job, etc.
Reflect – Can any of you give examples of careless mistakes that were very costly? How about examples of carefulness? How can we avoid being careless?
Unintentional sins- What kind of sins may fit into this category? Why do we sometimes commit these types of sins? Since we don’t know when we commit them, how can we avoid them?
8. How can we escape God’s wrath? – In this passage, we see that the sinners who carelessly took others’ lives could be saved from God’s wrath, but only by taking the one way out which He provided. Likewise, Jesus is the only escape for us, the only refuge. There are not many ways, just one (Acts 4:12). God mercifully has provided a way of salvation for us. We must follow His path to receive His forgiveness and mercy.0
9. More cities should be added in proportion to their nation’s geographical growth –
Deuteronomy 19:8 – And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers.
10. Murderers were still to be punished – This law was not to be a loophole for those guilty of premeditated murder (Deuteronomy 19:11-13). Strict punishment of murderers would serve as a deterrent and encourage all to value human life.
II. Property boundaries (14)
Discussion Questions
• Why was land especially important to the Jews in ancient Israel?
Cross-References
Proverbs 23:10 – Do not move an ancient landmark.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The Promised Land – God had promised the land to Abraham and his descendants hundreds of years before. This was their inheritance as a people. It was not only given to the nation as a whole but allotments were given to each tribe and family. Their land was an ever-present reminder of God’s promise, covenant, and blessings.
To attempt to move the boundaries was to usurp God Himself. At that time, there were no land surveyors or public record offices. Natural landmarks were recognized as the border between properties. Sometimes stones would also be set up to show the division between properties. Moving these stones was an offense, not just against one’s neighbor but against God.
While the personal application of the commands in the Bible change according to the time and society we live in, the principles behind it do not. Those who live in modern apartments in large cities will never face this issue. Some might deem that this is not relevant to them.
Reflect – What is the principle behind this command and how is it relevant?
However, it is relevant. We are called to “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:30-31).
Application – What are some applications for our modern societies today on how we can love our neighbors?
III. Multiple witnesses (15-21)
Discussion Questions
• Why was a single witness not sufficient to convict an alleged criminal?
• How did the requirement to have multiple witnesses safeguard an innocent party?
• What is a malicious witness (16)?
• What was the judges’ responsibility in verse 18?
• What was to be done to a false witness?
• How did this protect the integrity of the judicial system?
• How would this deter being a false witness?
• What does verse 21 show us about justice?
• How can we understand this in light of the grace that Jesus offers?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Two or three witnesses – No one should ever be punished on the basis of one witness. A single witness might have a personal vendetta. Though it is not impossible, it is far less likely to get two or three people to scheme successfully to pervert justice. One person could also more easily make a mistake, perhaps mishearing, than two or three.
The religious leaders who wanted to execute Jesus found it very difficult to get two or three witnesses to agree to any false charge.
Presumably, the judge hearing the case should separate the witnesses and question them individually so that they could not be unduly influenced by the others.
A similar principle is seen in the New Testament, where two to three witnesses are necessary before a charge is heard against a church elder (1 Timothy 5:19).
Application – Such a policy is also useful in everyday life. For example, perhaps a student slanders another. Do not blindly accept that word as fact. Gather more evidence from other witnesses.
The above is from our commentary on Deuteronomy 17:6, which lists the same requirement.
2. Laws about malicious witnesses – Some people would be motivated to give false testimony for malicious reasons.
Reflect – What are some reasons a person may have wanted to give false testimony?
• They may have wanted the land or another possession of the one they were accusing. This is what happened in the case of Ahab and Naboth (1 Kings 21).
• They may have held a personal grudge against the accused.
• They may have wanted the fiancé, wife, or husband of the accused. A similar thing happened when David got rid of Uriah.
• They may have wanted the authority, power, or influence of the accused. False testimony could be a way to get rid of a political opponent. This is what happened in the case of the Pharisees accusing Jesus. They were jealous of His popularity.
3. Both parties could make their case – Both parties had to appear before the priests and judges to make their case. This demonstrated fairness.
This is similar to the Sixth Amendment of the United States, which says that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”
No shady backroom deals could decide a person’s fate. Trials were to be done in the open with the accuser and accused face-to-face.
By listening to both sides, the judges and priests could come to a just and correct decision.
Proverbs 18:17 – The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
4. False witnesses were to be punished –
Deuteronomy 19:18-21 – The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Those convicted as false witnesses were to receive the same punishment they were seeking against the person they accused. This law was a strong deterrent against giving false testimony. One would think twice before making a false accusation if the risk was their own execution.
Note that the same “two or three witnesses” rule would apply to the one accused of giving false testimony. Therefore, in cases where it was one person’s word against another, then no conviction would be made against either party.
Application – God is a God of truth (Hebrews 6:18). He detests lying lips (Proverbs 12:22). God calls us to speak the truth all the time in all of our interactions.
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