Read the Bible
KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Deuteronomy 4:41–43

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
¶ 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.
Share
Email linkOpen a new message in your email app
Read chapter
More
Report an issueTell us about a text or study problem

PASSAGE SELECTION

Build from either side

3 selected · 7 available

Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

13 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 41

  1. Numbers 35:6Rank 1 from verse 41
    Open

    6And 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.

  2. Numbers 35:14–15Rank 2 from verse 41
    Open

    14Ye 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.

    15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

  3. Joshua 20:2–9Rank 3 from verse 41
    Open

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

    3That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

    4And 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.

    5And 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.

    6And 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.

    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.

    8And 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.

    9These 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.

From verse 42

  1. Deuteronomy 19:1–10Rank 1 from verse 42
    Open

    1WHEN the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

    2Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

    3Thou 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.

    4¶ 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;

    5As 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:

    6Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

    7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

    8And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

    9If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

    10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

  2. Hebrews 6:18Rank 2 from verse 42
    Open

    18That 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:

  3. Numbers 35:11–12Rank 3 from verse 42
    Open

    11Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

    12And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

  4. Numbers 35:15–28Rank 4 from verse 42
    Open

    15These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

    16And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

    17And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

    18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

    19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

    20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

    21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

    22But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

    23Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

    24Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

    25And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

    26But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

    27And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

    28Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

  5. Numbers 35:6Rank 5 from verse 42
    Open

    6And 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.

From verse 43

  1. Joshua 20:8Rank 1 from verse 43
    Open

    8And 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.

  2. 1 Chronicles 6:71Rank 2 from verse 43
    Open

    71Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs:

  3. 1 Chronicles 6:80Rank 3 from verse 43
    Open

    80And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

  4. 1 Kings 22:3–4Rank 4 from verse 43
    Open

    3And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

    4And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

  5. 1 Kings 4:13Rank 5 from verse 43
    Open

    13The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Deuteronomy 4:41

COMBINED MEANING

severed

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of sever, meaning to divide, separate, distinguish, set apart, or make a difference between persons, peoples, animals, places, or conditions.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

on

↗

1. At, upon, or in contact with the named place, object, side, or time. 2. Toward, against, concerning, depending upon, or directed to the named person or thing. 3. Forward or continuing; in joined expressions such as go on, put on, and lay hold on, the other words supply the particular action.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

side

↗

Sense 1: A lateral part, edge, or surface. Sense 2: A party or position in a dispute.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

toward

↗

1. In the direction of or in relation to. 2. Approaching. 3. Inclined or ready.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

sunrising

↗

The first appearance of the sun above the horizon in the morning; or more generally, the time of such appearance, whether in fair or cloudy weather.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Deuteronomy 4:42

COMBINED MEANING

might

↗

Sense 1: Power or strength. Sense 2: An auxiliary expressing possibility or permission.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

which

↗

1. An interrogative or relative pronoun identifying one or more persons or things from a stated or implied set. 2. That which; what.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

should

↗

A verb expressing duty, propriety, expectation, intention, purpose, condition, appointed outcome, or a future event viewed from another time or statement.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

unawares

↗

1. Without knowledge, awareness, or notice. 2. Unintentionally or unwittingly. 3. Unexpectedly.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

hated

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of hate, meaning to feel strong dislike, aversion, or enmity toward; in comparisons, to love less.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

past

↗

Gone by, ended, or beyond a stated place, time, or limit.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

live

↗

Sense 1: As a verb, to have or continue in life; to remain alive, be restored to life, or not die. Sense 2: To dwell, abide, or continue in a place, state, relation, or manner of life. Sense 3: To subsist or be sustained by or upon what is named. Sense 4: As an adjective, alive rather than dead; or containing fire and not extinguished.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Deuteronomy 4:43

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wilderness

↗

Uncultivated, desolate, sparsely inhabited, or uninhabited land; a desert, wild country, or solitary region.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

plain

↗

1. A level tract of land. 2. Clear or evident. 3. Simple or unadorned.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

Nearby Scripture remains separate from the selected passage until you add it.

40Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.

41¶ Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

Selected passage

42That 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:

Selected passage

43Namely, 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.

Selected passage

44¶ And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

LOCAL PASTOR DIRECTORY

Find a Pastor Near You

Enter a U.S. ZIP code to find nearby pastors committed to holding fast the faithful word.

Your ZIP is processed in this browser from local data. It is not sent to a ZIP lookup service or to a church. ZIP coordinates from GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.