Deuteronomy 19:6

Lest 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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
avenger	גֹּאֵ֨ל go.'El	H1350	to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relati… · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular construct
blood	הַדָּ֜ם ha.Dam	H1818	blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or… · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
pursue	יִרְדֹּף֩ yir.Dof	H7291	to run after (usually with hostile intent · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
slayer	אַחֲרֵ֣י 'a.cha.Rei	H310	properly · cardinal number, masculine plural construct
while	כִּי ki-	H3588	(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunc… · particle
heart	לְבָבוֹ֒ le.va.Vo	H3824	the heart (as the most interior organ) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
hot	יָחַם yâcham	H3179	probably to be hot
overtake	וְהִשִּׂיג֛וֹ ve.hi.si.Go	H5381	to reach (literally or figuratively) · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
way	הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ ha.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
long	יִרְבֶּ֥ה yir.Beh	H7235	to increase (in whatever respect) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
slay	וְהִכָּ֣הוּ ve.hi.Ka.hu	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
him	נָ֑פֶשׁ Na.fesh	H5315	properly · noun, common feminine singular absolute
worthy	מִשְׁפַּט mish.pat-	H4941	properly · noun, common masculine singular construct
death	מָ֔וֶת Ma.vet	H4194	death (natural or violent) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
as	כִּֽי ki-	H3588	(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunc… · particle
hated	שֹׂנֵ֥א so.Ne'	H8130	to hate (personally) · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
time	מִתְּמ֥וֹל mi.te.Mol	H8543	properly · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
past	שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם shil.Shom	H8032	trebly · noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Numbers 35:12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgmen…
Deuteronomy 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
Joshua 20:5 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 unwitt…
2 Samuel 14:7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for…
Jeremiah 26:15-16 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

It was one of the precepts given to the sons of Noah that whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed, that is, by the avenger of blood, Gen 9:6. Now here we have the law settled between blood and blood, between the blood of the murdered and the blood of the murderer, and effectual provision made, I. That the cities of refuge should be a protection to him that slew another casually, so that he should not die for that as a crime which was not his voluntary act, but only his unhappiness. The appointment of these cities of refuge we had before (Exo 21:13), and the law laid down concerning them at large, Num 35:10, etc. It is here repeated, and direction is given concerning three t…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 19:6

Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot--This verse is a continuation of Deu 19:3 (for Deu 19:4-5, which are explanatory, are in a parenthetical form), and the meaning is that if the kinsman of a person inadvertently killed should, under the impulse of sudden excitement and without inquiring into the circumstances, inflict summary vengeance on the homicide, however guiltless, the law tolerated such an act; it was to pass with impunity. But to prevent such precipitate measures, the cities of refuge were established for the reception of the homicide, that "innocent blood might not be shed in thy land" (Deu 19:10). In the case of premeditated murder (Deu 19:11-12…

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John Gill on Deuteronomy 19:6

Lest the avenger of blood pursue the slayer,.... These words are to be connected with Deuteronomy 19:3, where it is ordered to prepare the way to the cities of refuge, and to divide the land into three parts, for the convenience of the slayer to flee thither, lest he that was next of kin, and incensed against the slayer, and determined to avenge what was done, should pursue after him: while his heart is hot; by reason of the loss of his relation, upon which his passions being raised, his heart becomes inflamed with wrath and anger; which pushes him upon an eager and hasty pursuit of the slayer, before he sits down and coolly considers and deliberates on the affair: and overtake him, becaus…

Dictionary and topics

City — The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have…
Goel — In Hebrew the participle of the verb gaal, “to redeem.” It is rendered in the Authorized Version “kinsman,” Num. 5:8; Ruth 3:12; 4:1, 6, 8; “redeemer,” Job 19:25; “avenger,” Num. 35:12; Deut. 19:6,…
Avenger Of Blood · SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Refuge · .From the avenger of bloo — .From the avenger of bloo

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Deuteronomy 19:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 19:6

John Gill on Deuteronomy 19:6

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy 19:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 19:6

John Gill on Deuteronomy 19:6

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 19:1-13

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Deuteronomy 19:6

Rashi on Deuteronomy 19:6