J
O S H U A
CHAP. XX.
This
short chapter is concerning the cities of refuge, which we often read of in
the writings of Moses, but this is the last time that we find mention of them,
for now that matter was thoroughly settled. Here is, I. The law God gave
concerning them, ver. 1-6. II. The people's designation of the particular
cities for that use, ver. 7-9. And this remedial law was a figure of good
things to come.
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The
Cities of Refuge.
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B.
C. 1444.
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1 The LORD
also spake unto Joshua, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel,
saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the
hand of Moses: 3 That the slayer that killeth any person
unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your
refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 And 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. 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 unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. 6 And 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.
Many things were by the law of Moses ordered to be done when they came to
Canaan and this among the rest, the appointing of sanctuaries for the
protecting of those that were guilty of casual murder, which was a privilege
to all Israel, since no man could be sure but some time or other it might be
his own case; and it was for the interest of the land that the blood of an
innocent person, whose hand only was guilty but not his heart, should not be
shed, no, not by the avenger of blood: of this law, which was so much for
their advantage, God here reminds them, that they might remind themselves of
the other laws he had given them, which concerned his honour. 1. Orders are
given for the appointing of these cities (v. 2), and very seasonably at
this time when the land was newly surveyed, and so they were the better able
to divide the coasts of it into three parts, as God had directed them, in
order to the more convenient situation of these cities of refuge, Deut. xix.
3. Yet it is probable that it was not done till after the Levites had their
portion assigned them in the next chapter, because the cities of refuge were
all to be Levites' cities. As soon as ever God had given them cities of rest,
he bade them appoint cities of refuge, to which none of them knew but they
might be glad to escape. Thus God provided, not only for their ease at all
times, but for their safety in times of danger, and such times we must expect
and prepare for in this world. And it intimates what God's spiritual Israel
have and shall have, in Christ and heaven, not only rest to repose themselves
in, but refuge to secure themselves in. And we cannot think these cities of
refuge would have been so often and so much spoken of in the law of Moses, and
have had so much care taken about them (when the intention of them might have
been effectually answered, as it is in our law, by authorizing the courts of
judgment to protect and acquit the manslayer in all those cases wherein he was
to have privilege of sanctuary), if they were not designed to typify the
relief which the gospel provides for poor penitent sinners, and their
protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God, in our Lord Jesus,
to whom believers flee for refuge (Heb. vi. 18), and in whom they are found
(Phil. iii. 9) as in a sanctuary, where they are privileged from arrests, and there
is now no condemnation to them, Rom. viii. 1. 2. Instructions are given
for the using of these cities. The laws in this matter we had before, Num.
xxxv. 10, &c., where they were opened at large. (1.) It is supposed that a
man might possibly kill a person, it might be his own child or dearest friend,
unawares and unwittingly (v. 3), not only whom he hated not, but whom
he truly loved beforetime (v. 5); for the way of man is not in
himself. What reason have we to thank God who has kept us both from
slaying and from being slain by accident! In this case, it is supposed that
the relations of the person slain would demand the life of the slayer, as a
satisfaction to that ancient law that whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall
his blood be shed. (2.) It is provided that if upon trial it appeared that
the murder was done purely by accident, and not by design, either upon an old
grudge or a sudden passion, then the slayer should be sheltered from the
avenger of blood in any one of these cities, v. 4-6. By this law he was
entitled to a dwelling in that city, was taken into the care of the government
of it, but was confined to it, as prisoner at large; only, if he survived the
high priest, then, and not till then, he might return to his own city. And the
Jews say, "If he died before the high priest in the city of his refuge
and exile, and was buried there, yet, at the death of the high priest, his
bones should be removed with respect to the place of his fathers'
sepulchres."
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. 8 And 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. 9 These 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.
We have here the nomination of the cities of refuge in the land of Canaan,
which was made by the advice and authority of Joshua and the princes (v.
7); and upon occasion of the mention of this is repeated the nomination of the
other three in the lot of the other two tribes and a half, which was made by
Moses (Deut. iv. 43), but (as bishop Patrick thinks) they had not the
privilege till now. 1. They are said to sanctify these cities, that is
the original word for appointed, v. 7. Not that any ceremony was
used to signify the consecration of them, only they did by a public act of
court solemnly declare them cities of refuge, and as such sacred to the honour
of God, as the protector of exposed innocency. If they were sanctuaries, it
was proper to say they were sanctified. Christ, our refuge, was
sanctified by his Father; nay, for our sakes he sanctified himself, John xvii.
19. 2. These cities (as those also on the other side Jordan) stood in the
three several parts of the country, so conveniently that a man might (they
say) in half a day reach some one of them from any corner of the country.
Kedesh was in Naphtali, the most northern tribe, Hebron in Judah, the most
southern, and Shechem in Ephraim, which lay in the middle, about equally
distant from the other two. God is a refuge at hand. 3. They were all Levites'
cities, which put an honour upon God's tribe, making them judges in those
cases wherein divine Providence was so nearly concerned, and protectors to
oppressed innocency. It was also a kindness to the poor refugee, that when he
might not go up to the house of the Lord, nor tread his courts, yet he had the
servants of God's house with him, to instruct him, and pray for him, and help
to make up the want of public ordinances. If he must be confined, it shall be
to a Levite-city, where he may, if he will, improve his time. 4. These cities
were upon hills to be seen afar off, for a city on a hill cannot be hid; and
this would both direct and encourage the poor distressed man that was making
that way; and, though therefore his way at last was up-hill, yet this would
comfort him, that he would be in his place of safety quickly, and if he could
but get into the suburbs of the city he was well enough off. 5. Some observe a
significancy in the names of these cities with application to Christ our
refuge. I delight not in quibbling upon names, yet am willing to take notice
of these. Kedesh signifies holy, and our refuge is the holy
Jesus. Shechem, a shoulder, and the government is upon his shoulder. Hebron,
fellowship, and believers are called into the fellowship of Christ Jesus
our Lord. Bezer, a fortification, for he is a strong-hold to all those
that trust in him. Ramoth, high or exalted, for him hath God
exalted with his own right hand. Golan, joy or exultation, for
in him all the saints are justified, and shall glory. Lastly, Besides
all these, the horns of the altar, wherever it was, were a refuge to those who
took hold of them, if the crime were such as that sanctuary allowed. This is
implied in that law (Exod. xxi. 14), that a wilful murderer shall be taken
from God's altar to be put to death. And we find the altar used for this
purpose. 1 Kings i. 50; ii. 28. Christ is our altar, who not only sanctifies
the gift, but protects the giver.
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