Joshua 20:4 · KJV
“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.”
— Joshua 20:4
That the slayer that killeth {any} person unawares {and} unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
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.
Joshua 20 — Context
Speak 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.
Cross References
Jeremiah 38:7
Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
Ruth 4:1-2
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
Psalms 26:9
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: {Gather...: or, Take not away} {bloody...: Heb. men of blood}
Job 5:4
His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither {is there} any to deliver {them}.
Proverbs 31:23
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
Hebrews 6:18
That 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:
Job 29:7
When I went out to the gate through the city, {when} I prepared my seat in the street!