SEV Biblia, Chapter 35:6
Y de las ciudades que daréis a los levitas, seis ciudades serán de acogimiento, las cuales daréis para que el homicida se acoja allá; y además de éstas daréis cuarenta y dos ciudades.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites , etc.] The number of which is not yet expressed, but is afterwards: there shall be six cities for refuge ; a sort of asylums, of which there were many among the Heathens, perhaps in imitation of these, for persons to have recourse to for safety, when in danger of life: the Septuagint render the words, “cities of flight” f503 ; or to flee unto, which certainly was the use of them: to this the apostle alludes when he speaks of some that fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them, ( Hebrews 6:18), the word used for refuge signifies “gathering or receiving”, for here persons in distress gathered or betook themselves; and here they were received, retained, protected, and sheltered: what and where these six cities were to be, and were, is after shown: which ye shall appoint for the manslayer ; not for any and everyone, not for one that killed a man presumptuously and purposely, through enmity and malice, but for one that did it ignorantly, unawares, and without design: that he may flee thither ; with all haste, after the commission of the fact; and, to facilitate his flight, and that he might have no interruption in it, the sanhedrim were obliged to prepare the ways to the cities of refuge, and to make them fit and large; and they removed everything that might cause him to stumble; and they did not leave in the way neither an hillock, nor a dale, nor a river but they made a bridge over it, that nothing might retard him that fled thither, as it is said; thou shalt prepare thee a way ; ( Deuteronomy 19:3) and the breadth of the way to the cities of refuge was not less than thirty two cubits; and at the parting of ways (on posts erected) were written, “refuge, refuge”, so that the slayer might know (the way) and turn there (as this directed him): and on the fifteenth of Adar or February, they met every year, to take care of this business f505 ; and they also appointed two disciples of the wise men, or two studious and understanding persons, to accompany him, not so much for the direction of the way, as lest the avenger of blood should meet with him, and slay him in the way; and who were to talk to him, and persuade him not to do it, suggesting to him that it was not done designedly, but unawares, and that it would be a bad thing to kill a man for what he did not intend to do, and which was done without any malice or enmity to the person killed, and with such like words to cool and appease the avenger f506 : and to them ye shall add forty two cities ; according to the Jewish writers these also were cities of refuge; for so they say f507 , “all the cities of the Levites receive or are refuges, every one of them is a city of refuge, as it is said, “and to them ye shall add”, etc. the Scripture makes them all alike for refuge: what difference is there between cities of refuge, which are separated for refuge, and the rest of the cities of the Levites? the gates of the cities of refuge receive, whether according to knowledge or not, (which Mr. Selden interprets, whether the inhabitants will or not; but the sense of Maimonides elsewhere f509 , and of other writers, is plainly this, whether according to the knowledge and intention of the manslayer or not, whether he knows it to be a city of refuge or :not, and whether he purposely came thither for safety or not,) and he that enters into them is safe; but the rest of the cities of the Levites do not receive, but according to knowledge (when the manslayer knowingly and designedly came thither for shelter); and a manslayer that dwells in a city of refuge gives no more for his house, but he that dwells in the other cities of the Levites gives more (or pays for it) to the owner of the house;” but though this is their unanimous opinion, it rather seems, according to the letter of the Scripture, that only six were cities of refuge, and the rest were for the Levites to dwell in by themselves.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The cities of the priests and Levites were not only to accommodat them, but to place them, as religious teachers, in several parts of the land. For though the typical service of the tabernacle or temple wa only in one place, the preaching of the word of God, and prayer an praise, were not thus confined. These cities were to be given out of each tribe. Each thus made a grateful acknowledgement to God. Eac tribe had the benefit of the Levites dwelling amongst them, to teac them the knowledge of the Lord; thus no parts of the country were lef to sit in darkness. The gospel provides that he who is taught in the word, should communicate to him that teaches, in all good things, God 6:6. We are to free God's ministers from distracting cares, and to leave them at leisure for the duties of their station; so that they ma be wholly employed therein, and avail themselves of every opportunity by acts of kindness, to gain the good-will of the people, and to dra their attention.
Original Hebrew
ואת 853 הערים 5892 אשׁר 834 תתנו 5414 ללוים 3881 את 853 שׁשׁ 8337 ערי 5892 המקלט 4733 אשׁר 834 תתנו 5414 לנס 5127 שׁמה 8033 הרצח 7523 ועליהם 5921 תתנו 5414 ארבעים 705 ושׁתים 8147 עיר׃ 5892
