Deuteronomy 19:4

Deuteronomy Old Testament

WEB

This is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee there and live: whoever kills his neighbor unawares, and did not hate him in time past;

KJV

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;

Commentary

Commentary

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live,.... It was not any slayer that might have protection in the se cities, but such who were thus and thus circumstanced, or whose case was as follows: whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly; without intention, as the Targum of Jonathan, did not design it, but was done by him unawares: whom he hated not in time past; had never shown by words or deeds that he had any hatred of him or enmity to him three days ago; so that if there were no marks of hatred, or proofs of it three days before this happened, it was reckoned an accidental thing, and not done on purpose, as this phrase is usually interpreted; see Exo 21:29 .