As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
For example, if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and while swinging his axe to chop down a tree, the axe head flies off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him, then the man can flee to one of these cities and be safe.
This verse gives an example of accidental killing - when someone dies by complete accident (like from a loose axe head), the person responsible can find safety in special cities of refuge.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Moses' instructions about cities of refuge that God commanded Israel to establish in the Promised Land. These cities provided protection for people who accidentally killed someone, distinguishing between intentional murder and tragic accidents. Without these cities, the victim's family members might seek revenge even when the death was completely unintentional.
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