Deuteronomy 19:1

There are three paragraphs in this chapter: Deuteronomy 19:1-13 deals with homicide and the provisions for cities of refuge; next is a very short paragraph of a single verse (Deuteronomy 19:14) regarding boundary markers; and Deuteronomy 19:15-21 are devoted to the subject of witnesses.

"When Jehovah thy God shall cut off the nations, whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; thou shalt set apart three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee the way and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither."

There is here another example of an oft-repeated pattern in the writings of Moses:

"Thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee ..."

"Thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it ..."

"Thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit ..."

The mention of Israel's land usually carried such acknowledgments of the Divine grace as those found in these verses. It would be well today if people, when speaking of "their wealth" of whatever kind would recognize God as the Giver in such a manner as that indicated here. Such patterns as these are essentially Mosaic. The reprobate priesthood of Israel of any century, particularly that period of Israel's history where the critical community would like to find the "sources of the Pentateuch," was utterly incapable of such devout terminology as that found here. The Christian should ever bear in mind that God Himself cursed that reprobate priesthood in Malachi, and, if that priesthood had possessed a single ounce of the pure devotion indicated here, such a thing would never have occurred!

Oberst, quoting J. W. McGarvey, pointed out that:

"The first command on this subject (cities of refuge) is in Numbers 35, where the order to appoint cities of refuge is given. There the number of cities was placed at six, and the general laws for their use were announced, but the names of the cities were not given.

Next, in Deuteronomy 4:42-45, following the conquest of Trans-Jordan, Moses named the three cities eastward from that river, and their names were given. Then in this passage (Deuteronomy 19:1-13), Moses directed that after they had possessed the territory west of Jordan, three other cities should be appointed on that side. This was not to be done until after the conquest of that part of Canaan. Note particularly the limitation imposed by the word "When" that stands at the head of this chapter; and observe that it contrasts sharply with the dramatic "if" at the head of Deuteronomy 19:8.[1]

As is so frequently true in the Sacred Writings, each additional mention of almost any subject results in additional information, and here it is the order to "prepare the way" which appears for the first time. Jamieson tells us that:

"The roads leading to the cities of refuge were to be kept in good condition, and all the brooks and rivers spanned by good bridges. The width of the roads was to be 32 cubits (about 48 feet), with signs at every crossroads indicating the direction of the nearest city of refuge, with the inscription Mekeleth, Mekeleth, `refuge, refuge.'"[2]

One cannot fail to be astounded at the flat declaration that these cities of refuge were in any manner whatever an extension of the asylum often associated with pagan altars in antiquity. Wright, for example, stated that "Exodus 21:12-14 specifies that such asylum shall be established and infers that the altar ... was the place to which the manslayer should go."[3] Let any thoughtful person read Exodus 21:12-14, and he will find that such interpretations are TOTALLY IN ERROR. There God promised "a place" to which the manslayer might go, but it was not the altar of God. Wright went on to "prove" his false interpretation by mentioning the cases of Adonijah (1 Kings 1:50) and Joab (1 Kings 2:28-34).

But neither of those men found any asylum whatever at God's altar! Both knew they were guilty, therefore they did not flee to any city of refuge as God commanded (and as was done by Abner, 2 Samuel 3:27), but they both tried to rely upon the ancient pagan superstition regarding altars, but it did NOT work. Both were slain for their murders. Wright's statement that the altar in Jerusalem served this purpose during the days of the united monarchy is simply NOT true. "The law of Moses, instead of making the altar an asylum for the manslayer, positively forbids its use as such ... In this instance, in provision of God's law has been misrepresented and its meaning reversed, in order to make out a contradiction with another arrangement which the law actually provided for in promise. Scarcely anything could be more reprehensible."[4]

Of course, Wright in the instance cited above, is merely quoting, apparently without thinking it out, the wild and irresponsible charges of the critical scholars two or three generations ago, not knowing perhaps that the believing community graduated from that kind of exegesis a long time ago. It is a pity that many modern commentators still parrot the postulations of men in the eighteenth century, such as Driver and Smith, noted critics of that period. Driver stated that, "In Exodus 21:13, the asylum for the manslayer is Jehovah's altar."[5] W. Robertson Smith stated that, "The asylum for the manslayer in Exodus 21:12-14 is Jehovah's altar."[6] Of course, they were wrong, and nothing has ever happened that can change that!