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Joshua 20

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The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
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“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses,
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that the man slayer who kills any person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there. They shall be to you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
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He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them.
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If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before.
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He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’”
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They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
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Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
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These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.
Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter concerns the establishment of the cities of refuge as commanded by the LORD, intended for those who committed accidental homicide to find protection from blood vengeance. It details the divine instruction given to Joshua, the selection and location of six designated cities across Israel’s territory, and the equitable inclusion of both Israelites and resident foreigners, highlighting a divinely ordered system of justice that upholds both mercy and accountability.

Flow.

  • The LORD instructs Joshua to implement the cities of refuge as previously commanded through Moses, specifying their purpose for unintentional killers.
  • The criteria for asylum are outlined: the offender must declare his case at the city gate, receive fair hearing from local elders, and be admitted for protection.
  • The text records the assignment of three cities west of the Jordan (in Naphtali, Ephraim, and Judah) and three east of the Jordan (from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh), fulfilling the geographic balance required by the Law.
  • The chapter concludes by affirming that these cities serve all inhabitants of the land—Israelite and alien alike—ensuring justice is accessible and proportionate under God’s covenant order.

Connections.
Following chapter 19, which concludes the allotment of tribal territories, chapter 20 shifts focus from land distribution to the establishment of institutions that uphold justice within that land. The assignment of cities now turns to a specific covenantal provision rooted in prior revelation. Where chapter 19 emphasized territorial inheritance, chapter 20 emphasizes communal safety and the sanctity of life. This concern for just governance prepares the reader for chapter 21, which details the allocation of Levitical cities—many of which are also cities of refuge—linking the priestly tribe’s role with the administration of holiness and equity in the land.

What it teaches.
The cities of refuge reflect God’s just character: He provides a way for the guilty of accidental sin to live, while safeguarding the sanctity of human life against private vengeance. The process before the congregation affirms that no act of bloodshed is beyond covenant accountability, yet not all bloodshed merits death (cf. WCF 7.3). The inclusion of the alien upholds the unity of divine law over all who dwell in the land, underscoring that God’s mercy and justice extend beyond ethnic boundaries (HC LD 10). The connection to the high priest’s death prefigures a greater release through Christ’s atonement, where final reconciliation is secured (; cf. WLC Q. 80).

Apply.
When guilt is incurred without malice, God has provided a way through appointed means to find safety and restoration within the community of His people.

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