Verse 8

If you are not able to give a decision as to who is responsible for a death, or who is right in a cause, or who gave the first blow in a fight, and there is a division of opinion about it in your town: then go to the place marked out by the Lord your God;

Referenced Verses

  • Deut 12:5 : 5 But let your hearts be turned to the place which will be marked out by the Lord your God, among your tribes, to put his name there;
  • Hag 2:11 : 11 These are the words of the Lord of armies: Put now a point of law to the priests, saying,
  • Mal 2:7 : 7 For it is right for the priest's lips to keep knowledge, and for men to be waiting for the law from his mouth: for he is the servant sent from the Lord of armies.
  • Deut 19:4 : 4 This is to be the rule for anyone who goes in flight there, after causing the death of his neighbour in error and not through hate;
  • Deut 19:10-11 : 10 So that in all your land, which the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, no man may be wrongly put to death, for which you will be responsible. 11 But if any man has hate for his neighbour, and waiting for him secretly makes an attack on him and gives him a blow causing his death, and then goes in flight to one of these towns;
  • Deut 19:17 : 17 Then the two men, between whom the argument has taken place, are to come before the Lord, before the priests and judges who are then in power;
  • 1 Kgs 3:16-28 : 16 Then two loose women of the town came and took their places before the king; 17 And one of them said, O my lord, I and this woman are living in the same house; and I gave birth to a child by her side in the house. 18 And three days after the birth of my child, this woman had a child: we were together, no other-person was with us in the house but we two only. 19 In the night, this woman, sleeping on her child, was the cause of its death. 20 And she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was sleeping; and she took it in her arms and put her dead child in my arms. 21 And when I got up to give my child the breast, I saw that it was dead; but in the morning, looking at it with care, I saw that it was not my son. 22 And the other woman said, No; but the living child is my son and the dead one yours. But the first said, No; the dead child is your son and the living one mine. So they kept on talking before the king. 23 Then the king said, One says, The living child is my son, and yours is the dead: and the other says, Not so; but your son is the dead one and mine is the living. 24 Then he said, Get me a sword. So they went and put a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Let the living child be cut in two and one half given to one woman and one to the other. 26 Then the mother of the living child came forward, for her heart went out to her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the child; do not on any account put it to death. But the other woman said, It will not be mine or yours; let it be cut in two. 27 Then the king made answer and said, Give her the child, and do not put it to death; she is the mother of it. 28 And news of this decision which the king had made went through all Israel; and they had fear of the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to give decisions.
  • 2 Chr 19:8-9 : 8 Then in Jerusalem he gave authority to certain of the Levites and the priests and the heads of families of Israel to give decisions for the Lord, and in the causes of those living in Jerusalem. 9 And he gave them their orders, saying, You are to do your work in the fear of the Lord, in good faith and with a true heart. 10 And if any cause comes before you from your brothers living in their towns, where the death punishment is in question, or where there are questions of law or order, or rules or decisions, make them take care that they are not in the wrong before the Lord, so that wrath may not come on you and on your brothers; do this and you yourselves will not be in the wrong.
  • Ps 122:4-5 : 4 To which the tribes went up, even the tribes of the Lord, for a witness to Israel, to give praise to the name of the Lord. 5 For there seats for the judges were placed, even the rulers' seats of the line of David.
  • Exod 18:26 : 26 And they were judges in the causes of the people at all times: the hard questions they put before Moses; but on every small point they gave decisions themselves.
  • Exod 21:12-14 : 12 He who gives a man a death-blow is himself to be put to death. 13 But if he had no evil purpose against him, and God gave him into his hand, I will give you a place to which he may go in flight. 14 But if a man makes an attack on his neighbour on purpose, to put him to death by deceit, you are to take him from my altar and put him to death.
  • Exod 21:20 : 20 If a man gives his man-servant or his woman-servant blows with a rod, causing death, he is certainly to undergo punishment.
  • Exod 21:22 : 22 If men, while fighting, do damage to a woman with child, causing the loss of the child, but no other evil comes to her, the man will have to make payment up to the amount fixed by her husband, in agreement with the decision of the judges.
  • Exod 21:28 : 28 If an ox comes to be the cause of death to a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its flesh may not be used for food; but the owner will not be judged responsible.
  • Exod 22:2 : 2 If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood.
  • Num 35:11 : 11 Then let certain towns be marked out as safe places to which anyone who takes the life of another in error may go in flight.
  • Num 35:16 : 16 But if a man gives another man a blow with an iron instrument, causing his death, he is a taker of life and is certainly to be put to death.
  • Num 35:19-34 : 19 He whose right it is to give punishment for blood, may himself put to death the taker of life when he comes face to face with him. 20 If in his hate he put a sword through him, or waiting secretly for him sent a spear or stone at him, causing his death; 21 Or in hate gave him blows with his hand, causing death; he who gave the death-blow is to be put to death; he is a taker of life: he whose right it is to give punishment for blood may put to death the taker of life when he comes face to face with him. 22 But if a man has given a wound to another suddenly and not in hate, or without design has sent something against him, 23 Or has given him a blow with a stone, without seeing him, so causing his death, though he had nothing against him and no desire to do him evil: 24 Then let the meeting of the people be judge between the man responsible for the death and him who has the right of punishment for blood, acting by these rules: 25 And let the people keep the man responsible for the death safe from the hands of him who has the right of punishment for blood, and send him back to his safe town where he had gone in flight: there let him be till the death of the high priest who was marked with the holy oil. 26 But if ever he goes outside the walls of the safe town where he had gone in flight, 27 And the giver of punishment, meeting him outside the walls of the town, puts him to death, he will not be responsible for his blood: 28 Because he had been ordered to keep inside the safe town till the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the taker of life may come back to the place of his heritage. 29 These rules are to be your guide in judging through all your generations wherever you may be living. 30 Anyone causing the death of another is himself to be put to death on the word of witnesses: but the word of one witness is not enough. 31 Further, no price may be given for the life of one who has taken life and whose right reward is death: he is certainly to be put to death. 32 And no price may be offered for one who has gone in flight to a safe town, for the purpose of letting him come back to his place before the death of the high priest. 33 So do not make the land where you are living unholy: for blood makes the land unholy: and there is no way of making the land free from the blood which has come on it, but only by the death of him who was the cause of it. 34 Do not make unclean the land where you are living and in which is my House: for I the Lord am present among the children of Israel.
  • Deut 1:17 : 17 In judging, do not let a man's position have any weight with you; give hearing equally to small and great; have no fear of any man, for it is God who is judge: and any cause in which you are not able to give a decision, you are to put before me and I will give it a hearing.