King James Version

Joshua 20:3

That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

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Hebrew

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לָנ֥וּסlanusto awayנוּסpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to away”, the to-form of the verbH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.שָׁ֨מָּה֙shamahthereשָׁםadverb, directional ending — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.רוֹצֵ֔חַrotsechamurderרָצַחverb, qal, participle, absolute — “murder”, a verb used as a describing wordH7523properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murderput to death, kill, (man-) slay(-er), murder(-er).מַכֵּהmakehstrikeנָכָהverb, hiphil, participle, construct — “strike”, a verb used as a describing wordH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.נֶ֥פֶשׁnefeshcreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “creature”, the ordinary formH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…בִּשְׁגָגָ֖הbishgagahin errorשְׁגָגָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in error”, the ordinary formH7684a mistake or inadvertent transgressionerror, ignorance, at unawares; unwittingly.בִּבְלִיbivliin notבְּלִיpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in not”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1097properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction; usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as long as, etc.corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.דָ֑עַתdaatcunningדַּעַתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “cunning”, the ordinary formH1847knowledgecunning, (ig-) norantly, know(-ledge), (un-) awares (wittingly).וְהָי֤וּvehayvand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לָכֶם֙lakhemtoלָכֶם֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toלְמִקְלָ֔טlemiqlatto refugeמִקְלָטpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to refuge”, the ordinary formH4733an asylum (as a receptacle)refuge.מִגֹּאֵ֖לmigoelfrom avengerגָּאַלpreposition, verb, qal, participle, construct — “from avenger”, a verb used as a describing wordH1350to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.)[idiom] in any wise, [idiom] at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk(-man), purchase, ransom, redeem(-er), revenger.הַדָּֽםhadamthe blood , innocentדָּםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the blood , innocent”, the ordinary formH1818blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly and unawares may flee thither: and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

Young’s Literal Translation

for the fleeing thither of a man-slayer smiting life inadvertently, without knowledge; and they have been to you for a refuge from the redeemer of blood.

World English Bible

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.

Darby Translation

that the slayer who unwittingly without intent smiteth any one mortally may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

Douay-Rheims

That whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them: and may escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of blood:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Even a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Φυγαδευτήριον τῷ φονευτῇ τῷ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως· καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῖν αἱ πόλεις φυγαδευτήριον, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται ὁ φονευτὴς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, ἕως ἂν καταστῇ· ἐναντίον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν.