King James Version

Numbers 35:15

These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

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Hebrew

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לִבְנֵ֣יlivneto sonבֵּןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “to son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וְלַגֵּ֤רvelagerand to alienגֵּרconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and to alien”, the ordinary formH1616properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigneralien, sojourner, stranger.וְלַתּוֹשָׁב֙velatoshavand to foreignerתּוֹשָׁבconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and to foreigner”, the ordinary formH8453resident alienforeigner, inhabitant, sojourner, stranger.בְּתוֹכָ֔םbetokhamin amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).תִּהְיֶ֛ינָהtihyeynahbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “be”, an unfinished 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.שֵׁשׁsheshsixשֵׁשׁadjective, cardinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “six”, the ordinary formH8337six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ord. sixthsix(-teen, -teenth), sixth.הֶעָרִ֥יםhearimthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.הָאֵ֖לֶּהhaelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).לְמִקְלָ֑טlemiqlatto refugeמִקְלָטpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to refuge”, the ordinary formH4733an asylum (as a receptacle)refuge.לָנ֣וּסlanusto 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.שָׁ֔מָּהshamahthereשָׁםadverb, 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.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).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.נֶ֖פֶשׁnefeshcreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, 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,…בִּשְׁגָגָֽהbishgagahin errorשְׁגָגָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in error”, the ordinary formH7684a mistake or inadvertent transgressionerror, ignorance, at unawares; unwittingly.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.

Young’s Literal Translation

To sons of Israel, and to a sojourner, and to a settler in their midst, are these six cities for a refuge, for the fleeing thither of any one smiting a person unawares.

World English Bible

These six cities shall be refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreigner living among them, that everyone who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.

Darby Translation

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them shall these six cities be a refuge, that one who smiteth a person mortally without intent may flee thither.

Douay-Rheims

As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Φυγαδεῖον ἔσται τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ, καὶ τῷ παροίκῳ τῷ ἐν ὑμῖν· ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αὗται εἰς φυγαδευτήριον, φυγεῖν ἐκεῖ παντὶ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως.