John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land , etc.] From the cities they took possession of and dwelt in; and indeed from the cities of the Levites, which were given to them to inhabit; three were before ordered to be separated from those inhabited by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, ( Deuteronomy 4:41-43) but these were to be in the midst of the land of Canaan; (see Joshua 20:7,8), which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it : which as it is often mentioned when this land is spoken of, so it carries in it a reason here why this order of the Lord’s should be readily complied with, the whole land and all the cities of it being the gift of his to them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-13 - Here is the law settled between the blood of the murdered, and the blood of the murderer; provision is made, that the cities of refug should be a protection, so that a man should not die for that as crime, which was not his willing act. In Christ, the Lord ou Righteousness, refuge is provided for those who by faith flee unto him But there is no refuge in Jesus Christ for presumptuous sinners, who go on still in their trespasses. Those who flee to Christ from their sins shall be safe in him, but not those who expect to be sheltered by his in their sins.
Original Hebrew שׁלושׁ7969 ערים5892 תבדיל914 לך בתוך8432 ארצך776 אשׁר834 יהוה3068 אלהיך430 נתן5414 לך לרשׁתה׃3423
