John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day , etc.] A phrase often met with before, and signifies the putting in practice the several laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, which Moses was now making a repetition of, and enjoining the observance of them by a divine authority: to love the Lord thy God ; which is the source and spring of genuine obedience to the commands of God: and to walk ever in his ways ; noting constancy and perseverance in them; now all this is mentioned as the condition of the enlargement of their coast, which would be the case if a due and constant regard was had to the laws of God: and then shall thou add three cities more besides these three ; three more in the land of Canaan, besides the three now ordered to be separated in it, and besides the three on the other side of Jordan; so that there would have been nine in all, if these had been ever added; but that time never came: the Jews expect the addition of these three cities in the days of the Messiah f232 but the Messiah is already come, and all those cities, as they were typical of him, have had their accomplishment in him the antitype of them, of which (See Gill on “ Numbers 35:29”).
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 כי3588 תשׁמר8104 את853 כל3605 המצוה4687 הזאת2063 לעשׂתה6213 אשׁר834 אנכי595 מצוך6680 היום3117 לאהבה157 את853 יהוה3069 אלהיך430 וללכת1980 בדרכיו1870 כל3605 הימים3117 ויספת3254 לך עוד5750 שׁלשׁ7969 ערים5892 על5921 השׁלשׁ7969 האלה׃428
