Joshua 20 explains God’s command to set apart six cities of refuge, places where a person who had killed another by accident could flee for protection from the avenger of blood. People read this chapter because it shows how Israel’s law balanced justice with mercy, and because it reveals God’s concern for the difference between accidental harm and deliberate violence. It is a short chapter of legal instructions, yet it carries a clear picture of how God protects the innocent and makes room for a fair hearing.
Joshua 20 Summary
The chapter opens with the LORD speaking to Joshua and instructing him to tell the Israelites to assign the cities of refuge that Moses had described earlier. The purpose is stated plainly: a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee to one of these cities rather than be killed in revenge. Once there, he must present his case before the elders at the city gate, who are to receive him and give him a place to live.
The chapter then explains the protection in more detail. The fleeing person is safe from the avenger of blood while his case is heard, and he must remain in the city until he stands before the assembly for judgment. The chapter closes by naming the cities, three on each side of the Jordan, spread across the land so that refuge is never far away for anyone in Israel, including the foreigner living among them.
Background and Setting
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though it likely reached its final form later, drawing on earlier records. It describes Israel’s entry into and settlement of the land of Canaan after the death of Moses. Scholars generally place the events in the late second millennium BC, though dating the conquest precisely remains debated.
Chapter 20 is written for the people of Israel as they begin to live in the land God promised them. It follows the division of territory among the tribes in the chapters before it and fulfills a command given through Moses in the book of Numbers, where these cities were first established in the law. The chapter therefore links the new life in Canaan back to the covenant law that shaped Israel from the beginning.
Joshua 20 Section by Section
Verses 1-6: The Cities That Protect the Innocent
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by Moses, 3 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.
Joshua 20:2-3 (WEB)
5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver up the man slayer into his hand; because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, and didn’t hate him before. 6 He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days. Then the man slayer shall return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city he fled from.’”
Joshua 20:5-6 (WEB)
The chapter begins with God’s direct command to Joshua, and the first thing God asks is that the cities be assigned. The wording distinguishes between someone who kills by accident and someone who acts with malice. That distinction matters because, in the ancient world, a family member could seek vengeance against anyone responsible for a death, and God does not allow that to fall on someone who never intended harm.
The process described here is careful and orderly. The person must come to the gate, state his case to the elders, and be received into the city. Protection is not granted automatically to anyone who runs, but to one who comes openly, submits to examination, and remains under the community’s judgment. The law protects the innocent while still insisting that truth be heard.
Verses 7-9: Cities Spread Across the Land
7 They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 20:7-8 (WEB)
These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the alien who lives among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stands trial before the congregation.
Joshua 20:9 (WEB)
The chapter then names the cities, placing three west of the Jordan in Galilee, the hill country of Ephraim, and Judah, and three east of the Jordan in Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. Their spread meant that refuge was within reach of every Israelite, no matter where they lived. A law of mercy is only meaningful if it can actually be reached, and God arranged the land so that it could be.
The closing verse extends this protection to the alien living among Israel. God’s justice was not reserved for one ethnic group. The foreigner who settled among the people received the same safeguard, which reflects a theme found throughout the law: the community is to treat the stranger with the same fairness it would show its own.
Key Themes in Joshua 20
- Justice that distinguishes intent: The law separates accidental killing from deliberate murder, showing that God looks carefully at the heart and the circumstances.
- Protection from vengeance: The cities guard against cycles of revenge, placing a fair hearing between the accused and the anger of a grieving family.
- Accessible mercy: Six cities spread across the land ensure that refuge is always within reach for anyone who needs it.
- Welcome for the stranger: The protection extends to the alien living among Israel, reflecting God’s concern for those outside the family by birth.
Lessons From Joshua 20 for Today
Many people carry the weight of harm they caused without meaning to. A careless word that damaged a friendship, an accident at work that injured a colleague, or a decision that had consequences nobody foresaw can leave a person feeling guilty and afraid of how others will respond. Joshua 20 reminds us that God distinguishes between accident and malice, and that there is a path toward being heard and received rather than condemned on the spot.
The chapter also speaks to communities that must judge fairly. Elders at the gate had to listen before deciding, and they were not to hand a person over to anger. In a family dispute, a workplace conflict, or a church disagreement, the principle holds: listen carefully, weigh what actually happened, and protect the one who has come in good faith while truth is examined.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the difference between accidental and intentional harm change the way you think about responsibility?
- Where in your life might a fair hearing protect someone from being judged too quickly?
- What would it look like to make refuge genuinely accessible to people around you, as the cities were spread across Israel?
- How does the extension of protection to the stranger challenge the way your community treats newcomers?
A Prayer From Joshua 20
Lord, you see the difference between what we intend and what we accidentally cause, and you are patient with us when we fail. Thank you for making a way of refuge for those who have harmed others unintentionally and who need a fair hearing. Help us to listen before we judge, to protect the innocent from anger, and to welcome those who are far from home. Teach us to seek truth with humility and to extend the same mercy you have shown us. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the cities of refuge in Joshua 20?
They were six cities set apart by Israel, three on each side of the Jordan River. A person who killed someone unintentionally could flee to one of them for protection from the avenger of blood. They were established according to God’s command given through Moses.
Why did the man slayer need to stay in the city?
He had to remain in the city until he stood before the congregation for judgment. The chapter also says he stayed until the death of the high priest in those days. This arrangement allowed his case to be properly examined before he could safely return home.
Did the cities of refuge protect foreigners as well?
Yes, Joshua 20:9 states that the cities were for all the children of Israel and for the alien who lives among them. The protection was not limited to native-born Israelites. This shows that God’s justice extended to those who had settled among the people.
