Joshua 20 explains the meaning of the cities of refuge, six towns set apart by God so that a person who killed someone by accident could flee there and be protected from a vengeful relative. People read this chapter because it shows how God balanced justice with mercy and how Israel was to protect life even when a death had happened. Its instructions are short, but they carry a clear message about fairness, due process and God’s concern for the innocent.
Joshua 20 Summary
The chapter opens with God speaking to Joshua and telling him to set apart the cities of refuge that had been promised through Moses. These cities were for anyone who had caused a death unintentionally, so that he could escape the avenger of blood, the family member who was expected to take revenge.
Next, God explains the procedure. The person must run to one of these cities, stand at the gate, and state his case before the elders. If he is admitted, he is to be given a place to live among them, and the avenger may not seize him as long as the case is still being heard. He stays there until he can stand before the assembly for judgment, and he remains there until the death of the high priest in office at that time.
The chapter closes with the naming of the cities themselves. Three lie west of the Jordan, in Galilee, Ephraim and Judah, and three lie east of the Jordan, in the territories of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. The list ends by stating that these cities serve all Israelites and the foreigner living among them, so that no one who kills accidentally will be left without protection.
Background and Setting
The book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s entry into the land of Canaan after the death of Moses. Tradition attributes the book to Joshua himself, though it likely received its final form later, and many scholars date the composition to a period after the events it describes. Chapter 20 belongs to the section of the book that describes how the land was divided among the tribes.
The chapter was written first for the Israelites who were settling in the land and who needed to know how justice would work in their communities. It looks back to instructions given through Moses in the book of Numbers and in Deuteronomy, and it shows those instructions being carried out. It sits at a point in the book where the nation is moving from war into an ordered life under God’s law.
Joshua 20 Section by Section
Verses 1-3: God Establishes the Cities of Refuge
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)
God begins by directing Joshua to appoint the cities that had been promised earlier. The reason given is specific: these cities are for the person who kills another by accident or without intent. God does not treat accidental death as the same as murder, and he provides a way for the person to be kept safe while the facts are examined. The cities are described as a refuge from the avenger of blood, which shows that the Israelites were used to a system where a victim’s family could demand a life in return.
This section teaches that God’s law makes room for mercy without ignoring the reality of loss. The person who caused the death still needs protection and a fair hearing, and the community is called to provide both. It is a picture of God making a safe place for those who have made a serious mistake.
Verses 4-6: The Process of Hearing the Case
4 He shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city with them, and give him a place, that he may live among them. 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.
Joshua 20:4-5 (WEB)
Here the chapter explains what the fleeing person must do. He stands at the gate, where the elders sit to hear cases, and he declares what happened. The elders are to take him in and give him a dwelling, so the city becomes a place of safety rather than a trap. The text also says the avenger may not hand over the person while the matter is still open, which protects the accused from being judged by a single angry relative.
The emphasis falls on fairness and orderly judgment. The question is whether the death was unintentional, and that question must be answered by the assembly, not by the one who wants revenge. The protection lasts until the case is heard, and the wording of verse 6 adds that the person remains in the city until the death of the high priest, a detail that signals a limit on how long the sentence of exile would last.
Verses 7-9: The Cities Are Named and Shared
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. 9 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 20:7-9 (WEB)
The final verses list the six cities by region, three on each side of the Jordan. Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron are named in the west, and Bezer, Ramoth and Golan in the east. Spreading them across the land meant that a person in any part of Israel could reach a refuge within a short distance, which mattered when fear was pursuing him.
The closing words extend the protection to the foreigner living among the Israelites. God’s justice is not limited to one ethnic group, and the same safety applies to anyone who lives in the community. The chapter ends on that note of inclusion, showing that the law of God is meant to guard life across the whole community.
Key Themes in Joshua 20
- God’s justice with mercy: The chapter shows that God distinguishes between murder and accidental death and provides a path of safety for the one who caused an unintended loss.
- Protection of the accused: The city gives shelter until the facts are heard, so that no one is condemned by the anger of a relative alone.
- Community responsibility: The elders are given the task of receiving and judging the one who flees, which places care for the vulnerable in the hands of the people.
- Accessible provision: Cities placed on both sides of the Jordan made refuge reachable for everyone in the land.
- Inclusion of the foreigner: The safety of the cities extends to the alien living among Israel, reflecting the wider concern of God’s law for all who dwell in the community.
Lessons From Joshua 20 for Today
Many people carry guilt over a mistake they did not intend, such as a car accident, a careless word that hurt a friend, or a moment of negligence at work that cost someone dearly. Joshua 20 shows that God does not treat unintended harm as the same as deliberate wrong, and it reminds us to hold accidental wrongs with care rather than with the harshness that the avenger wanted to show. A believer in this position can bring the facts honestly before the people God has placed around them and trust that the process is meant to be fair.
The chapter also speaks to communities that are asked to receive someone who has done harm. Churches, families and workplaces sometimes face the question of how to respond to a person who has failed. The elders in Joshua 20 were told to take the fleeing man in, give him a place, and hear his case before judging. That pattern invites us to offer a safe place for honest accounting, not an immediate verdict.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you seen the difference between an accident and a deliberate wrong, and how did that difference change the way people responded?
- Who in your life has needed a safe place to tell the truth about a mistake, and what would it have taken for them to feel welcome?
- Why do you think God chose to spread the cities of refuge across the whole land rather than place them in one region?
- How does the protection given to the foreigner in verse 9 challenge the way your community treats people who are new or different?
- What fears or assumptions make it hard for you to wait for a fair hearing before judging someone who has caused harm?
A Prayer From Joshua 20
Lord, you see the mistakes I have made that I never meant to make, and you know the weight of the harm that followed. Thank you that you do not treat an accident as a crime and that you have made a way for the careless and the frightened to find shelter. Help me to be honest about what I have done, and give me the courage to bring it into the light before the people you have placed around me. Teach me to offer safe places to those who have hurt others by accident, and to wait for truth rather than rush to condemn. Keep my heart fair and my hands gentle, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the cities of refuge in Joshua 20?
They were six towns set apart by God, three on each side of the Jordan River, where a person who had killed someone accidentally could flee. The city offered protection from the avenger of blood until the case was heard. Their purpose was to balance justice with mercy.
Did a person who fled to a city of refuge go free?
Not automatically. The case had to be heard before the assembly, and if the death was found to be intentional, the person could be handed over. If it was accidental, the person remained in the city until the death of the high priest, after which he could return home.
Why does Joshua 20 mention the high priest?
The high priest’s death marked the end of the period of exile for the one who had fled. The text does not explain every reason for this detail, but it sets a clear limit on how long the person must remain in the refuge city. It reflects the order and structure of Israel’s life under God’s law.
