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Joshua 20

Joshua 20

The big picture

Joshua 20 opens in verse 1 with “The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up…”, and closes in verse 9 with “These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger…” Repeated or prominent terms include city, avenger, blood, cities, flee. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Joshua · King James Version · 9

Joshua 20:1-5

1–5: The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

Joshua 20:1–5 opens with “The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,” and reaches “And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Joshua 20 develops its own movement around city, avenger, blood, cities, flee, with particular weight carried by city, avenger, blood.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,” By verse 3, the text has turned to “That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they…” It lands on “And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 verses with a speech marker, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

The narrator makes meaning through who acts first, who responds, what changes, and which consequences remain. A reported action is not automatically an approved action. Words such as city, avenger, blood, cities, flee, hand tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Joshua 20 develops its own movement around city, avenger, blood, cities, flee,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Appoint, Israel, Joshua, Moses, Speak. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 3: “That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: city, avenger, blood, cities, flee, hand

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Joshua 20:1

    “The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,” Naming Joshua keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Joshua 20:2

    “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of…” Naming Appoint and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Joshua 20:3

    “That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Joshua 20:4

    “And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  5. Joshua 20:5

    “And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Joshua 20:1-5

King James Version

1The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

3That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

4And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

5And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

Joshua 20:6-9

6–9: He shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for…

Joshua 20:6–9 opens with “And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until…” and reaches “These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Joshua 20 develops its own movement around city, avenger, blood, cities, flee, with particular weight carried by city, tribe, appointed.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and…” By verse 7, the text has turned to “And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and…” It lands on “These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. Its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and consequences reveal how the thought develops before any interpretation is added.

The narrator makes meaning through who acts first, who responds, what changes, and which consequences remain. A reported action is not automatically an approved action. Words such as city, tribe, appointed, congregation, mount, arba tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Joshua 20 develops its own movement around city, avenger, blood, cities, flee,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Bashan, Bezer, Ephraim, Gad, Galilee, Gilead. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 6: “And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: city, tribe, appointed, congregation, mount, arba

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Joshua 20:6

    “And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  2. Joshua 20:7

    “And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is…” Naming Ephraim and Galilee keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Joshua 20:8

    “And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the…” Naming Bashan and Bezer keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Joshua 20:9

    “These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Joshua 20:6-9

King James Version

6And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

7And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

8And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

9These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Track who acts, who speaks, who is affected, and what changes.
  2. Notice repeated promises, failures, rescues, and consequences.
  3. Do not assume the narrator approves every action that is reported.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Joshua 20?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Joshua 20 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Joshua 20 develops its own movement around city, avenger, blood, cities, flee?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?