The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 342

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XX. 1-9. secrated to God. Hence, since the dnty of such redemption, on the death of the owner, THE CITIES oF REFUGE.-Ver. 1.-Cities devolved upon the nearest relative, it came of refuge.. The origmal is more definite, to mea.a. "blood relation." Thus Boaz the cities of refuge. So LXX. Whereof I (Ruth iv. 1, 6, 8) is called the Goel of spake to you. In Exod. xxi. 13; Num. Elimelech and his widow. In the present :xxxv. 9; Deut. xix. 2. Here, again, Joshua is passage, the phrase " the redeemer (LXX. represented as aware of the existence of ayx,or,vwv, next of kin) of the blood" the Pentateuch. It must, therefore, have signifies the exactor of the only penalty existed in something like its present shape which can satisfy justice, namely, the death when the Book of Joshua was written. The of the murderer. So we are taught in Gen. words are partly quoted from Numbers and ix. 6; Exod. xxi. 12, 14; Levit. xxiv.17, 21. partly from Deuteronomy ; another proof This dnty, which in civilised society belongs that these books were regarded as consti- to the government, in uncivilised tribes is tuting one law, from the" hand of Moses," nsuo.lly left to the relati,cs of the murdered when Joshua was written. man. Hence the terri!Jle blood-feuds which Ver. 3. - Unawa.res and unwittingly. have raged between families for generations, Literally, in ei,·or, in not knowing. Num. o.nd which are not only to be foand among xxxv. lG-18 and Deut. xix. 5, give a clear savage nations, but even in countries which explanation of what is here meant. Knobel lay claim to civilisation. In Ireland, for notices that the first of these expressions is instance, it is not so long ago since one of found. in Levit. iv. 2, and the second in these blood-feuds in the county Tipperary Deut. iv. 42. The latter is "superfluous," bad acquired such formidable proportions and therefore a" filling up of the Deuterono- that the authorities of the Roman Catholic mist." The "Deuteronomist must have 11 Church there were compelled to resort to a been very active in his "filling up." If he mission in order to put an end to it. A were really so lynx-eyed in a matter of style, man had been killed nearly a century before it is a wonder that he was so careless, as we in an affray which commenced about the are told he is, in matters of fact. To more age of a colt. His relatives felt bound to ordinary minds it would seem as if the avenge the mnrder, and their vengeance author, familiar with the books of Moses, was was ago.in deemed to require fresh vengeance, quoting Deuteronomy for the precept, and until faction fights between the "Three- Leviticus for the nature of the offence. The Ye,u- Olds" and the "Four- Year. Olds" avenger of blood. The Hebrew word is had grown almost into petty wars. A worthy of notice. It is Goel; that is, literally, thrilling story written by the late Prosper redeemer, one who buys back at the appointed Merimee turns upon the Corsican vendetta, price what has fallen into other hands, as o.nd so true is this story to life that in the a farm, a field, a slave, or anything con- very year (1879) in which these wonls were JOSBUA, u 2!10 THE BOOK OF .TOSHUA. cu. xx. 1-9,