The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 323

HOMILETICS. 1crs. 1-13.-The cities rf refuge. The appointment of cities of refuge by Moses is of great interest, as yielding a study in Jehovah's ways of educating his people, and of gi'.ing light and truth to men. We will see- I. THE PLACE THIS INSTITUTION OCCUPIES IN HISTOilY. 1 So far as we are aware, there is nothing just now existing among civilized nations with which it is altogether analogous. The most recent regulations which seem to be a kind of reflection of it from afar, are those in the medireval Church, called "the right of sanctuary." Eccle-· siastical historians inform us that the right of refuge in churches began as early as the days of Constantine; that at first only the altar and the interior of the Church was the place of refuge, but that afterwards any portion of the sacred precincts availed. This prh-ilege was "not intended to patronize wickeduess, but to give a place of shelter for the innocent, or, in doubtful cases, to give men protection till they could have a hearing, and to give bishops an opportunity of pleading for criminals." These refuges allowed thirty days' respite, though under the .Anglo-Saxon law of King .Alfred but three days were ·granted. It speaks but little for the advance of opinion then that the right of refuge was denied, not only to the openly wicked, but to heretics, apostates, and runaway slaves. In after times this right of sanctuary was granted even to notorious criminal'S, not excepting such as were guilty of treason. In early ages there were asyla among the Germans. Before that, among the Romans. In founding Rome, Romulus made it a place of refuge for criminals from other states, for the purpose of peopling the city. FurtLcr back, in the Greek states, the temples, altars, sacred groves, and statues of the gods possessed the privilege of protecting slaves, debtors, and criminals. And, if we go back further still, we find among Oriental people& a custom known by the uncouth term, "blood-revenge," according to which, if a murder had been committed, tLe nearest of kin to the murdered man had a right to pursue the murderer and take 1 Scripture passages: Exod. xxi.; Numb. xxv.; Josh. xx. The student will find ,much help on this subject by consulting Herzog'e' Encyc.,' a.rt.' Dlood Revenge;' Bingham's' Eccl. Hi.st.,' ii. 51.i5, et sef; art. • .Asyla,' Smith's 'Diet. Ant.;' Keil on Joshua, ch. xx.; Calvin; 'Speaker's Comm., and Jameson's ditto, in luc.; art.' Asylum,'' Encyc. Drit.;' Dr. Deord'e art. 'Cities of Refuge,' in .Alexander's Kitto's 'Bibi. Diet.;' Wince' •Comm.on the Lawe of Moses;' Langhorne'e 'Plutarch,' i. 52; Wilkinson's 'Ancient Egyptie.ne;' Lo.ne'11 'biodern Egyptians,' i. 145, 270-272; Gescni1111 o.ncl ot4cr~, s~b vcr~, ~~.i (Giir.l), 011, XU:. 1-21.J 'nIE DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 321