Chapter commentary
Joshua Chapter 20
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English original
This short chapter is concerning the cities of refuge, which we often read of in the writings of Moses, but this is the last time that we find mention of them, for now that matter was thoroughly settled. Here is, I. The law God gave concerning them, Jos 20:1-6. II. The people's designation of the particular cities for that use, Jos 20:7-9. And this remedial law was a figure of good things to come.
1-9
The Cities of Refuge (1444 BC)
繁體中文
逃城（主前1444年）
¹ 耶和華曉諭約書亞說：
² 「你吩咐以色列人說：你們要照著我藉摩西所曉諭你們的，為自己設立逃城。
³ 使那無意中誤殺人的，可以逃到那裡。這些城可以作你們逃避報血仇者的避難所。
⁴ 那逃到逃城的人，他站在城門口，將他的事情向該城的長老陳明，他們就要把他收進城裡，給他地方，使他住在他們中間。
⁵ 若是報血仇的追了他來，長老不可將他交在報血仇的手裡；因為他是素無仇恨、誤殺了鄰舍。
⁶ 他要住在那城裡，站在會眾面前聽審判，直到那時的大祭司死了。然後殺人的才可以回到他自己的城、他自己的家，就是他所逃出來的那城。」
摩西律法曾吩咐了許多事，是到了迦南之後要行的，這也是其中之一——為保護那些犯了誤殺之罪的人而設立聖所。這是賜給全以色列的特權，因為沒有人能確保自己有朝一日不會也落到同樣的境地；這也是為了那地的益處，使那僅僅手上有罪、心裡無辜之人的血不至流——連報血仇的也不可流。關於這條對他們如此有利的律法，神在此提醒他們，好叫他們也提醒自己他已賜給他們的其他關乎他榮耀的律法。1. 吩咐設立這些城邑（書20:2），時機非常合宜，因為這地剛剛被勘察過，他們就能更好地把全地的疆界分成三部分，正如神所指示的，以便這些逃城的設置更為便利（申19:3）。然而很可能這事直到下一章利未人得了份地之後才進行，因為逃城全都要是利未人的城。神一賜給他們安息之城，就吩咐他們設立逃城——這些城每一座他們誰也不知道將來自己會不會樂意逃到其中。神如此不僅為他們恒常的安逸作了預備，也為他們在危險時節的安全作了預備——而在這世上，我們當預期並為這樣的時節作好準備。這也暗示了神屬靈的以色列在基督裡、在天上所擁有並將要擁有的：不僅有安息可讓他們安息，也有避難所可讓他們得保障。我們不能設想，這些逃城若非為要預表福音為可憐悔罪的罪人所預備的解救之道，以及他們在我們主耶穌裡所得的、免受律法咒詛和神震怒的保護，就會在摩西律法中被如此頻繁、如此多地論及，並受到如此多的關照（其本意本可像我們的法律那樣，藉著授權審判法庭在凡殺人者當享有聖所特權的一切案件中保護並釋放他，而得到有效答覆）。信徒「逃往避難所」（來6:18），在他裡面被尋見（腓3:9），如同在聖所之中，在那裡他們享有不受追討的特權，「如今那些在基督耶穌裡的，就不定罪了」（羅8:1）。2. 關於使用這些城的指示。這方面的律法我們先前已有（民35:10-34等），其中已有詳盡的解釋。（1）這裡假定，人有可能誤殺了一個人——那人可能是他親生的孩子或最親愛的朋友——是在不知不覺之間（書20:3），不僅是他所不恨的人，更是他先前真心所愛的人（書20:5）；因為「人的道路不由自己」。我們當何等感謝那保守我們既不誤殺人、也不被人誤殺的神！在這種情況下，這裡假定被殺者的親屬會要求殺人者的命作為償還，以滿足那古老的律法——「凡流人血的，他的血也必被人所流」。（2）這裡規定，若經審訊顯明這殺人是純粹出於意外，而非出於蓄意——既非因舊怨，也非因突發的怒氣——那麼殺人者就可以在這些城中的任何一座得到庇護，免受報血仇者的追討（書20:4-6）。按照這條律法，他有權住在那城裡，被置於該城政權的照管之下，卻被限制在其中，如同受寬待的囚徒；只是他若活過了大祭司，那時——也只有那時——他才可以回到自己的城。猶太人說：「他若在作逃城和流放之地的城中死在大祭司之前，並被葬在那裡，那麼到了大祭司死時，他的骸骨仍當被遷回，尊重他列祖墳地之處。」
⁷ 於是以色列人在拿弗他利山地，分定加利利的基低斯；又在以法蓮山地，分定示劍；在猶大山地，分定基列亞巴（就是希伯崙）。
⁸ 又在約旦河東、耶利哥對面，從流便支派中，在曠野平原設立比悉；從迦得支派中，設立基列的拉末；從瑪拿西支派中，設立巴珊的哥蘭。
⁹ 這些都是為以色列眾人，並寄居在他們中間的外人所分定的城，使凡誤殺人的都可以逃到那裡，不死在報血仇者的手中，直到他站在會眾面前。
這裡記述了在迦南地設立逃城的事，這是憑約書亞和眾首領的謀劃與權柄而行（書20:7）；並趁著提及此事之機，重複記述了在兩個半支派鬮分中、由摩西所設立的另外三座（申4:43），但（照帕特里克主教所想）他們直到如今才得著這特權。1. 經上說他們「分定」了這些城——「分定」的原文正是「分別為聖」一詞（書20:7）。這並非說他們用了什麼儀式來表明獻城為聖，只是他們藉著法庭的一項公開宣告，鄭重宣佈這些是逃城，並如此將之獻給神的榮耀，視他為暴露無辜之人的保護者。它們既為聖所，說它們被「分別為聖」便是恰當的。我們的避難所基督，是父神所分別為聖的；不但如此，為我們的緣故，他「自己分別為聖」（約17:19）。2. 這些城（連同約旦河東的那些）分佈在全國三個不同的部分，如此便利，以致據說人從全地任何一個角落，都可以在半天之內到達其中一座。基低斯在最北的拿弗他利支派之內，希伯崙在最南的猶大，示劍則在居中的以法蓮，與其他兩座大約等距。神是近在咫尺的避難所。3. 它們全都是利未人的城，這使神的支派得著尊榮，使他們在那些與神護理如此密切相關的案件中作審判官，作受壓迫無辜之人的保護者。這對那可憐的避難者也是一項恩惠——他既不能上耶和華的殿，也不能踏他的院宇，卻有神殿的僕人與他同在，教導他，為他禱告，幫助彌補公開聖禮的缺失。他既必須被限制，那就把他限制在一座利未人的城裡，在那裡他若願意，就可以善用他的時間。4. 這些城都建在山岡上，遠處可見，因為「城造在山上，是不能隱藏的」；這既為那可憐困苦、正朝那個方向奔逃的人指引道路，又鼓勵了他；雖然他最後一段路是上坡，卻可因此得著安慰：他很快就到達安全之地，只要能進入城的郊野，他就無恙了。5. 有人注意到這些城的名字有著應用於我們避難所基督的深意。我不喜歡在名字上賣弄機巧，卻也樂意留意這些。「基低斯」意為「聖」，我們的避難所乃是聖者耶穌。「示劍」意為「肩膀」，政權擔在他的肩頭上。「希伯崙」意為「相交」，信徒蒙召進入我們主耶穌基督的相交。「比悉」意為「堅固保障」，對一切信靠他的人，他是堅固台。「拉末」意為「高舉」，神已用自己的右手將他高舉。「哥蘭」意為「喜樂」或「歡欣」，因為在他裡面眾聖徒都得稱義，也都必誇耀。「最後」，除了這一切以外，無論祭壇在何處，祭壇的角對於那些抓住它的人來說，也是避難所——只要所犯的罪是這聖所所允准的。這包含在那條律法之中（出21:14）：蓄意殺人者要從神的祭壇被帶走處死。我們也看到祭壇被如此使用（王上1:50，2:28）。基督是我們的祭壇，他不僅「使禮物成聖」，更保護那獻禮物的人。
English original
The Cities of Refuge (1444 BC)
¹ The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
² Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
³ That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
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 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.
⁵ And 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.
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 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.
Many things were by the law of Moses ordered to be done when they came to Canaan and this among the rest, the appointing of sanctuaries for the protecting of those that were guilty of casual murder, which was a privilege to all Israel, since no man could be sure but some time or other it might be his own case; and it was for the interest of the land that the blood of an innocent person, whose hand only was guilty but not his heart, should not be shed, no, not by the avenger of blood: of this law, which was so much for their advantage, God here reminds them, that they might remind themselves of the other laws he had given them, which concerned his honour. 1. Orders are given for the appointing of these cities (Jos 20:2), and very seasonably at this time when the land was newly surveyed, and so they were the better able to divide the coasts of it into three parts, as God had directed them, in order to the more convenient situation of these cities of refuge, De 19:3. Yet it is probable that it was not done till after the Levites had their portion assigned them in the next chapter, because the cities of refuge were all to be Levites' cities. As soon as ever God had given them cities of rest, he bade them appoint cities of refuge, to which none of them knew but they might be glad to escape. Thus God provided, not only for their ease at all times, but for their safety in times of danger, and such times we must expect and prepare for in this world. And it intimates what God's spiritual Israel have and shall have, in Christ and heaven, not only rest to repose themselves in, but refuge to secure themselves in. And we cannot think these cities of refuge would have been so often and so much spoken of in the law of Moses, and have had so much care taken about them (when the intention of them might have been effectually answered, as it is in our law, by authorizing the courts of judgment to protect and acquit the manslayer in all those cases wherein he was to have privilege of sanctuary), if they were not designed to typify the relief which the gospel provides for poor penitent sinners, and their protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God, in our Lord Jesus, to whom believers flee for refuge (Heb 6:18), and in whom they are found (Php 3:9) as in a sanctuary, where they are privileged from arrests, and there is now no condemnation to them, Ro 8:1. 2. Instructions are given for the using of these cities. The laws in this matter we had before, Nu 35:10-34, etc., where they were opened at large. (1.) It is supposed that a man might possibly kill a person, it might be his own child or dearest friend, unawares and unwittingly (Jos 20:3), not only whom he hated not, but whom he truly loved beforetime (Jos 20:5); for the way of man is not in himself. What reason have we to thank God who has kept us both from slaying and from being slain by accident! In this case, it is supposed that the relations of the person slain would demand the life of the slayer, as a satisfaction to that ancient law that whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. (2.) It is provided that if upon trial it appeared that the murder was done purely by accident, and not by design, either upon an old grudge or a sudden passion, then the slayer should be sheltered from the avenger of blood in any one of these cities, Jos 20:4-6. By this law he was entitled to a dwelling in that city, was taken into the care of the government of it, but was confined to it, as prisoner at large; only, if he survived the high priest, then, and not till then, he might return to his own city. And the Jews say, "If he died before the high priest in the city of his refuge and exile, and was buried there, yet, at the death of the high priest, his bones should be removed with respect to the place of his fathers' sepulchres."
⁷ And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
⁸ And 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.
⁹ These 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.
We have here the nomination of the cities of refuge in the land of Canaan, which was made by the advice and authority of Joshua and the princes (Jos 20:7); and upon occasion of the mention of this is repeated the nomination of the other three in the lot of the other two tribes and a half, which was made by Moses (De 4:43), but (as bishop Patrick thinks) they had not the privilege till now. 1. They are said to sanctify these cities, that is the original word for appointed, Jos 20:7. Not that any ceremony was used to signify the consecration of them, only they did by a public act of court solemnly declare them cities of refuge, and as such sacred to the honour of God, as the protector of exposed innocency. If they were sanctuaries, it was proper to say they were sanctified. Christ, our refuge, was sanctified by his Father; nay, for our sakes he sanctified himself, Joh 17:19. 2. These cities (as those also on the other side Jordan) stood in the three several parts of the country, so conveniently that a man might (they say) in half a day reach some one of them from any corner of the country. Kedesh was in Naphtali, the most northern tribe, Hebron in Judah, the most southern, and Shechem in Ephraim, which lay in the middle, about equally distant from the other two. God is a refuge at hand. 3. They were all Levites' cities, which put an honour upon God's tribe, making them judges in those cases wherein divine Providence was so nearly concerned, and protectors to oppressed innocency. It was also a kindness to the poor refugee, that when he might not go up to the house of the Lord, nor tread his courts, yet he had the servants of God's house with him, to instruct him, and pray for him, and help to make up the want of public ordinances. If he must be confined, it shall be to a Levite-city, where he may, if he will, improve his time. 4. These cities were upon hills to be seen afar off, for a city on a hill cannot be hid; and this would both direct and encourage the poor distressed man that was making that way; and, though therefore his way at last was up-hill, yet this would comfort him, that he would be in his place of safety quickly, and if he could but get into the suburbs of the city he was well enough off. 5. Some observe a significancy in the names of these cities with application to Christ our refuge. I delight not in quibbling upon names, yet am willing to take notice of these. Kedesh signifies holy, and our refuge is the holy Jesus. Shechem, a shoulder, and the government is upon his shoulder. Hebron, fellowship, and believers are called into the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, a fortification, for he is a strong-hold to all those that trust in him. Ramoth, high or exalted, for him hath God exalted with his own right hand. Golan, joy or exultation, for in him all the saints are justified, and shall glory. Lastly, Besides all these, the horns of the altar, wherever it was, were a refuge to those who took hold of them, if the crime were such as that sanctuary allowed. This is implied in that law (Ex 21:14), that a wilful murderer shall be taken from God's altar to be put to death. And we find the altar used for this purpose. 1Ki 1:50,2:28. Christ is our altar, who not only sanctifies the gift, but protects the giver.
這短短的一章論及逃城。我們在摩西的書卷中屢屢讀到關於逃城的記載，但這是最後一次提及，因為那時這事已徹底定妥。本章記有：一、神所賜關於逃城的律法（Jos 20:1-6）。二、百姓為此用途指定了具體的城邑（Jos 20:7-9）。這條補救性的律法，正是將來美事的影兒。