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英文原文
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)
逃城（公元前1444年）
¹ 耶和华又晓谕约书亚说： ² "你吩咐以色列人说：你们要照着我借摩西所晓谕你们的，为自己设立逃城， ³ 使那无心而误杀人的，可以逃到那里。这些城可以作你们逃避报血仇人的避难所。 ⁴ 那逃到逃城的人，要站在城门口，将他的事情陈明给城中的长老听。他们就把他收进城里，给他地方，使他住在他们中间。 ⁵ 若是报血仇的追了他来，长老不可将杀人者交在他手中；因为他与邻舍素无仇恨，是无意中误杀了人。 ⁶ 他要住在那城里，直等到站在会众面前受了审判，直到那时的大祭司死了。然后杀人者才可以回到本城本家，就是他所逃出来的那城。"
摩西的律法中有许多事是命定他们到了迦南之后才要遵行的，此事也在其中——即为那些犯了误杀之罪的人设立避难所，以保护他们。这是赐给全以色列的特权，因为没有人能确定自己有朝一日是否会陷入同样境地；这也是为那地的利益而设，使一个只在手上犯罪、心中却无辜之人的血不至被流，即便报血仇的人也不可流他的血。神在此提醒他们这条如此有利于他们的律法，好叫他们借此也提醒自己神所赐下的其他关乎他荣耀的律法。
1. 吩咐他们设立这些城（书20:2），此时正是合宜之时，因为那地刚刚勘察完毕，他们便能更好地将境界分为三部分，正如神所指示的，好使这些逃城坐落得更为便利（申19:3）。然而此事很可能直到下一章利未人得了他们的份之后才施行，因为逃城全部都是利未人的城。神一将安息之城赐给他们，就吩咐他们设立逃城——他们当中没有一人能确定自己日后是否会庆幸得以逃往那里。如此，神不仅为他们预备了随时安息之处，更为他们在危险之时预备了避难之所；而这样的时刻，我们在今生当预料并预备。这也暗示了神属灵的以色列在基督里、在天堂里已有并必将有的福分——不仅有可以安息的安息，更有可以藏身的避难所。我们若以为这些逃城在摩西律法中不至如此频繁地被提及、被如此悉心维护（其实它们的本意完全可以像我们的法律那样，通过授权审判法庭在一切享有避难特权的案件中保护并释放误杀人者而有效达成），若不是为要预表福音为贫穷悔改的罪人所预备的救助，以及他们在我们主耶稣里得以免受律法咒诅与神震怒的保护——那便无法解释。信徒正是逃往基督那里寻求避难（来6:18），并在他里面被寻见（腓3:9），如同在圣所之中，在那里他们免受追捕，如今那些在基督耶稣里的就不定罪了（罗8:1）。
2. 关于这些城的使用，有相应的指示。此事的律法我们先前已有记载，民35:10-34等处，在那里已有详尽的阐释。(1.) 这里假设一个人有可能误杀了人，甚至可能是他自己的孩子或最亲爱的朋友，是在不知不觉、并非故意中行的（书20:3），不仅不是他所恨恶的人，反倒是他素来真心所爱的（书20:5）；因为人的道路不由自己。我们当何等感谢神，因他保守我们既未误杀人，也未曾被人误杀！在这种情形下，被杀者的亲属会要求杀人者以命抵命，以成全那条古律——凡流人血的，他的血也必被人所流。(2.) 律法规定，若经审讯查明杀人纯系出于意外，既非蓄谋旧怨，也非一时暴怒，那么杀人者当在其中任何一座逃城中得蒙庇护，脱离报血仇之人的手（书20:4-6）。照此律法，他有权在那城中居住，受那城政府的看顾，却要受限于其中，如同被宽禁的囚徒一般；唯有当他活过了大祭司的年日，那时他才可回到本城。犹太人说："他若在大祭司之前死于他所逃奔所寄居的城中，并葬在那里，及至大祭司死的时候，他的骸骨也当被恭敬地迁回他列祖的坟墓所在地。"
⁷ 于是，他们在拿弗他利山地，分定加利利的基低斯；在以法莲山地，分定示剑；在犹大山地，分定基列亚巴（即希伯仑）。 ⁸ 又在约旦河外耶利哥东边，从流便支派中，在旷野的平原，分定比悉；从迦得支派中，分定基列的拉末；从玛拿西支派中，分定巴珊的哥兰。 ⁹ 这些都是为以色列众人和他们中间寄居的外人所分定的城邑，使凡误杀人的都可以逃到那里，不死在报血仇人的手中，直到他站在会众面前。
此处记载了迦南地逃城的指定，这是凭着约书亚和众首领的议定与权柄而设立的（书20:7）；由此也顺便重申了约旦河外两个半支派境内那三座城的指定——那是摩西所设立的（申4:43），但（如帕特里克主教所推测）它们直到此时才享有这一特权。
1. 经文说他们分定了这些城，原文所用的词是"分别为圣"之意（书20:7）。这并非说他们行了什么礼仪来表明献城之礼，只是借着法庭的公开举动郑重宣告这些为逃城，并以此归荣耀于神，因他是无辜受害者的保护者。这些城既是避难所，说它们被"分别为圣"便是恰当的。基督我们的避难所，被父神分别为圣；不宁唯是，他为我们的缘故自己分别为圣（约17:19）。
2. 这些城（如同约旦河外的那几座一样）坐落在全国的三个不同区域，极为便利，据说一个人从国中任何一个角落都可在半日之内抵达其中一座。基低斯在最北的拿弗他利，希伯仑在最南的犹大，示剑则居于当中的以法莲，与其他两座大约等距。神乃就近的避难所。
3. 这些城都是利未人的城，这就把荣耀归给了神的支派，使他们在这些与神的护理密切相关的事上做法官，又作受欺压之无辜者的保护人。这对贫穷的逃难者也是一种恩慈——当他不能上耶和华的殿、踏他的院宇之时，却仍有神殿中的仆人与他同在，指教他，为他祷告，并帮助弥补公共圣礼的缺乏。他若必须被限制居住，那就限制在一座利未人的城中吧，在那里他若愿意，便可善用光阴。
4. 这些城建在山冈上，远远可以望见，因为城造在山上是不能隐藏的；这既能引导那可怜困苦之人朝此而来，也能鼓励他——虽然他末后的路途是上坡的，然而这要安慰他，使他知道自己很快就可到达安全之所，只要能进入城的四郊，便已足矣。
5. 有人注意到这些城名的寓意，可应用于我们避难所基督。我并不喜好在名字上做文字游戏，却也乐意留意这些。基低斯意为圣洁，我们的避难所乃是圣洁的耶稣。示剑意为肩膀，政权必担在他的肩头上。希伯仑意为交通，信徒蒙召进入我们主耶稣基督的交通之中。比悉意为堡垒，因他是一切信靠他之人的坚固台。拉末意为高或被高举，神已用自己的右手将他高举。哥兰意为喜乐或欢欣，因在他里面众圣徒都得称义，并要荣耀他。
最后，除这一切之外，无论祭坛在何处，祭坛的角对于那些抓住它的人也是避难所——只要所犯之罪是该避难所所容许的。这隐含在那条律法之中（出21:14）：蓄意杀人者当从神的坛上被带去处死。我们也看到祭坛被如此使用，王上1:50，2:28。基督就是我们的祭坛，他不仅圣化了所献的礼物，更保护了献祭的人。
英文原文
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.
约书亚记第二十章
这短短的一章是论及逃城的，我们在摩西的著作中常读到有关逃城的话，但此处是我们最后一次见到提及它们，因为此时那件事已彻底办妥了。此处记载：I. 神所赐关于逃城的律法，书 20:1-6。II. 百姓为这一用途指定具体的城邑，书 20:7-9。而这补救性的律法，正是将来美事的预表。