Josh. 20 God commands six cities of refuge for those who unawares should slay a man, Josh. 20:1–4. The right use of them, Josh. 20:5–6. The Israelites appoint hereunto three cities on this, and three on the other side of Jordan, Josh. 20:7–9.

The possessions being now divided among you, do you reserve some of them for the use which I have commanded.

Unawares and unwittingly, Heb. through ignorance, or error, or mistake, and without knowledge; the same thing twice repeated, to cut off all the claims and expectations that wilful murderers might have of protection here; and God having declared that such should be taken even from his altar, that…

The judges used to sit at the entering of the gate. His cause, or, his matters or business, what he hath done, and why, and how; he shall give them a true relation of the fact, and all its circumstances.

Standing was the posture of the accused and accusers, Ex. 18:13, Isa. 1:8, Zech. 3:1. Before the congregation, or, company, or assembly, to wit, the council appointed to judge of these matters: not the council of the city of refuge, for they had examined him before, Josh.

Concerning these cities, note, 1. That they were all upon mountains, that they might be seen at a great distance, and so direct those who fled thither. 2.

They assigned, or gave, or had assigned, or given; for they were given by Moses, Deut. 4:41;c. or they confirmed Moses’s grant, and applied them to that use to which Moses designed and separated them.

For the stranger; not only proselytes, but others also; because this was a matter of common right, that a distinction might be made between casual man-slayers and wilful murderers.