By Larry Barnes in Joshua —

Joshua 20

10/30/2025

Joshua 20 NKJV: this is an interesting chapter. It has the people choose 6 cities of refuge as places someone can flee to if he accidentally killed someone. It will be a safe place to stay until he can face judgment from the congregation. This makes sense to me in that his fate will be decided by the congregation, and he is to be kept safe from the avenger of blood until then. What I can't quite get my head around is verse 6 which makes it sound like he is to go free if the High Priest dies while he is still awaiting trial.

You're spot on about the overall setup in Joshua 20—it's a merciful provision in Mosaic law for protecting those guilty of unintentional manslaughter from vigilante justice (the "avenger of blood," often a family member seeking immediate retribution). The six Levitical cities (Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan) served as safe havens where the accused could flee, state their case to the elders, and await a fair hearing before the full congregation (essentially a regional assembly or council) to determine intent. This ensured no one was condemned without due process, aligning with God's emphasis on justice tempered by mercy (e.g., Numbers 35:9-34, which expands on this).

Your confusion with verse 6 is totally understandable—on the surface, it reads like a bizarre loophole: "And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest who is in those days. Then the manslayer may return and come to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled" (Joshua 20:6, NKJV, emphasis added). But notice the key word: and. It's not an "either/or" scenario where the high priest's death shortcuts the trial. Instead, the manslayer must endure both conditions sequentially:

  1. The trial (congregational judgment): He presents his case immediately upon arrival (v. 4-5). If the congregation rules it was accidental (not premeditated murder), he's acquitted of capital punishment but still can't leave the city yet. Why? The law treats even unintentional killing as a serious bloodguilt issue that pollutes the land and community (Numbers 35:33), so exile in the refuge city acts as a form of temporary atonement or quarantine until the stain is "cleansed."
  2. The high priest's death: Only after acquittal does the waiting game begin for the current high priest (the anointed head of the priesthood, like Aaron's successors) to die. This could take years—potentially a lifetime, depending on the high priest's age. Upon his death, the manslayer is fully released to return home without fear of reprisal. No further trial or penalty; the matter is closed forever.

Why This Weird "High Priest Timer"?

From a legal/historical angle, this wasn't arbitrary— it was a built-in mechanism to cool tempers, prevent endless feuds, and ensure communal healing. The high priest represented the entire nation's covenant with God, so his death symbolized a "reset" in the religious and social order: a new era begins, old grievances fade under collective mourning, and the avenger's claim expires like a statute of limitations. Think of it as divine crowd control—the death of such a pivotal figure (anointed with holy oil, overseeing atonement rituals) would plunge Israel into national grief, making personal vendettas feel trivial by comparison. It also equalized justice: rich or poor, the manslayer served his "sentence" of exile without bribes or shortcuts, underscoring that spilled blood demands resolution, even if accidental.

But the real depth—and what makes this chapter so "interesting," as you said—kicks in with the theological/symbolic layer. Biblical scholars across traditions see this as a profound type (a foreshadowing pattern) of God's ultimate plan for redemption through Christ:

  • The cities of refuge picture Jesus as our safe haven from sin's consequences (the "avenger" being God's righteous wrath; see Hebrews 6:18-19). We "flee" to Him for protection when we've unintentionally (or even willfully, through repentance) caused spiritual "death" via sin.
  • The high priest's death prefigures Christ's atoning sacrifice. Just as the anointed high priest's death "pays" for the manslayer's guilt—cleansing the land and freeing him without further cost—Jesus, our eternal High Priest, dies once for all, discharging our debt forever (Hebrews 9:11-15, 7:23-27). No more waiting in exile; His death inaugurates the new covenant, where believers are not just protected but fully restored to God's presence, guilt-free (Romans 8:1). It's mercy woven into justice: the innocent blood of the victim is avenged not by the killer's death, but by the High Priest's substitutionary one.

In short, verse 6 isn't a random escape clause—it's God's way of saying even accidental failings require atonement, but He provides it generously through a representative's death. If the high priest had lived another 40 years? Tough break for the manslayer, but it drove home reliance on God's timing and priesthood. This setup echoes through the New Testament, turning a quirky Old Testament law into a beautiful pointer to the cross. What do you think—does that click, or is there another angle from the chapter that's tripping you up?

I hadn't considered the Christ angle on that. Thank you for that insight.