‘ These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unwittingly might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.'
The provision was for the sojourner as well as for true Israelite. A sojourner was a foreigner who came to live among Israel but did not wish to submit to circumcision and direct response to the covenant. He did not want directly to become an Israelite and dedicated worshipper of YHWH. His residence was not permanent, he ‘sojourned'. It was always open to him to become an Israelite if he so wished (Exodus 12:48-49; Numbers 9:14), as the mixed multitude had before him (Exodus 12:38).
The sojourner was expected to conform to local customs (Exodus 20:10), was not to be taken advantage of (Exodus 22:21; Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 1:16) and was commended to the charity of his neighbours (Deuteronomy 24:19; Deuteronomy 26:13), but his children could be made bondmen (Leviticus 25:45) and he could be lent money at interest (Deuteronomy 20), unlike true Israelites. The law in general applied to him, especially the law of like for like (Leviticus 24:22). Like Israelites he was not to offer offerings or sacrifices except at the door of the Tent of Meeting (Leviticus 17:9).
The point we should note here is the certainty that the avenger of blood would be pursuing the manslayer to kill him. It was a sacred duty. Thus was provision made to ensure that the innocent received a fair trial. He was, however, necessarily punished by being confined to the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest. ‘Before the congregation.' That is he was in some way judged by the whole of Israel, probably through their representatives, either the city authorities, the tribal authorities or the priests at the sanctuary before YHWH.
Chapter 21 The Establishment of the Levites Throughout Israel.
This chapter contains the approach of the Levites to the leaders, to have cities and suburbs given to them in accordance with the command of God by Moses. Grants were made by lot out of the different tribes, details of which are given. The chapter is concludes by observing, that God gave Israel all the land of Canaan, and gave them rest in it, according to his promise, and that nothing failed of all that God had promised.
We do not know the time scale for all these events. The first conquests had taken around five to seven years (based on the age of Caleb which was in round numbers - Joshua 14:10). The further surveying of the land and its division according to the size of the tribes must then have taken quite some time, and we must leave time for advancement and settlement, the cutting down of forests, the establishing of the people in various parts of the land, the reconquest of cities, and the discovery that while the conquest had been a success, in that it had enabled this settlement, there remained yet much to be done.
At what stage Joshua 20 and Joshua 21 occurred we are not told. But it is clear that the central sanctuary was now set up at Shiloh and was regularly visited by the tribes. We need not doubt that under Joshua the regular feasts were held and the covenant constantly renewed, with the regular sacrifices being offered. Israel were becoming established in the land.