The Number of Cities To Be Set Up And Their Widespread Coverage (Numbers 35:13-15)
“ And the cities which you shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge. You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall you give in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.”
The number of cities was to be six, three on each side of the Jordan. This was so that a city of refuge would be within easy reach from any point in Canaan or Transjordan. It was seen as complete provision (six = twice three) for this purpose.
“ For the children of Israel, and for the foreigner and for the resident alien among them, shall these six cities be for refuge; that every one who kills any person unwittingly may flee there.”
And they were to be for the children of Israel, for foreigners and for resident aliens. Justice and compassion in Israel was to reach to all in the land, whether homeborn or strangers. Anyone who unwittingly slew a man could flee there. And once there he would be protected by the Levites and by Yahweh until his case could be examined, and then, if found to be not guilty, he could remain there until the death of the High Priest, at which point he was absolved and his life again became ‘sacred'. From then on his murder by an ‘avenger' would be punishable by death as an act of sacrilege against Yahweh. Because for an avenger to slaughter him while he was under Yahweh's protection would be sacrilege.
This is now followed by three threefold categorisations of possible incidents. The first two threesomes are seen as proving guilt. The third threesome as demonstrating probable innocence.