Numbers 35:14
“You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and you shall give three cities in the land of Canaan. They shall be cities of refuge.”
What does Numbers 35:14 mean?
When Israel entered the land, God established six safe cities where someone who had killed another person by accident could flee for protection. Three were on each side of the Jordan River, positioned so no one would have to travel too far to reach safety. These cities prevented innocent people from being executed by revenge-seeking relatives before they could have a fair trial to determine whether the death was truly accidental or a crime. It's a surprisingly humane system that protected the vulnerable while still taking justice seriously.