As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

DEUTERONOMY 19:5KJV
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Deuteronomy 19:5 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 19:5 mean?

Deuteronomy 19:5 describes a situation where a man accidentally kills his neighbor while chopping wood, explaining that if the axe head slips off and strikes the neighbor so that he dies, the man may flee to a designated city and live. This verse sets out an example of unintentional killing, showing that the person is not to be treated as a murderer.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites, giving them laws about justice and mercy as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. The verse uses a practical example—an accident in the woods—to explain why cities of refuge are needed: to protect people who cause death by accident, not out of hatred or intent. This helps the community distinguish between murder and manslaughter.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 19:5

  • "Neighbour" (רֵעַ, rêaʿ): This word means a fellow member of the community, not just someone living next door. It emphasizes that the law applies to anyone within the Israelite society, not just close friends.
  • "Slippeth" (נָשַׁל, nashal): This verb means to slip off or fall away. The detail that the axe head "slips" highlights the accidental nature of the event, showing there was no intent to harm.
  • "Flee" (נוּס, nus): This word means to run away or escape. The instruction to "flee" to a city of refuge underlines that the person needs immediate protection from revenge, even though the act was unintentional.

Why Deuteronomy 19:5 matters

  • Deuteronomy 19:5 clarifies that not all killings are treated the same; it gives a concrete example to help the Israelites understand the difference between accidental death and murder.
  • The verse shows the importance of justice balanced with mercy, making sure that someone who did not mean to kill is not punished as a murderer.
  • This verse connects to the broader passage about cities of refuge, helping the reader see why these cities were established and how they functioned to prevent cycles of personal vengeance.

Where else these words appear

“axe” Hebrew H1631 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down(for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
  • 1 Kings 6:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
  • Isaiah 10:15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

“slippeth” Hebrew H5394 · used in 7 verses

  • Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
  • Deuteronomy 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
  • Joshua 5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

“hew” Hebrew H2404 · used in 9 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:11 Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:
  • Joshua 9:23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
  • Psalms 144:12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

“live” Hebrew H2425 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
  • Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.