Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

NUMBERS 35:28KJV
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Numbers 35:28 (KJV)

What does Numbers 35:28 mean?

Numbers 35:28 explains that a person who has killed someone accidentally must stay in a city of refuge until the high priest dies; only after the high priest’s death is the person allowed to return to their own land. This rule sets a clear limit on how long the person must remain in the city for protection.

In this verse, God is giving instructions to Moses for the Israelites about how to handle cases of unintentional killing. The “city of refuge” was a special place where someone who accidentally caused another’s death could live safely, protected from revenge. The verse shows that the death of the high priest marked a turning point, after which the person could safely go home.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 35:28

  • “Remained” (יָשַׁב, yashav) means to dwell or stay. The word emphasizes that the person must actually live in the city of refuge, not just visit or pass through.
  • “Refuge” (מִקְלָט, miqlat) refers to a place of asylum or protection. This highlights that the city is meant as a safe haven, not a prison.
  • “High priest” (הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל, ha-kohen ha-gadol) means the chief religious leader. The verse ties the length of the person’s stay to the life of this specific leader, not to a set number of years.
  • “Slayer” (רֹצֵחַ, rotzeach) is the word for the person who killed someone, even unintentionally. This term makes clear that the law applies to the one who caused a death, not just any resident.

Why Numbers 35:28 matters

  • Numbers 35:28 clarifies that the protection in the city of refuge is not permanent; it ends with the high priest’s death, setting a specific endpoint for the exile.
  • The verse connects the fate of the accidental killer to the high priest, showing the priest’s unique role in the community’s spiritual and legal life.
  • This instruction helps balance justice and mercy, protecting the person from revenge while still recognizing the seriousness of taking a life, even by accident.

Where else these words appear

“refuge” Hebrew H4733 · used in 20 verses

  • Numbers 35:6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.
  • Numbers 35:25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
  • Joshua 21:13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

“slayer” Hebrew H7523 · used in 40 verses

  • Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
  • Numbers 35:31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
  • Joshua 21:32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

“possession” Hebrew H272 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Leviticus 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
  • Joshua 22:4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.