1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in ; and suburbs for the cities round about them shall ye give unto the Levites.
3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in ; and their suburbs shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts.
4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
5 And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.
6 And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee unto : and besides them ye shall give forty and two cities.
7 All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities ; them shall ye give with their suburbs.
8 And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many ; and from the few ye shall take few : every one according to his inheritance which he inheriteth shall give of his cities unto the Levites.
Note · Nombres 35.1–8
Le service reçoit de quoi habiter et vivre
Les tribus donnent des villes selon la taille de leurs possessions. Les terres autour servent aux besoins concrets des habitants. La situation distincte des Lévites ne signifie donc pas qu’ils pourraient vivre sans ressources matérielles ni que la communauté serait quitte de tout devoir envers eux.
9 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.
12 And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.
13 And the cities which ye shall give shall be for you six cities of refuge.
14 Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan ; they shall be cities of refuge.
15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, shall these six cities be for refuge ; that every one that killeth any person unwittingly may flee thither.
16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death.
17 And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death.
18 Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer : the murderer shall surely be put to death.
19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death : when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.
20 And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died,
21 or in enmity smote him with his hand, so that he died ; he that smote him shall surely be put to death ; he is a murderer : the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him.
Note · Nombres 35.9–21
Distinguer avant de traiter tout auteur de mort de la même manière
Le refuge est aussi ouvert à l’étranger résident et protège contre une mise à mort avant jugement. Les instruments, la haine et les circonstances entrent dans l’examen. La responsabilité ne peut être déterminée seulement par l’appartenance de la victime ou de l’accusé à un groupe.
22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him anything without lying in wait,
23 or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm ;
24 then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances ;
25 and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled : and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth,
27 and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer ; he shall not be guilty of blood,
28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest : but after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return into the land of his possession.
29 And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Note · Nombres 35.22–29
Une protection qui reste liée à un séjour imposé
L’assemblée tranche entre l’auteur de la mort et le vengeur du sang. Le retour dans la ville de refuge protège la personne, mais limite sa liberté jusqu’à la mort du grand prêtre. Le dispositif ne correspond pas à notre droit actuel ; il doit être décrit sans le présenter comme une solution déjà égale à toutes nos exigences.
30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses : but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.
31 Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death ; but he shall surely be put to death.
32 And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.
33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are : for blood, it polluteth the land ; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.
34 And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell : for I, Jehovah, dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.
Note · Nombres 35.30–34
La richesse ne doit pas acheter l’issue du jugement
Un seul témoin ne suffit pas pour une condamnation à mort et la rançon ne remplace pas la réponse au meurtre. Le texte demande une justice qui ne soit pas à vendre. Sa peine capitale ne constitue pas pour autant une autorisation d’exécution privée ni un modèle directement imposé aux sociétés contemporaines.