The Meaning of Numbers 35:25 Explained

Numbers 35:25

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And the company have delivered the man-slayer out of the hand of the redeemer of blood, and the company have caused him to turn back unto the city of his refuge, whither he hath fled, and he hath dwelt in it till the death of the chief priest, who hath been anointed with the holy oil.

Darby: and the assembly shall rescue the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the assembly shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he had fled; and he shall abide in it until the death of the high-priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 35:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 35:16-34 - The Penalty For The Murderer
For murder the penalty was death, Numbers 35:30-31; but for accidental homicide there was freedom within the city limits until the death of the high priest, when all these refugees might return to their homes with impunity. The institution of the blood-avenger was almost a necessity in those lands of scattered population and without communal organization. Here, without destroying the practice, it has been placed under careful limitations. We are our brethren's keepers, and instead of passing on a slander, we should stand for them against those who have wrongfully maligned them.
What an exquisite promise is contained in Numbers 35:34! To think that Jehovah actually dwelled in the Holy Land! He dwells also in each assembly of His saints and in our hearts. See Ezekiel 48:35; Matthew 18:20; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 35

1  Forty-eight cities for the Levites, with their suburbs, and measure thereof
6  Six of them are to be cities of refuge
9  The laws of murder and manslaughter
31  No satisfaction for murder

What do the individual words in Numbers 35:25 mean?

So shall deliver the congregation - the manslayer from the hand of avenger of the blood and shall return him the congregation to the city of refuge where he had fled there and he shall remain there until the death of the priest high who was anointed - with oil the holy
וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ הָעֵדָ֜ה אֶת־ הָרֹצֵ֗חַ מִיַּד֮ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּם֒ וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּ אֹתוֹ֙ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה אֶל־ עִ֥יר מִקְלָט֖וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ נָ֣ס שָׁ֑מָּה וְיָ֣שַׁב בָּ֗הּ עַד־ מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ מָשַׁ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ בְּשֶׁ֥מֶן הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ

וְהִצִּ֨ילוּ  So  shall  deliver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
הָעֵדָ֜ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָרֹצֵ֗חַ  the  manslayer 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
מִיַּד֮  from  the  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
גֹּאֵ֣ל  of  avenger 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.
הַדָּם֒  of  the  blood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְהֵשִׁ֤יבוּ  and  shall  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
הָֽעֵדָ֔ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
עִ֥יר  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִקְלָט֖וֹ  of  refuge 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִקְלָט  
Sense: refuge, asylum.
אֲשֶׁר־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָ֣ס  he  had  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
וְיָ֣שַׁב  and  he  shall  remain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
מוֹת֙  the  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
הַכֹּהֵ֣ן  of  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַגָּדֹ֔ל  high 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
מָשַׁ֥ח  was  anointed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁח  
Sense: to smear, anoint, spread a liquid.
אֹת֖וֹ  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּשֶׁ֥מֶן  with  oil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ  the  holy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.