If someone kills out of hatred or ambush, it is counted as murder and worthy of the most severe judgment.
In this passage, the Israelites are instructed in the difference between murder and manslaughter. Numbers 35:20 specifies that if violence occurs out of hatred or in ambush, resulting in the death of another, the act is considered intentional murder. In Scripture’s words, “If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait, and as a result he died,” (v.20), that is “shedding man’s blood” with premeditation. This harsh intent contrasts a scenario in which a person might kill someone accidentally, such as an unplanned action that results in death (Numbers 35:22-24). When hatred or enmity is at the root, Scripture clearly labels this as murder subject to capital punishment (Numbers 35:16-17).
If someone purposely pushes his neighbor out of hatred, it indicates that person’s heart harbored ill will, making the act deliberate. The language in Numbers 35 meticulously identifies using an “iron object” or other lethal instrument in enmity as a sign of guilt and malicious forethought (Numbers 35:16-21). The passage also reinforces how murder strikes at God’s creation in His image (Genesis 1:27), explaining why He judges it so severely. The man who kills another in a calculated act “shall surely be put to death” (Numbers 35:17), underscoring the seriousness of taking a life intentionally. This role of delivering justice was conferred on the community, paralleling other instructions about moral order and God’s holiness. Jesus later alludes to the heart as the source of violence (Matthew 5:21-22), revealing that God’s concern extends beyond the action alone to the motives behind it.
In ancient Israel’s legal structure, these provisions served to protect human life and establish fair recourse against homicide, preserving the sanctity of God’s people. The Mosaic Law also recognized cases of manslaughter, prescribing six cities of refuge where a person who killed accidentally could flee rather than face swift retaliation and execution (Numbers 35:9-15). Yet in verse 20, the emphasis remains on purposeful harm: “If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait, and as a result he died” (v.20). This is the mark of a murderer’s heart, an act that God commanded the nation to judge with capital punishment.
In sum, verse 20 reiterates that hate-inspired violence resulting in death is a grievous offense and places offenders under the highest penalty. It asserts God’s abhorrence of premeditated murder and highlights that Deuteronomy’s prohibition against murder (Deuteronomy 5:17) aims to safeguard the “image of God” in every human (Genesis 9:6).
Set to dark mode
Numbers 35:20 meaning
In this passage, the Israelites are instructed in the difference between murder and manslaughter. Numbers 35:20 specifies that if violence occurs out of hatred or in ambush, resulting in the death of another, the act is considered intentional murder. In Scripture’s words, “If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait, and as a result he died,” (v.20), that is “shedding man’s blood” with premeditation. This harsh intent contrasts a scenario in which a person might kill someone accidentally, such as an unplanned action that results in death (Numbers 35:22-24). When hatred or enmity is at the root, Scripture clearly labels this as murder subject to capital punishment (Numbers 35:16-17).
If someone purposely pushes his neighbor out of hatred, it indicates that person’s heart harbored ill will, making the act deliberate. The language in Numbers 35 meticulously identifies using an “iron object” or other lethal instrument in enmity as a sign of guilt and malicious forethought (Numbers 35:16-21). The passage also reinforces how murder strikes at God’s creation in His image (Genesis 1:27), explaining why He judges it so severely. The man who kills another in a calculated act “shall surely be put to death” (Numbers 35:17), underscoring the seriousness of taking a life intentionally. This role of delivering justice was conferred on the community, paralleling other instructions about moral order and God’s holiness. Jesus later alludes to the heart as the source of violence (Matthew 5:21-22), revealing that God’s concern extends beyond the action alone to the motives behind it.
In ancient Israel’s legal structure, these provisions served to protect human life and establish fair recourse against homicide, preserving the sanctity of God’s people. The Mosaic Law also recognized cases of manslaughter, prescribing six cities of refuge where a person who killed accidentally could flee rather than face swift retaliation and execution (Numbers 35:9-15). Yet in verse 20, the emphasis remains on purposeful harm: “If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait, and as a result he died” (v.20). This is the mark of a murderer’s heart, an act that God commanded the nation to judge with capital punishment.
In sum, verse 20 reiterates that hate-inspired violence resulting in death is a grievous offense and places offenders under the highest penalty. It asserts God’s abhorrence of premeditated murder and highlights that Deuteronomy’s prohibition against murder (Deuteronomy 5:17) aims to safeguard the “image of God” in every human (Genesis 9:6).