Numbers Chapter 35 · Verse 17
And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Original Language Analysis
וְאִ֡ם
H518
וְאִ֡ם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
1 of 13
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
יָד֩
him with throwing
H3027
יָד֩
him with throwing
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
3 of 13
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
4 of 13
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
H4191
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
5 of 13
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
הִכָּ֛הוּ
And if he smite
H5221
הִכָּ֛הוּ
And if he smite
Strong's:
H5221
Word #:
7 of 13
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
H4191
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
8 of 13
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
הָֽרֹצֵֽחַ׃
he is a murderer
H7523
הָֽרֹצֵֽחַ׃
he is a murderer
Strong's:
H7523
Word #:
9 of 13
properly, to dash in pieces, i.e., kill (a human being), especially to murder
ה֑וּא
H1931
ה֑וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
10 of 13
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
H4191
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
11 of 13
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
Historical Context
Stone-throwing was common in ancient Near Eastern conflicts and judicial executions (Leviticus 24:16, John 8:59). The law's specificity regarding stone size and throwing distance reflects the casual availability of stones as weapons in Israel's rocky terrain.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the criterion 'wherewith he may die' demonstrate that biblical justice evaluates both means and motive?
- What New Testament principle echoes this law's concern with the heart's intent behind outward actions?
Analysis & Commentary
If he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die—a second category of murder: using projectile weapons capable of inflicting fatal injury. The phrase 'wherewith he may die' (אֲשֶׁר־יָמוּת בָּהּ, asher-yamut bah) indicates the stone's deadly potential was known to the assailant. This wasn't a pebble thrown in jest but a rock selected and hurled with lethal force.
The repetition he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death appears throughout verses 16-21, a liturgical refrain emphasizing that intent, not just outcome, determines guilt. God judges the heart's malice, not merely the hand's action (cf. Matthew 5:21-22).