Numbers Chapter 35 · Verse 18
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Original Language Analysis
א֡וֹ
H176
א֡וֹ
Strong's:
H176
Word #:
1 of 14
desire (and so probably in proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
בִּכְלִ֣י
weapon
H3627
בִּכְלִ֣י
weapon
Strong's:
H3627
Word #:
2 of 14
something prepared, i.e., any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)
עֵֽץ
of wood
H6086
עֵֽץ
of wood
Strong's:
H6086
Word #:
3 of 14
a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)
יָד֩
him with an hand
H3027
יָד֩
him with an hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
4 of 14
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 #:
5 of 14
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 #:
6 of 14
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
הִכָּ֛הוּ
Or if he smite
H5221
הִכָּ֛הוּ
Or if he smite
Strong's:
H5221
Word #:
8 of 14
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
H4191
יוּמַ֖ת
and he die
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
9 of 14
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
הָֽרֹצֵֽחַ׃
he is a murderer
H7523
הָֽרֹצֵֽחַ׃
he is a murderer
Strong's:
H7523
Word #:
10 of 14
properly, to dash in pieces, i.e., kill (a human being), especially to murder
ה֑וּא
H1931
ה֑וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
11 of 14
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 #:
12 of 14
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
Historical Context
Wooden weapons included olive-wood clubs (1 Samuel 17:40), oak staffs, and acacia rods. While less durable than metal, hardwoods like oak could easily crush a skull, making them deadly instruments when wielded with malicious force during the tribal period (1400-1050 BC).
Questions for Reflection
- Why does the law meticulously catalog weapon types—what does this reveal about God's commitment to comprehensive justice?
- How does the threefold repetition (iron, stone, wood) ensure no murderer escapes through technicalities?
Analysis & Commentary
Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die (כְּלִי עֵץ־יָד, keli ets-yad)—literally 'a wooden instrument of the hand,' referring to clubs, staffs, or other hand-wielded wooden implements capable of causing death. The trilateral repetition (iron-v.16, stone-v.17, wood-v.18) covers the three primary materials used for weapons in Bronze/Iron Age warfare.
The legal precision exhaustively categorizes murder scenarios, preventing clever evasion: 'I didn't use iron, merely wood.' God's law closes loopholes, demanding true justice. Yet for the accidental killer, the city of refuge remained open—law tempered with mercy.