D. The special cities chs. 20-21

 1. The cities of refuge ch. 20

At this time the tribal leaders formally designated the six cities of refuge about which Moses had received instructions (Num. 35). Three stood west of the Jordan: Kadesh in Naphtali, Shechem in Manasseh, and Hebron in Judah (v. 7). Three more were east of the Jordan: Bezer in Reuben, Ramoth in Gad, and Golan in Manasseh (v. 8). Their placement meant that no Israelite would have to travel far to reach one of them.¹⁸⁴

"The Christian community must take seriously its responsibility to examine penal institutions and practices and seek to find the ways God would lead us to reform such practices. The innocent man should not suffer unduly and the guilty man should be given sufficient protection and hope for new opportunities as well as sufficient punishment."¹⁸⁵

"The cities of refuge . . . seem to typify Christ to whom sinners, pursued by the avenging Law which decrees judgment and death, may flee for refuge."¹⁸⁶

 2. The cities of the Levites ch. 21:1-42 

The tribes also had to set aside 42 additional cities for the priests and Levites to inhabit (cf. Num. 35:1-8).