Leviticus 24:17

Reading that just as it is might give one the impression that the breaking of the sixth commandment was rigidly cut and dry. Not so.

The sin was still very serious, but because it happened accidentally, and because the attitude of the person who did the murder, or the killing, was not intent on doing that, and there was no hatred between them, it was a sin not unto death. But God enforced the seriousness of it by making the person flee for all that he was worth to make sure that he got to the city of refuge. Then in the city of refuge, he was held there in ward for an unspecified number of years until the present high priest died. So a penalty had to be paid. The person lost a great deal of his liberty, but he was still alive. He was able to be visited by his family and was still able to earn some kind of a living. He did not become a ward of a state. Pretty wise, I think.