4 The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shallextend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.
5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shallbe in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.
6 “Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites youshallappointasix cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities.
7 So all the cities you will give to the Levites shallbeaforty-eight; these youshallgive with their common-land.
8 And the cities which you will give shallbeafrom the possession of the children of Israel; bfrom the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”
The Levitical cities were in an special manner the Lord' s; and therefore the places of refuge, where the manslayer might remain under the protection of a special institution devised by divine mercy, were appropriately selected from among them. No doubt also the Priests and Levites would be the fittest persons to administer the law in the doubtful cases which would be sure to occur: compare Numbers 35:24 note.
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