Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AVENGER OF BLOOD

A male member of a murder victim’s family, obligated to find and kill the person who had taken the life of his family member. The obligation existed whether the person was killed with intent or by accident. The underlying principle can be seen in the translation of Heb. gōʾēl. Usually translated “redeemer,” a more accurate meaning might be “restorer.” Killing was considered the inappropriate taking of blood belonging to the group, which the avenger (gōʾēl haddām) was responsible to win back by killing the one who shed the blood.

The practice of blood vengeance, found throughout the ancient Near East and in many parts of the world to this day, is connected to an awareness of group or tribal identity: the harm done to one member is harm done to the entire group. It usually arises in noncentralized societies and is intended to be a safeguard and deterrent in the absence of a formalized justice system.

Three of the four passages which mention the avenger of blood are connected to the provision for cities of refuge: Num. 35:9-34; Deut. 19:1-13; Josh. 20:1-9 (cf. Exod. 21:12-14; Deut. 4:41-43). The practice underlies the narrative of the woman of Tekoa before David (2 Sam. 14:5-11).

The establishment of cities of refuge can be seen as an effort to limit and control blood vengeance, based upon a distinction between killing with malice (murder) and killing by accident or without intention. The cities of refuge were to be set aside as places to which an unintentional killer could flee from the avenger of blood, who otherwise could execute the killer without penalty. If a slayer sought asylum in one of these cities, some kind of judicial body within the city (the texts are ambiguous) was empowered to determine guilt or innocence. If the death was determined to be accidental, the slayer was given asylum until the death of the high priest, at which time he was free to return to his own home. If found guilty, the murderer was to be turned over to the avenger of blood for execution.

Bibliography. D. Patrick, Old Testament Law (Atlanta, 1985); R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel (1961, repr. Grand Rapids, 1997).

Marilyn J. Lundberg

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AVENGER OF BLOOD

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)