Numbers 35:8
French (La Bible expliquée)
Chaque tribu leur fournira un nombre de villes proportionnel à l'importance de son territoire: une grande tribu en fournira plus, une petite moins. » D'après Gen 9.6, Ex 21.23-25, Lév 24.19-21, Deut 19.21, la mort d'un homme appelle celle de son meurtrier; en fait, un proche parent de la victime avait le devoir de venger le défunt en faisant mourir le responsable de cette mort. Ce texte des Nombres développe la loi d' Ex 21.12-13. Il distingue le meurtre accidentel (v. 22-29) du meurtre prémédité (v. 16-21). Celui qui a pris involontairement la vie d'un autre peut bénéficier de la protection des villes de refuge. Le sang répandu par le meurtre souille le pays donné par Dieu. Seul le sang du coupable, versé en réparation, purifie le pays de cette souillure (v. 33). Dans tous les cas, la communauté s'interpose entre le meurtrier et celui qui doit le châtier (v. 12, 24-25, 30). La justice se démarque ainsi d'un acte personnel de vengeance. Dans d'autres codes de l'ancien Orient, hittites ou babyloniens par exemple, un vol, un faux témoignage, une désertion pouvaient dans certains cas mériter la mort; et inversement, un meurtre accidentel être réparé par une simple amende! Dans la loi donnée à Israël, la vie humaine n'a pas de prix (v. 31-32). Seule une autre vie peut la racheter. Dans le cas d'un meurtre involontaire, ce sera la mort naturelle du grand-prêtre qui assurera symboliquement cette compensation (v. 28). Répandre le sang est extrêmement grave. Le thème central du livre des Nombres inspire cette législation: la pureté de la terre doit être protégée, parce que le Dieu saint y habite parmi son peuple.
What Does This Mean?
This verse explains how the Levites, who were given no land of their own, would receive cities from the other tribes of Israel. The number of cities given would be based on how much land each tribe possessed. The larger tribes would give more cities, and the smaller tribes would give fewer.
Explained for Children
Imagine you have a big box of crayons and your friend has a small box. If you needed to share some crayons with another friend who doesn't have any, you would give more crayons from your big box, and your friend would give fewer from their small box. This is what's happening with the cities given to the Levites.
Historical Background
The Book of Numbers was written by Moses around 1400 BCE. It was part of the instructions for the Israelites as they prepared to enter and settle in the Promised Land. The context involves the distribution of land among the tribes, with special provisions for the Levites, who served in the tabernacle and did not have land of their own.
Living It Out Today
In a modern scenario, this verse can be applied to how resources are shared in a community. Larger businesses or organizations might contribute more to community projects or charitable causes, while smaller ones might contribute less, but still give proportionally to what they have.
Topics
sharingjusticecommunityprovisionfairnessservice
Related Verses
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Levites not receive any land?
The Levites were given the responsibility of serving in the tabernacle and did not have the same agricultural duties as the other tribes. Therefore, they were provided with cities instead of land for farming.
How did the number of cities each tribe gave to the Levites determine?
The number of cities given was based on the size of each tribe's inheritance. Larger tribes with more land provided more cities, while smaller tribes with less land provided fewer cities.
What can we learn about fairness from this verse?
This verse teaches us about fairness and proportional giving. It shows that contributions should be based on what one has, ensuring that everyone contributes according to their means.
How does this verse relate to community service today?
This verse can be applied to community service by showing that those with more resources should contribute more to communal needs, while those with fewer resources contribute what they can, reflecting a sense of communal responsibility.