THOU SHALT PREPARE THEE THE WAY. The cities should be in a place where the way¹ is prepared² and settled.³

footnotes: ¹ The way of the person fleeing to the city of refuge. ² The city of refuge shall have prepared roads leading to it. ³ The road should run through settled areas so that it is a safe road and provisions are available for the person on the way to the city of refuge.

AND DIVIDE. Ve-shillashta (and divide) means divide the land into three, or place a city of refuge in each third of the land.

HIS NEIGHBOR. Et re’ehu means with his neighbor. There are many such cases.⁴ has the meaning of im. See Ex. 1:1.

footnotes: ⁴ Where et

FETCHETH A STROKE. Ve-niddechah (fetcheth a stroke) is a nifal. Nidche (the dispersed of) in He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel (Ps. 147:2) is the kal form.

WITH THE AXE. Garzen (axe) refers to a metal instrument used to cut a tree down. It is related to the word nigzarti (I was cut off).⁵. However, I.E. believes that nigrazti and nigzarti are one and the same word, with the letters inverted. See I.E. on Ps. 31:23.

footnotes: ⁵ See Ps. 31:23. The reading there is nigrazti

AND THE HEAD SLIPPETH FROM THE HELVE. Venashal (slippeth) is similar to ve-nasa (shall set forward) (Num. 2:17).⁶ It is related to the word yishal (shall drop off) in for thine olives shall drop off (Deut. 28:40). The word ve-nashal (and shall cast) in and shall cast out many nations (Deut. 7:1) is transitive. However, ve-nashal (slippeth) in our verse is intransitive. According to a great grammarian the same is true of the word yasaf (more) in with a great voice, and it went on no more (Deut. 5:19) and yasaf (added) in For the Lord hath added sorrow (Jer. 45:3).⁷ is intransitive in Deut. 5:19 and intransitive in Jer. 45:3. However, I believe that they are both transitive.

footnotes: ⁶ Both words are intransitive and are similarly vocalized. ⁷ Yasaf

AND SMITE HIM MORTALLY. Ve-hikkahu nefesh⁸ (and smite him mortally) is short for ve-hikkahu makkat nefesh (and smite him with a mortal blow). He will strike him in a place where his soul will depart.

footnotes: ⁸ Literally, and smite him life. Hence I.E.’s comments.

AND IF THE LORD THY GOD ENLARGE THY BORDER. If Israel observes the entire Torah.⁹ Scripture therefore reads,¹⁰ if thou shalt keep all this commandment (v. 9), the reference being to the commandment dealing with the three cities of refuge.¹¹

footnotes: ⁹ If Israel observes the entire Torah, God will enlarge Israel’s borders. ¹⁰ In the next verse. ¹¹ As this is the law which this section deals with. This appears to contradict I.E.’s first statement that the reference is to all the laws of the Torah. Filwarg suggests reading “or the reference is (or, some say the reference is) to the commandment dealing with the three cities of refuge. See Nachmanides on this verse.

AND TO WALK EVER IN HIS WAYS.¹² Without any break in them.¹³

footnotes: ¹² Literally, and to walk in His ways all the days. ¹³ With out any break in the days that you walk before the Lord.

THOU SHALT NOT REMOVE THY NEIGHBOUR’S LANDMARKS. The meaning of tassig (thou shalt…remove) is known.¹⁴ Its meaning is similar to the word tasseg (remove) in Remove not the ancient landmark (Prov. 22:28). It is close in meaning to destroyed.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁴ From its context (Weiser). ¹⁵ I.E. renders our clause, thou shalt not destroy thy neighbor’s landmark. He renders Prov. 22:28, destroy not the ancient landmark.

WHICH THEY OF OLD TIME HAVE SET. The ones who divided up the land.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ When Israel first entered the Land of Israel. See Josh. 19:51.

ONE WITNESS SHALL NOT RISE UP. This section¹⁷ follows,¹⁸ because destroying the boundary markers¹⁹ leads to quarrels, blows, and murder. Scripture therefore goes on to state, following this, Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth (v. 21). The one who claims that his neighbor removed his landmark must bring witnesses. Hence, Scripture reads, one witness shall not rise up, which means that two witnesses are required in cases involving murder, assault, landmark removal, or any matter.²⁰ Shene edim (two witnesses) is an abridged phrase,²¹ is short for shenaim. for Scripture elsewhere reads, shenayim edim (two witnesses) (Deut. 17:6).

footnotes: ¹⁷ The section dealing with witnesses (verses 15-21). ¹⁸ It follows the section dealing with the removal of boundaries. ¹⁹ Translated according to I.E. ²⁰ It does not apply only to boundary disputes which precede it. ²¹ In other words, sheni

TO BEAR PERVERTED WITNESS AGAINST HIM. Such as accusing him of idol worship.

TESTIFIED. Anah means testified. The same law applies to flogging²² and fines.²³

footnotes: ²² Where a false witness accused an innocent person of a crime for which the punishment is a flogging. ²³ Where a false witness accused an innocent person of a crime for which one is punished with a fine (Weiser).

AND THINE EYE SHALL NOT PITY. This means thine eye shall not pity the false witness.²⁴ editions. Vat. Ebr. 38 reads, “upon one who deserves punishment.” The Pardes edition of Scriptures reads, al sheker (for lying). However, this appears to be an error for al ed sheker (upon a false witness).

footnotes: ²⁴ This is the reading in most mikra’ot gedolot