Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 180
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(דברים יט ב) שָׁלֹשׁ עָרִים, עָרִים וְלֹא טִירִים, עָרִים וְלֹא כְּרַכִּים, עָרִים וְלֹא כְּפָרִים.
(Devarim 19:2) "Three cities": of average size, not very small and not very large.
תַּבְדִּיל לָךְ – וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים.
"shall you set aside for yourself": and not for others (i.e., gentiles).
בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ – וְלֹא בַּסְּפָר.
"in the midst of your land": and not in a border city.
אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ, מַה שֶּׁתִּירַשׁ – תִּכְבֹּשׁ.
"which the L-rd your G-d gives you to inherit": after you conquer and inherit it.
(דברים יט ג) תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ, תָּכִין לְךָ סְטְרָטְיָאוֹת שֶׁיְּהוּ מְפֹרָשׁוֹת לְתוֹכָהּ.
(Ibid. 3) "Prepare for yourself the way": Make stations leading into them.
וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מְפֻזָּרוֹת אֶלָּא יִהְיוּ מְכֻוָּנוֹת, כִּשְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּכֶּרֶם.
"and divide in thirds the border of your land': They (the cities of refuge) are not to be (indiscriminately) scattered, but aligned (with other such cities) by threes.
אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ – לְרַבּוֹת עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן.
"that the L-rd your G-d shall cause you to inherit": to include (the cities of refuge) across the Jordan (aligned) like two rows in a vineyard.
וְהָיָה לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כָּל רוֹצֵחַ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה גוֹלֶה מֵעִיר לְעִיר.
"that every slayer may flee there" — even the high-priest, (though he, of course, cannot leave the city of refuge, as all others do, with the death of the high-priest).