Strangers In the Land: Ger 023

Numbers 35:9-15

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the ger, and for the towshab among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

What Does It Say?

Numbers 35 covers the Cities of Refuge, or the six cities set up across Israel to shelter those guilty of manslaughter. Basically, if you accidentally killed another person - maybe you were play-fighting and they slipped and hit their head on a rock - you had to flee to a City of Refuge before their family revenge-killed you. It was something like Extreme Tag. If you can make it to Base, you're safe; if they catch you on the way, they can kill you without penalty.

Verse 15 is the only one which mentions ger or towshab in particular, but it's clear that all of the rules given apply to Israelites and ger equally. This might set a precidence that the Bible does not explicitly mention ger every time in a given section to indicate every single rule also applys to them. After all, the instructions for Passover only say "the ger can do this too" in general, not "the ger must paint their door frames with blood too and must eat the whole lamb too and must eat the bitter herbs too."

One more thing. The wording of verse 15 in the NKJV gives the impression that the towshab are among the ger. Now, my Hebrew knowledge is almost non-existent, but the Blue Letter Bible breakdown of the Hebrew text seems ambiguous as to whether the towshab are among the ger or in the midst of the children of Israel. I compared a few different English translations, and different translations take it different ways.

These six cities will serve as refuge for the people of Isra’el, as well as for the foreigner and resident alien with them; so that anyone who kills someone by mistake may flee there.
-Complete Jewish Bible

As well for the children of Israel as for strangers and sojourners, that he may flee to them, who hath shed blood against his will.
- Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition 

These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
-ESV 

 These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
-NASB 

 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.
-NIV 

These shesh he’arim shall be for miklat (refuge), both for the Bnei Yisroel, and for the ger, and for the toshav (sojourner) among them; that every one that killeth any nefesh bishegagah (unintentionally, accidently) may flee there.
-Orthodox Jewish Bible 

as well to the sons of Israel as to comelings, and pilgrims; that he flee to those cities, that shedded blood not willfully. (for the Israelites, as well as for newcomers, and foreigners, or strangers; so that anyone, who did not intentionally shed blood, can flee to one of those cities.)
-Wycliffe

Overall, I think the trend is towards either leaving it ambiguous or that the "them" the towshab are in the midst of are the children of Israel.

You might ask why I care so much who the towshab are among - basically I'm interested in if they're being treated as a subcategory of ger and therefore laws and rights given to ger are extended to towshab or if they're a separate category with different laws/rights. Right now, I'm leaning towards seperate category.

Next: Deuteronomy 1