19:7-10
The Lord was intent on their being justice in the land. This consisted of the guilty being punished, but not the innocent. “If the Lord enlarges your territory ...” This was conditional on the people living by the Law. If they did this then three further cities were to be added. The shedding of innocent blood was considered a most serious crime. Concern for this goes right back to Genesis 4 with Cain and Abel.
19:11-13
So there was provision for the case of accidental killing. However, God was fully aware that some people may try to take advantage of the provision, claiming a killing was accidental when it was not. In all cases of law attention needs to be paid to both sides. All laws can have good and bad consequences. So if someone who hated his neighbour killed him but ran to a city of refuge, such a man was to be handed over to the “avenger of blood” by the city elders. The guilt of innocent blood needed to be dealt with by ensuring that the guilty were punished.
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