Accidents happen. But imagine being the guy that was told by a runner from the countryside that your brother was just killed in a tragic tree cutting accident. A close family friend asked him to go into the woods to split some logs, and the next thing you know, your brother is dead and the family friend is gone.
Where did he go? In situations like these, it’s assumed he went to the nearest city of refuge, but that’s not your immediate concern. First, you need to retrieve the body as quickly as possible. You know from Deuteronomy 21:1-9 that a body left overnight will make the land impure, so take care of that first.
Or should you? Time is of the essence first, so you could decide to grab a go-bag and head after the manslayer right now. If he gets to a city of refuge first, he has the right to a trial. That could drag out the pain for weeks, plus there is always a chance he’ll be found innocent.
If you can get to the manslayer before he reaches a city of refuge, you are well within your rights to put him to death. Deuteronomy 21 mandates that the elders and judges closest to where your brother was slain have the responsibility of handling the body, so it’s also within your rights to pursue the manslayer.
But are you also the right choice? Not just anyone can become the avenger of blood; instead, it has to be the next of kin. This isn’t especially obvious from the Text, but the broader meaning of the Hebrew has to do with a “redeemer.”
The laws of redemption are laid out in Leviticus 25:48, and go through the paternal line. The first one responsible for redeeming your brother’s death is you (since you’re the brother), then the uncle, then the uncle’s son, and so on. Gideon was the avenger of blood for his brother (Judges 8:18-21), as Joab was for Asahel (2 Samuel 3:27-30).
Since the deceased is your immediate brother, the responsibility falls on you to avenge his death and purify the land from blood. It doesn’t really matter if you want to do it—someone has been killed in an unnatural way, and the land will be cursed unless you take care of it (Numbers 35:30-34).
In other words, if you do not fulfill your obligation by avenging the blood of the land, then the entire nation will suffer. God sees that as disobedience. The land must be pure.
It’s easy to lean into that while you’re chasing the manslayer to the city of refuge, but things may take a turn when you actually come face to face with this person. After all, they were originally a family friend. Will you be able to look them in the eye and put them to death because of their sin?
Remember, as the designated blood-avenger (whether you wanted that role or not), you are also the official state executioner. Numbers 35:19-21 states clearly that you are the one who will put him to death. By your hand, he will die.
Is that something you’re prepared to do? Since he murdered your brother, maybe you won’t have a problem with it. Or maybe you’ll be like David, who specifically overruled this law in 2 Samuel 14 to protect a hypothetical family.
But David was a king offering protection for a family that would’ve been extinguished. You’re just a regular guy who doesn’t have the stomach to cast the first stone.
Regardless of how you look at this situation, your entire life is changed from this moment on. You are without a brother—a horrendous loss by anyone’s standard.
If you follow through on the Law, though, the situation will be rectified. Your family will receive the justice they deserve—whether the manslayer is found innocent or guilty—and the land will be pure.
If you do your job, that is.