The crimes of murder, kidnapping, and cursing or striking one’s parents were punished by death. A person who committed murder gave up his own right to live. Human life is very precious in God’s sight.
Even when a death was accidental, it could not simply be ignored. However, the law made a difference between murder and accidental killing.
God provided places of refuge (see Numbers 35:6–28). These were special towns where a person who killed someone by accident could flee. There, the family of the dead person could not take revenge (see also study notes on Numbers 35:6–34).