And if he stabbed him from hatred …: Verses 20-21 deal with another set of possible instances of intentional killing. It should be clear from the translation that the pronoun he refers to a murderer and the pronoun him to his victim (not to the avenger and the murderer in verse 19). Good News Translation makes this clear by beginning verse 20 with “If you hate someone and kill him by pushing him down…,” and so does TNIV with “If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another….” The Hebrew verb for stabbed is more accurately rendered “pushes” (New Revised Standard Version) or “shoves” (TNIV). In Revised Standard Version the verbs in verses 20-21a are in the past tense. New Revised Standard Version uses the present tense here, which may be more natural for these new instances of intentional killing. In some languages it will be helpful to render the phrase from hatred as a separate clause; for example, New Living Translation begins verse 20 with “So if someone hates another person and pushes him…” (similarly Good News Translation).

Or hurled at him: Many languages will need to include an object for the verb hurled; for example, Good News Translation renders this clause as “or by throwing something at him,” and New Revised Standard Version has “or hurls something at another.”

Lying in wait: The Hebrew expression here may be rendered “on purpose” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “intentionally” (NET Bible), although lying in wait is a more vivid rendering. Good News Translation omits it, which we do not recommend. The expression here is related to the Hebrew verb tsadah, which means “do on purpose,” “intend,” or “hunt down” (see Exo 21.13; 1 Sam 24.11).

Or in enmity struck him down with his hand: Again Good News Translation wrongly omits the sinful emotion of enmity. In some languages in enmity may be rendered “out of enmity” (De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) or “if someone hates another person” (New Living Translation). New Revised Standard Version renders struck him down with his hand as “strikes another with the hand.” New Living Translation is more specific with “hits him with a fist” (similarly Good News Translation), which is a helpful model.

Then he who struck the blow shall be put to death: This clause uses the same emphatic Hebrew expression for shall be put to death as in verses 16-18 (see the comments there).

He is a murderer: See verses 16-18.

The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death: See verse 19.

When he meets him: See verse 19.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .