Then …: Verses 22-24 form one long sentence in the Hebrew text. Verse 24 gives the conclusion to the hypothetical cases in verses 22-23, detailing th action that the community needs to take. Good News Translation helpfully divides this long sentence into several shorter ones by translating “But suppose … Or suppose … In such cases….”
The congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood: As mentioned at 1.2, the Hebrew word for congregation (ʿedah) is better rendered “community” (Good News Translation). Here it probably refers specifically to the male leaders of the community within whose boundaries the slaying had occurred. Some languages may have a specific term or phrase that refers to such a local council (of elders). Good News Translation renders judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood as “judge in your favor and not in favor of the dead person’s relative who is seeking revenge,” which makes the decision in favor of the manslayer explicit in the translation. But the Hebrew only makes this explicit in the next verse. Contemporary English Version has “hold a trial and decide if you are guilty,” which highlights the context of a court. Other helpful renderings here are “pronounce a judgment in the case between the author of the fatal accident and the avenger of the victim” (Bible en français courant), “shall decide between the slayer and the blood-avenger” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Zürcher Bibel), and “act as judge between him who caused the death and the relative who wants to avenge the victim” (SPCL). For the avenger of blood, see verse 12.
In accordance with these ordinances: The demonstrative pronoun these refers ahead to what is stated in the subsequent verses, so Willibrordvertaling translates this whole phrase as “The following rules apply.” Compare also “Here are the rules the court must follow” (New International Readers Version) and “in conformity with these laws” (Reina-Valera Contemporánea). Good News Translation renders this phrase as “In such cases” (also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), which refers back to the preceding verses. For the Hebrew word rendered ordinances (mishpat), see 9.3. In this context it may be rendered “principles” or “procedures.”
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 .