This verse summarizes and reinforces the points made in verses 25-27.

For the man must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: See verse 25. The Hebrew particle ki rendered For may be a logical connector. However, this verse repeats the point made in verse 25, so it is also possible that this particle is an emphatic marker here. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie understand it this way by translating it “In fact.”

But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession: The conjunction but (literally “and”) introduces well the contrast here. For the Hebrew word rendered possession (ʾachuzzah), see verse 2. The land of his possession refers specifically to the manslayer’s own plot of land, so this phrase may be rendered “his land holding” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “his own property” (New International Version, New Living Translation). Good News Translation says simply “home,” which seems less accurate since the whole context of this passage stresses the notion of a safe place versus dangerous territory for the person who kills another, whether deliberately or accidentally.

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 .