Bible Dictionary
Blood, Revenger Of
The revenger of blood was the nearest relative of a person unlawfully killed, authorized under Israelite law to pursue the killer. The law limited vengeance and provided cities of refuge for accidental manslayers.
Definition
The revenger of blood was the nearest relative of a person who had been killed. He was the authorized family avenger, responsible for pursuing the offender according to Israelite law.
Biblical Usage
The law limited vengeance to the immediate offender and distinguished the revenger of blood from broader or inherited retaliation. Its regulations belong to the legal treatment of homicide and the responsibility of the deceased person’s nearest relative.
Historical Background
The revenger of blood functioned within a regulated system of family justice. The supplied material does not identify him with unlimited vengeance, but emphasizes that retaliation was not to extend beyond the immediate offender.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
He who avenged the blood of one who had been killed. The nearest relative of the deceased became the authorized avenger of blood. (Numbers 35:19) The law of retaliation was not to extend beyond the immediate offender. (24:16; 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Chronicles 25:4; Jeremiah 31:29,30; Ezekiel 18:20)