What does Deuteronomy 19:3's instruction to 'prepare the roads' require practically?

The Talmud (Makkot 10a–b) derives several requirements: roads must be wide enough for a bier to pass, bridges must be built over rivers on the route, and signposts inscribed with ‘Refuge’ (miklat) must be placed at every crossroads. Roads in poor repair are a communal moral failure — if a manslayer dies because the road was obstructed, the community bears guilt.

Why did the commandment require dividing the land into three equal parts rather than just naming the cities?

Dividing into three ensures geographical equity: no matter where an accidental killing occurred in the land, the nearest refuge city would be within one region's distance. If the cities were clustered in one area, a manslayer from the far end of the country might not survive the journey. The equal division is a design principle for accessibility.

How many cities of refuge were there in total, and where were they?

Six cities total: three east of the Jordan, designated by Moses in Deuteronomy 4:41–43 (Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, Golan), and three west of the Jordan, designated by Joshua in Joshua 20:7–8 (Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron/Kirjath-arba). Together they covered the full extent of the settled territory.

Why did Moses designate the eastern cities before the conquest of Canaan, before the western cities could be chosen?

Moses could not enter the land and would never designate the western cities. Rather than defer the entire commandment, he immediately fulfilled the portion he could: the Transjordanian territory was already in Israel’s possession. His action shows that a commandment should be fulfilled as soon as and as far as possible, not deferred until all conditions are fully met.

What does Deuteronomy 19:9's provision for three more cities upon territorial expansion reveal?

The system was explicitly designed to scale. If Israel’s obedience led to expanded territory — as Deuteronomy 19:8–9 promises — three additional cities should be added to maintain the accessibility ratio. The commandment was not a fixed number but a principle: the land’s population and size should determine how many refuge cities are needed to make justice accessible to all.

Commandment #187 · Positive · Courts & Justice

Prepare the Roads and Divide the Land: Establishing the Cities of Refuge

הָכָנַת עָרֵי מִקְלָט

Source: Deuteronomy 19:3 · Maimonides, Laws of Murder 8:1

Commandment #186 established the manslayer's right to flee to a city of refuge. This commandment — drawn from Deuteronomy 19:3 — establishes the community's obligation to make that flight possible. The command is precise: “prepare the roads” (tacchin lecha ha-derech) and divide the land into three equal parts, so that any manslayer can reach a city quickly. If the roads are not prepared, the refuge cities cannot function. The community's failure to prepare the roads makes it complicit in the manslayer's death.

Prepare the Roads: The Infrastructure of Refuge

תָּכִין לְךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ אֶת גְּבוּל אַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַנְחִילְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

"You shall measure the distances and divide into three parts the area of the land that the LORD your God gives you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them."

Deuteronomy 19:3 — Open in Torah Reader

Deuteronomy 19:2 gives the “set apart three cities” command. Deuteronomy 19:3's verb “tacchin” (prepare) generated detailed Talmudic legislation (Makkot 10a–b). Roads to the refuge cities must be: (1) Minimum width — wide enough for a bier to pass; (2) Free of obstruction — no river crossings without bridges; (3) Signposted — milestones inscribed with “Refuge” (miklat) pointing the way at every crossroads. The Talmud adds that roads must be kept in good repair: a pothole on the road to a refuge city that delays a manslayer is treated as a communal moral failure. The city is only as useful as the road that leads to it.

Three Cities West, Three Cities East: The Geographical System

שָׁלוֹשׁ עָרִים תַּבְדִּיל לְךָ בְּתוֹךְ אַרְצְךָ

"You shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess."

Deuteronomy 19:2 — Open in Torah Reader

Three cities were to be designated in Canaan proper (Deuteronomy 19:2), with three more already designated by Moses east of the Jordan in Deuteronomy 4:41: Bezer in Reuben, Ramoth-gilead in Gad, and Golan in Manasseh. The division of the western land into thirds ensured no manslayer was more than one region away from a city. Deuteronomy 19:9 adds: if Israel's territory expands, three more cities shall be added — the system scales with the land. Joshua 20 records the three western cities designated: Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron.

Key Figures

Moses Designates Three Cities East of the Jordan

Deuteronomy 4 records Moses designating the three Transjordanian refuge cities while Israel was still in the wilderness — before the conquest of Canaan. The act is notable: Moses could not himself enter the land, yet he carried out the part of the commandment he could fulfill immediately. Bezer, Ramoth-gilead, and Golan were designated before Israel crossed the Jordan. The commandment was not deferred to later convenience.

Joshua Completes the System

Joshua 20 records Joshua designating the three western cities: Kedesh in Galilee, Shechem in Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba (Hebron) in Judah — and confirming the three eastern cities Moses had already designated. Together the six cities formed a network covering the entire settled territory. The commandment moved from Mosaic legislation to territorial infrastructure within one generation.

Study Questions

For reflection and group study

What specific road-preparation requirements does the Talmud (Makkot 10a–b) derive from Deuteronomy 19:3's instruction to “prepare the roads”?

Why does the commandment divide the land into three geographical regions rather than simply listing the cities?

What does Deuteronomy 19:9's provision for three additional cities if the territory expands reveal about the system's design?

How does Moses's designation of three Transjordanian cities in Deuteronomy 4:41–43, before the Canaan conquest, illustrate the urgency of this commandment?

How does the community's obligation to maintain roads to refuge cities extend the concepts of justice and collective responsibility?

Read the full passage in the Torah reader.

Open Deuteronomy 19 in the Bible Reader

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