Deuteronomy 19:10
That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
Deuteronomy 19:10 stands within the three addresses spoken by Moses just before his death, lying in chapters 5 to 26 that review the law for the new generation, in the second section that gives the book its name meaning second law or duplicate of the law, and it is to be read together with chapters 18 to 21. It warns that innocent blood must not be shed in the land the Lord gives as an inheritance, lest guilt for that blood come upon the people who bear responsibility for it. The reading of chapter 19 gives no further explanation beyond that warning against allowing such shedding in the land given to Israel.
As part of the law of blood revenge, the verse restricts that law by requiring the refuge system and providing the cities of refuge to prevent the shedding of innocent blood and to keep bloodguilt from resting on the land and community. The land is God's gift to Israel as an inheritance, and the law holds the people responsible for bloodshed that could have been prevented. The cities mitigated the custom of blood vengeance by giving one who caused a death a place to escape private vengeance until a fair trial could establish guilt or innocence. A guilty murderer did not escape the legal consequences of the crime, while one whose killing was proved accidental was not to be punished.
The instructions for the cities of refuge in 19:2-13 were later carried out by Joshua, providing a place for one who killed another accidentally to flee from the avenger of blood and remain until the case was heard by the congregation. That provision applied to both Israelites and resident strangers. God's provision of a city of refuge to shelter people in danger applies to Jews who accept Christ and are bitterly persecuted and must leave their countrymen, by securing for them a place where they are given work and at the same time trained to be workers for others. The verse also prohibits observing heathen customs, including the observance of times, meaning days and seasons dedicated to pagan gods.