Deuteronomy 19:5

“As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, etc.] A wood is a place common to men, and cutting down wood a business which any man might do; whereas a private place, where a man had no right to be, and doing what he had no business with, rendered a case suspicious, and such a man was liable to be taken up when any affair happened of the kind here spoken of; so the Jewish writers observe f229, “a wood is a public place for him that hurts and him that is hurt to enter there;” both had a right to go thither, the one as well as the other, he to whom the accident came, and he by whom it came; but they say, a court that belongs to a master of a house (a private court) is…”

“This and the next two chapters contain enactments designed to protect human life, and to impress its sanctity on Israel. In Deuteronomy 19:1-13 the directions respecting the preparation of the roads to the cities of refuge, the provision of additional cities in case of an extension of territory, and the intervention of the elders as representing the congregation, are unique to Deuteronomy and supplementary to the laws on the same subject given in the earlier books (compare the marginal reference). Deuteronomy 19:1, Deuteronomy 19:2 The three cities of refuge for the district east of Jordan had been already named. Moses now directs that when the territory on the west of Jordan had been…”

“head: Heb. iron, Kg2 6:5-7 helve: Heb. wood lighteth: Heb. findeth he shall flee: Num 35:25; Pro 27:12; Isa 32:2 Deuteronomy 19:6”