וְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֔וֹ וְלָקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מִשָּׁ֑ם וְנָתְנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּיַ֛ד גֹּאֵ֥ל הַדָּ֖ם וָמֵֽת׃
então os anciãos da sua cidade enviarão e o trarão de lá, e o entregarão nas mãos do vingador do sangue, e ele morrerá.
Siftei Chakhamim
Rife with murderers. You might ask: Surely the cities of refuge would only provide refuge for inadvertent killers, and it is illogical to say that Gil’ad was rife with inadvertent killers. The answer is that they were certainly intentional killers, however there were no witnesses and thus they claimed that they killed inadvertently. Consequently, they required three cities of refuge. Re’m. Another answer is that this refers to a matter detailed in Parshas Mishpatim (Shemos 21:13), “Hashem caused it to come to his hand” teaching that Hashem arranges for them to be at the same inn…” (see below). Here too it refers to the same matter. There were many murderers in Gil’ad who acted with intent but without witnesses, and in the land of Israel there were many inadvertent killers without witnesses. So what did Hashem do? He would arrange for them to be at the same inn, in Gil’ad, and the inadvertent killers from the land of Israel would inadvertently kill the intentional killers. For example, when [the murderer] was sitting beneath a ladder as Rashi explains there [the inadvertent killer would accidentally fall upon the murderer, killing him in front of witnesses]. Consequently, the intentional killers would be killed while the inadvertent killers would be exiled there in Gil’ad to these cities of refuge. Thus, it was necessary to have three cities of refuge in Gil’ad like in the entire land of Israel. (Divrei Dovid) answers the question with the Gemara in Perek Eilu Hen Hagolin (Makkos 10b): It was taught in a beraysa: Rabbi Yosi bar Yehudah says that initially both inadvertent and intentional killers go to the cities of refuge, and the Beis Din sends messengers to bring them [for judgment]. Whoever is liable for the death penalty is executed, as it says (Devarim 19:12), “The elders of his city shall send for him and take him from there…” Whoever is not liable is released, and whoever is liable for exile (i.e., city of refuge) is returned to the place [from where he was taken].