שָׁל֥וֹשׁ עָרִ֖ים תַּבְדִּ֣יל לָ֑ךְ בְּת֣וֹךְ אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
ay magbubukod ka para sa iyo ng tatlong lungsod sa gitna ng iyong lupain na ibinibigay sa iyo ng Walang-Hanggan na iyong Diyos upang angkinin mo.
Rashbam
פן ירדוף, these words refer back to the need to establish three such cities as outlined in verse 2. If there were to be only one such city of refuge, the avenger in his pursuit would be more likely to succeed.
Rashbam
אז יבדיל משה, Why did the Torah interrupt Moses’ speech which were coherent, sequential and continuous, and it now introduced another subject in the form of a narrative? Actually, Moses had dwelled at length on the past and the time had come to do what the Torah had said at the outset, i.e. to elaborate on aspects of the Torah on which Moses had either not elaborated previously, or had not presented to the people at all, or felt that it was essential to repeat the legislation in question to prevent problems after he was no longer on the scene to deal with them.
The subject of the cities of refuge is of concern to the judges and the whole system of the judiciary introduced by Moses as the first subject of legislation which he reviews. Already in chapter one, Moses addressed primarily the judges on whom rests the responsibility of ensuring a functioning government. In chapter 19,2 the Torah commands the setting aside of 3 such cities of refuge each on the west bank and on the east bank of Jordan (verse 9). Since it did not mention the three cities Moses had already established on the east bank of the Jordan this had to be added here, to show that the numbers given in the Torah are flexible, i.e. that as the territory of the Jewish people expands the need to add more such cities may arise. The command issued in Numbers 35,14 was not to be effective immediately as the Israelites had not yet crossed the Jordan. Moses had nonetheless set aside such cities although they did not yet function as such.
The subject of the cities of refuge is of concern to the judges and the whole system of the judiciary introduced by Moses as the first subject of legislation which he reviews. Already in chapter one, Moses addressed primarily the judges on whom rests the responsibility of ensuring a functioning government. In chapter 19,2 the Torah commands the setting aside of 3 such cities of refuge each on the west bank and on the east bank of Jordan (verse 9). Since it did not mention the three cities Moses had already established on the east bank of the Jordan this had to be added here, to show that the numbers given in the Torah are flexible, i.e. that as the territory of the Jewish people expands the need to add more such cities may arise. The command issued in Numbers 35,14 was not to be effective immediately as the Israelites had not yet crossed the Jordan. Moses had nonetheless set aside such cities although they did not yet function as such.